FEED THE PEOPLE Campaign
The “Feed the People” campaign is a call to action for funding mutual aid support in response to the disruption of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the Oceti Sakowin.
NDN is seeking immediate funding to purchase and distribute bison meat boxes to Indigenous families affected by the SNAP funding crisis. Our goal is to combine food relief with cultural revitalization – ensuring that emergency response aligns with Indigenous values of reciprocity, respect for the animal, and community well-being.
Oic’ihipi sni – Lakota phrase for “those that cannot help themselves.” We have an obligation to support our relatives most impacted by the SNAP crisis; those with accessibility needs, children, elders, and families.
Our approach ensures that we are both responding to the urgent needs of our community, while also strengthening traditional food systems and collaborating with Indigenous-led projects working on food sovereignty to ensure our communities can feed the people.
Campaign Objectives
- Provide direct food relief to families impacted by SNAP cuts through the distribution of bison meat boxes in the Oceti Sakowin (Rapid City and surrounding rural communities).
- Support Indigenous food sovereignty by sourcing meat from Tribally managed or Native-led bison herds.
- Strengthen community health and resilience by providing high-protein, nutrient-dense, culturally significant food.
FACTS
- Approximately 1,000,000 Natives use SNAP benefits
- 25% of Natives face food insecurity; this rate is higher in rural communities.
- 74,000 people in South Dakota, 8% of the state’s population, receive SNAP benefits.
- SNAP benefits average $356 per month per family in South Dakota.
- The crisis is not just about hunger — it reflects the erosion of systems that once ensured community health and sovereignty of food sources.
