From Erosion to Renewal in America's Northern Great Plains

“Restoration, to me, means hope for the future.”

That’s how Ryan Lankford describes the work he’s leading on the Fort Belknap Reservation in northern Montana. A member of the Aaniiih Nation tribe, Lankford has deep roots here. His family has lived on the land for generations.

But the land has changed. Decades of drought, erosion, and destructive policies have stripped it of the native grasses that once held it together. “Ideally, your soil should be able to make a ball and hold its shape,” Lankford says, holding a handful of soil and letting it fall through his fingers. “This is just sand.”

The damage didn’t happen overnight. For generations, policies pushed Native communities into farming practices that weren’t suited to the land – practices that worsened drought, erosion, and soil collapse. 

“We were supposed to farm and be productive citizens of the United States,” Lankford explains. “But I don’t think farming is sustainable here.”

Lankford’s goal is personal: to restore the same acres his father and grandfather once broke for farming – land that proved ill-suited to crops – back into native prairie where the tribe’s buffalo herd can graze. 

Restoring More Than Grass

The key for Lankford is planting native grasses. “Grass is really important to our culture,” he says. “That’s where all life begins.”

Grasslands are central to Aaniiih culture. These plants were used in ceremonies, woven into daily life, and formed the base of an ecosystem that sustained entire communities. Ecological powerhouses, grasslands store carbon in their soils and roots, protect water, and shelter species found nowhere else. The Great Plains grasslands span a vast area, from Canada through the US into Mexico. 

Lankford is part of a broader movement of local land managers restoring grasslands and protecting biodiversity across the Great Plains. His work blends traditional Aaniiih knowledge with scientific tools, showing how deep cultural understanding and modern conservation practices can work together to heal the land. Local efforts are supported by national groups like the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund, which has invested millions of dollars in communities’ restoration efforts.  

The grasslands project is part of the Earth Fund’s larger restoration portfolio, which focuses on protecting intact ecosystems and restoring those that have been lost. 

“We’re working to realize a future where the land – and all life that depends on it – is healthy, resilient, and thriving,” says Emily Averna, Associate Director of Land Restoration at the Bezos Earth Fund. “Restoring the land means planting native grasses, removing invasive species, and ensuring grazing animals can move freely – giving the Great Plains a second chance to flourish.” 

The process is time-consuming and Lankford’s dedication to it is a powerful example of success in a broader restoration movement.

“Restoration takes patience,” Lankford says. “You can’t rush this.”

Healing the Land, Strengthening the Future

Lankford’s work isn’t only about repairing the environment. It’s also about sovereignty and self-determination. For Native communities, restoration is tied to reclaiming their connection to the land and how it’s cared for.

“Our people have always adapted to the land,” Lankford says. “Now we’re restoring it in a way that lets it adapt with us.”

The restored grasslands will help fight climate change by storing carbon and making the land more resilient. And they also create jobs, bring younger generations back into land stewardship, and reconnect communities to traditions that have endured despite centuries of disruption.

“Every patch of grass we bring back is a sign we’re not giving up,” Lankford says. “It’s a sign we still believe in the land – and in each other.”