Texas Tribal Buffalo Project harvest commemorates ancestral land, builds community
PHOTO: Donavan Waupoose Sr. (left) and Eagle Bear leading the cultural harvest at Texas Tribal Buffalo Project in February.
Last month, Tanka Fund participated in the third annual Southern Plains Buffalo Harvest, hosted by our rancher partners at Texas Tribal Buffalo Project. The ceremony honored the Buffalo’s sacrifice while preserving the ancestral food traditions of the Lipan Apache.
This year’s harvest was particularly significant, marking the reclamation of 150 acres of ancestral homeland in Floresville, TX, — land sacred to the Lipan Apache, Coahuiltecano, Carrizo Comecrudo, and Southern Plains Buffalo peoples. More than a continuation of tradition, it was a moment of healing, sovereignty, and reconnection to the land these tribes’ ancestors once roamed.
As part of this gathering, TTBP hosted Tipi Talks — an exclusive space created by and for Indigenous women to share their stories, knowledge, and vision for the future.
The harvest was a hands-on cultural experience, where attendees engaged in traditional practices such as learning butchering techniques, listening to storytelling, having critical discussions, and sharing a community meal.
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