The importance of the buffalo to Native people cannot be overstated. Before colonization, the buffalo was integral to daily Native American life. Work, culture, health and spirituality derived from and honored the buffalo as evidenced in the art, prayers, songs and celebrations that survive to this day.

In an effort to starve Native Americans into submission, the U.S. government initiated the policy of removal, and along with it launched an all-out attack on buffalo to destroy this mainstay of Native American life. The impact of the destruction of some 50 million buffalo can still be felt today on reservation community lives.

Tanka Fund seeks to reverse those effects through its mission to repopulate Native lands with buffalo and re-establish a sustainable buffalo economy for our people.