- The Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes collaborated with the Montana Department of Transportation to design and build one of the largest networks of wildlife highway crossings in the U.S.- Previously known as one of Montana’s most dangerous roads, Highway 93 was upgraded to include 42 wildlife crossings that were built based on Indigenous traditional knowledge and values.Including a passing lane, the highway would run through the entire Flathead Indian Reservation, growing by more than 90 kilometers (56 miles) across sovereign Indigenous land.The protection of wildlife is also part of a generational duty that tribes take upon themselves to maintain a healthy ecosystem and nurture the connection to their culture.Working in partnership with an architectural firm in Seattle, Jones & Jones, the Salish and Kootenai tribes used Indigenous knowledge provided by tribal wildlife ecologists to design safe highway crossings for wildlife and people.Road experts and tribal leaders interviewed by Mongabay point to highway crossings as not just a success for safety and wildlife, but for forging working relationships and practices that can be applied in tackling other challenges."