Tribal Relations

Honoring Ancestral Ties, Building a Shared Future

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest consults with tribes on a government-to-government basis about proposed Forest projects. For thousands of years, this land has been home to Indigenous peoples whose histories, traditions, and stewardship continue to shape its legacy. Through this consultation, the Forest builds productive working relationships with tribal leaders, government officials, and resource managers. Today, we collaborate with tribes like the federally recognized Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and others with ancestral ties to ensure their voices guide our management and preservation efforts. Together, we’re working on projects that honor the past, protect the present, and sustain the forest for future generations.

A Legacy Rooted in Tribal History

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest lies within the ancestral territories of several tribes, most notably the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, whose treaty rights and deep connection to this land date back millennia. Archaeological evidence shows human presence here for over 11,000 years, with bands of hunters and gatherers following game and seasonal plants across what is now the forest. The Shoshone-Bannock, along with other tribes like the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Paiute, relied on these mountains, rivers, and valleys for sustenance, ceremony, and community. The forest’s name itself reflects this heritage—“Caribou” honors a miner nicknamed Cariboo Jack, tied to tribal storytelling traditions, while “Targhee” commemorates a Bannock warrior.

The tribes maintain a living relationship with the forest, exercising treaty rights to hunt, fish, gather plants, and conduct cultural practices. Their traditional ecological knowledge informs our approach to land management, blending science with centuries-old wisdom to care for this shared space.

Collaborative Projects with Tribal Partners

The Caribou-Targhee National Forest is committed to working hand-in-hand with tribal nations on projects that protect cultural resources, enhance ecosystems, and reduce wildfire risks. Here are some key initiatives we’re tackling together:

• Cultural Resource Preservation:
  In partnership with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, we’re identifying and protecting sacred sites, historic trails, and archaeological areas across the forest. Projects include mapping traditional use areas and ensuring activities like timber harvests or trail development respect these irreplaceable resources.
• Watershed Restoration:
  Tribes and the Forest Service are collaborating on efforts like the Diamond Creek Improvement Project, restoring 0.8 miles of stream habitat east of Soda Springs. This work, guided by tribal input, supports native Yellowstone cutthroat trout—a species of cultural and ecological importance—while improving water quality for downstream communities.
• Wildfire Resilience and Fuels Reduction:
  With tribal consultation, we’re implementing vegetation management projects, such as the 32,700-acre Caribou Forest Health Initiative. By using prescribed burns and mechanical thinning—practices echoing traditional tribal fire stewardship—we reduce hazardous fuels, protect forest health, and safeguard cultural sites from uncontrolled wildfires. We emphasize fire prevention, encouraging visitors to follow the “out cold” process for campfires and avoid fireworks, incendiary or tracer rounds, exploding targets, idling vehicles over dry grass, and dragging chains.
• Aspen Regeneration:
  Working with tribal partners, we’re enhancing aspen stands across the Middle Henry's Fork Watershed. By thinning encroaching conifers, we stimulate aspen growth—an important resource for traditional crafts and wildlife habitat—while reducing fire risk in these fire-dependent ecosystems.
• Grazing Management:
  The Fogg Butte and Ripley Butte Allotments project analyzes livestock grazing impacts with input from the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, balancing modern use with tribal rights to gather plants and hunt. This ensures sustainable rangelands that support both tribal traditions and ecological health.

Fire Prevention: A Shared Responsibility

Wildfires pose a threat to the forest’s cultural and natural resources, making prevention a priority we share with tribal partners. Traditional tribal fire practices inspire our strategies, like controlled burns to clear undergrowth. We ask visitors to join us in this effort: extinguish campfires until they’re “out cold” (cool to the touch), avoid fireworks and exploding targets, skip incendiary or tracer rounds when shooting, park away from dry grass, and secure trailer chains to prevent sparks. These steps protect the forest and its tribal heritage.

A Partnership for the Future

Our collaboration with tribes is more than a legal obligation—it’s a commitment to mutual respect and stewardship. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and other tribal partners bring invaluable perspectives to projects that range from habitat restoration to fire management. By listening and learning, we ensure the Caribou-Targhee remains a place where cultural traditions thrive alongside ecological vitality.