Exploring Trust through the Lens of Wildlife Coexistence and Revitalization

Abstract

Wildlife coexistence is a way of understanding how humans and wildlife can coexist in shared landscapes through management processes that mitigate conflicts. Through a reflection on a summer internship in the Blackfeet Nation, Jonni SpottedEagle recounts a journey of personal growth and explores themes of trust while examining how people are re-learning to coexist with bison across Montana. Jonni, an undergraduate student at Montana State University in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, joined Dr. Madison Stevens on her “Restoring Human-Wildlife Coexistence in Working Landscapes” project in the Summer of 2025. This project explores efforts to bring free-roaming buffalo (bison) back to the grasslands and the Rocky Mountain Front. Under the mentorship of Dr. Stevens, Jonni participated in interviews and fieldwork, exploring how bison reintroduction is a stepstone toward cultural revitalization of Indigenous communities, a shared history with bison, and how the restoration of bison in these landscapes can restore ecosystems. She saw both the positive and negative impacts of bison reintroduction in livestock communities and on community health and wellness. She recounts how her experience has changed her preconceived notions of what research looks like and has supported her continued personal and professional growth.