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“It provides a first step of reintroducing bison but also bringing back that connection indigenous people have with bison and with Banff park.”

The ceremony at Lake Minnewanka kicked off a full day of special celebrations in Banff related to bison — historically known as buffalo by First Nations.

There was a second pipe ceremony later Thursday in a tipi set up at the Whyte Museum, where two more signatories were added to the Buffalo Treaty.

Photo by Daniel Katz / Postmedia

The treaty aims to bring buffalo back both physically and as a symbol of First Nations culture.

Since the treaty was signed with four Canadian and four American tribes in 2014, the three Stoney Nakoda nations, Samson Cree Nation and 10 Saskatchewan First Nations have also joined it.

The 20-plus signatories to the treaty also passed several resolutions — including one that asks the province of Alberta to recognize bison as wildlife rather than livestock.

They also want to see the name of Tunnel Mountain in Banff changed to “Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain” as part of the reintroduction of bison to Banff National Park.

Karsten Heuer, project manager for the bison reintroduction in Banff National Park, said they are on schedule to bring them back in early 2017.

“We have some hurdles yet to clear,” he said at the Banff ceremony. “The detailed (environmental) impact assessment, which we’ve been working hard on for the last year, is about to go out to the public for review for a month.”

Photo by Leah Hennel / Postmedia

Following the public review, he said they will finalize plans to reintroduce 16 bison from Elk Island National Park into a fenced area in the backcountry on the eastern edge of the park for the first 16 months, before letting them roam free.