2003 - 2004, Blood Reserve , Alberta, Canada

The swift fox is not only a keystone species within the prairie and foothills ecosystem, but also holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for the Blood Tribe Confederacy. Its return to Blood Tribal lands, its traditional homeland, has strengthened the spiritual fabric of Blood culture and identity.

This initiative marked a first in Canada and was also part of a cross-border conservation effort. The successful reintroduction of swift foxes to Blood Tribal lands directly supported the newly re-established population on the neighboring Blackfeet Tribal lands in Montana. In doing so, it provided mutual ecological and cultural benefits to both projects, both Nations, and both countries.

CEI partnered with the Blood Tribe (Kainai Nation) to design and implement swift fox release efforts on traditional Blood territory in Alberta. These efforts contributed not only to species recovery but also to the revitalization of cultural relationships with native wildlife.

The involvement of Indigenous communities brought invaluable insight into local ecology, land use, and respectful animal stewardship. It also ensured that reintroduction efforts respected cultural values and contributed to shared goals of land healing and biodiversity protection.