Because so many of you have asked:

Due to the current U.S. government funding freeze, all Tanka Fund projects relating to our beef and bison commodities program program to help Native Buffalo ranchers with prairie restoration through sustainable land management practices have been paused until further notice. We are hopeful that the 5-year program will be allowed to continue once all grant evaluations are completed at the Department of Agriculture.

The impact to Tanka Fund could represent a loss up to $1 million a year. We believe this project is essential to our work to return Buffalo to healthy Native lands. Our long-term plan was to provide these technical services to our ranchers even after the grant period ended. If you would like to help us continue this important work, with or without the grant funds, you can: DONATE HERE

As always, thank you for your support for Tanka Fund,
Dawn Sherman, Executive Director

Our Rancher Partners: Tim and Jessica Harjo

Tim (Chiricahua Apache, Comanche, and Seminole) and Jessica (San Carlos Apache) Harjo moved their family to Apache, OK, determined to build a Buffalo herd despite an agricultural system designed for cattle. The couple wanted to expose their children to the cultural opportunities they weren’t getting in California.

“Bison are very much a part of traditional life for Comanche — especially,” Tim said. “There is still a deep reverence, and we get a lot of spiritual completeness from being around these animals.”

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Tanka Fund in the News

Tanka has recently been featured in multiple media outlets, highlighting our work to restore Buffalo to the lands, lives, and economies of Native communities.

• Native Sun News Today
  Buffalo returned to ancestral lands in Indigenous-Led Movement

• Good News Network
  Bison Ranchers Return Thousands of Animals to Native Lands and Witness Total Rejuvenation of Ecosystem

• The Nature Conservancy Press Release
  Hundreds of buffalo returned to ancestral lands in nationwide Indigenous-led movement

Tanka Impact Podcast: Buffalo, Beyond the Horizon

Join us TOMORROW for a deep dive into the Tanka Fund’s Young Native Leaders Network with intern Skylar Pogue, a Seminole Nation of Oklahoma member and U.S. Navy veteran. From tech specialist to aspiring range ecologist, Skylar shares her passion for Buffalo conservation, rangeland management, and revitalizing traditional knowledge. Learn how young Native leaders like her are preserving culture, protecting Buffalo, and shaping the land’s future.

Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcast
Spotify
iHeart Radio
Amazon Music
YouTube

Be sure to subscribe to stay up-to-date!

COO Arnell Abold Speaks at Dakota Territory Bison Association Conference

The Tanka team attended the Dakota Buffalo Territory Association Conference at the Best Western Ramkota in Rapid City earlier this month. The theme this year was “Resilience in Land & Operation.”

Tanka Fund’s COO Arnell Abold presented on our 2024 achievements, including surplus Buffalo distribution, support for new ranchers, and beef and bison commodities program updates. She emphasized the power of partnerships and collaboration in returning Buffalo to Indigenous lands.

Regional Buffalo to Schools Conference in Rapid City, SD, June 21-24

School food service professionals, school administrators, teachers, Tribal herd managers, ranchers, processors, and others are invited to attend the Regional Buffalo to Schools Conference this June.

Tanka Fund is collaborating with:

• Intertribal Buffalo Council

• Intertribal Agriculture Council

• Montana Partnership to End Childhood Hunger

• Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Buffalo Authority Corporation

• Great Plains Food Sovereignty Corporation

• World Wildlife Fund

• The Nature Conservancy
  …and more.

Schedule:
June 21–22: Traditional Buffalo Harvest, 777 Ranch (south of Rapid City)
June 23–24: Conference at Western Dakota Technical College

Hands-on school meal culinary workshops with Buffalo meat will be included.

For more info: kayann@mtpech.org

Funder Spotlight: Fidelity Charitable

Tanka Fund receives support from direct donors through Fidelity Charitable, a 501(c)(3) public charity that helps donors maximize generosity via a donor-advised fund (DAF). A DAF is like a charitable investment account for the sole purpose of supporting nonprofit organizations.