FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 27, 2024
Rapid City, SD – Today, NDN Collective joined dozens of community members and partner organizations for the grand opening of Sacred Storm Buffalo. The new workforce development enterprise’s mission is to create sustainable futures through food sovereignty and cultural preservation. NDN Collective is excited to support the work of Sacred Storm Buffalo with a $1.6 million investment through our Indigenous designed power-building loans.
Sacred Storm Buffalo was established in partnership between Wambli Ska Okolakiciye, Tanka Fund, and Makoce Agriculture Development, with support from NDN Collective. Through each of these organizations, Sacred Storm Buffalo will develop a meat processing apprenticeship and cultural education program for young leaders, training them in traditional food systems and culturally relevant food choices.
“Our partnership will lead key systems to make this plant function: Makoce Agriculture Development will lead the development of the first multipurpose community food hub facility, Tanka Fund will work with buffalo and cattle stewards in the local and regional supply chain for regeneratively raised protein, and Wambli Ska will lead employment development and operations of the Sacred Storm Processing Facility and Warrior Lodge,” said Nick Hernandez, CEO & Founder of Makoce Agriculture Development. “This red meat facility will be the only Native Community Owned, Operated, and Managed facility in the Upper Great Plains and NDN Country.”
The apprenticeship program was created to chart a path forward for youth in the area to learn traditional harvesting techniques and cultural teachings through meat processing. It’s an opportunity to reconnect Indigenous youth with buffalo and the cultural relevance of the animal both in ceremony and food systems.
“This is about more than a job – this is about learning a new way of life,” said Chris White Eagle, Executive Director of Wambli Ska Okolakiciye. “I want to make sure these boys have opportunities, feel safe, can stay sober, and learn to live a different life.”
The grand opening was held in Rapid City at Sacred Storm Buffalo’s new meat processing facility. Attendees toured the facility and Warrior Lodge housing and met the Tanka Fund Buffalo ranchers. The Sacred Storm Buffalo team provided a meal alongside local food trucks.
“This partnership with Wambli Ska Okolakiciye and Makoce Agriculture Development is a crucial step in our mission to return buffalo to native lands, lives, and economies. Through this collaboration, we will continue to create opportunities within the buffalo economy and market,” said Dawn Sherman, Executive Director of Tanka Fund. “Historically, the buffalo economy was integral to our people’s way of life – herds were unjustly taken away to subjugate and relocate our people. By supporting the stewards of the land and the buffalo, we aim to restore and revitalize these opportunities, ensuring a regenerative and sustainable future for our communities.”
“NDN Collective’s decolonized lending program prioritizes projects that balance meaningful impact with financial sustainability – and Sacred Storm exceeded every single one of our criteria,” said Tawny Wilson, Director of Lending for NDN Collective. “This project supports a greater network of community support in improving food security, workforce development, cultural preservation, and supportive housing in the region. Each partner leveraged their strengths and unique expertise to maximize impact and pool resources to restore food systems in the hands of Indigenous Peoples.”
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NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change, we are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms.