So we are on the banks of the Snake River.

It's a little after 6:30 a.m., and we're about to get on some boats and head to a bighorn sheep capture and collaring event.

It's probably about 7 a.m. right now, and the biologists and tribal members and state representatives are all here getting set up.

- We call them Tinúun.

That's the Nimiipuu name for bighorn sheep for the Nez Perce.

And um, they, we have a lot of historical significant ties to the bighorn.

And it's important for us to be involved with the restoration process to sustain a population for hunting and harvesting for our people, because we want to continue those traditional ties that we have and harvesting animals and utilizing them for their horns and trying to carry on that to the next generation so our younger people can start to learn how we traditionally use the animal, teaching them to interact outside of our reservation to tie the Western science point of view.

- ... will show.

Simona, Kate and Kristen the data.

You guys are recorders.

- I'm expecting to see some bighorn sheep being brought in by helicopter.

Just also really excited to see bighorn sheep up close and personal.

- So the helicopter net guns the sheep, they put them in sling bags, they hobble them, blindfold them, and then they bring them to us at the site.

We get them on stretchers.

We get weights.

We get them to the mats.

We put blindfolds on them so they can't see and that really calms them down.

We don't need to use tranquilizers to handle the sheep.

- Well be radio collaring the sheep so we can track them and we can document movements and survival.

And then we're collecting health samples to look at infection.

We can give them fluids.

So, just to combat stress.

They have a great winter coat.

So we'll be checking their temperature and if they get hot, well be pouring water on them.

We're very cognizant of the sheep welfare.

- Mountain sheep are really important to our tribal culture.

Primarily putting it on the table and providing for your community or your family.

I admire all of our partners.

Together, we are able to accomplish common goals, and it's just great to see so many people show up and care about these animals.

- Hells Canyon is an area where sheep were native for thousands of years.

I am just amazed by their agility.

They just go on these steep rocks.

You could go around, you know.

- My grandma's grandma lived on the Snake River and in a hut house.

That's where she was raised before our reservation was created.

And the people who lived along the Snake, um, relied heavily on mountain sheep.

- The tribes have a different perspective.

You know, they've been around longer and I, I love learning about it.

The European perspective is more, sort of, utilitarian or protection and the tribal perspective, from my understanding, it's just more, reciprocal.

It's a relationship.

- I think there's a target population of thousands that we want to achieve, and maybe it won't happen in my lifetime, but maybe my children will be able to enjoy that and that they can maybe have a relationship and do things along with bighorn sheep that I wasn't able to do.