Tanka Fund is a 501(c)(3) that is Native American-led and staffed. Since 2014, we have been working to provide animals, grants and technical assistance to Native American owned/operated or managed Buffalo ranches that are family or community based.

We are the only organization that works solely with and financially funds independent Native American family- and community-owned Buffalo ranches.

Based in South Dakota, we work with Native Buffalo ranchers of all tribal affiliations across the United States. Tanka Fund’s rancher partners now represent more than 1,800 head of Buffalo over 100,000 acres of land. Our 5-year goal is to increase that to 500,000 acres and 5,000 Buffalo or more.

These Buffalo caretakers, in turn, serve their own communities through maintaining cultural herds, providing healthy Buffalo meat to community members, and mentoring younger ranchers.

Our work honors the cultural and spiritual significance of the Buffalo Nation to Native American communities as well as addresses their challenges in growing economically and environmentally sustainable herds using traditional caretaking methods.

Historically, most funding and resources focused on the restoration of Buffalo to Native lands go to tribal government-owned herds. Tanka Fund works to empower private Native American Buffalo caretakers of all herd sizes and across all tribes, including established ranchers, those who are just starting new herds, and those who seek to convert from cattle to Buffalo.

SEE: BOARD OF DIRECTORS and OUR TEAM

Photo: Buffalo from Tanka Fund rancher partners Theda and Chris Pogue’s GP Ranch, Sulphur Springs, TX