Salon 102 Restoring the Gifts of Indigenous Ways

Lucille Contreras

Lucille is the CEO and founder of the Texas Tribal Buffalo Project, an organization dedicated to buffalo conservation, regenerative agriculture, and reconnecting Texas lineal descendants to their heritage. Leading the only known women-led bison ranching operation in Texas, Lucille is both a hands-on buffalo caretaker and a nationally recognized advocate for Indigenous-led land stewardship and ecological restoration.

A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in the Arts, Lucille integrates creativity, culture, and science in her approach to community-based conservation. She is also a James Beard Fellow, a program supporting emerging food producers, where she strengthened her expertise in sustainable food systems and Indigenous food sovereignty. A proud Lipan Apache and Mexica descendant, Lucille is a signatory of the Buffalo Treaty, a historic intertribal agreement uniting Tribes and First Nations across the U.S. and Canada to restore buffalo populations and revitalize ecological and cultural connections.

Under her leadership, the Texas Tribal Buffalo Project has introduced initiatives such as “Meat for Mamas,” which provides nutrient-rich bison meat to expecting mothers, and remains the only bison producer in the nation that accepts EBT—expanding access to traditional, nourishing foods while distributing bison products across Turtle Island. Through a deep relationship with the buffalo and the land, Lucille continues to shape the future of Indigenous-led agriculture and conservation, advancing biodiversity, sustainability, and community sovereignty through reciprocal, land-based practices.

Cherilyn Spears

Cherilyn Spears is the Director of Agriculture for Red Lake Nation, a proud tribal member of Red lake. Our dept consists of 4 areas. Buffalo, Produce gardens, Medicinal plants for healing salves and Hemp fiber. I have 7 children and 16 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. We currently have 72 buffalo, started with 6 buffalo from Wind Cave National Park in SD.

More @ www.redlakenation.org