Building Buffalo resilience at Fort Belknap
Herd Manager Bronc SpeakThunder; Yvonne Stanley, Administrative Assistant; Teri Harper, Buffalo Center Research Coordinator and professor at Aaniiih Nakoda College; Trudy Ecoffey, Tanka Fund, Contractor, and Dawn Sherman, Tanka Fund Executive Director.
Summary
Tanka Fund reached a major milestone by providing direct technical service to the Fort Belknap Indian Community’s Buffalo program for the first time. In partnership with First Nations Development Institute, the visit focused on cultural, operational, and economic priorities while planning for long-term herd resilience and community impact.
5 Key Points
Historic Milestone – Tanka Fund was invited to directly support a Tribal Buffalo program for the first time, marking a shift from working solely with Native ranchers.
Community Engagement – Collaboration included Fort Belknap’s Buffalo program leaders, Aaniiih Nakoda College faculty, students, and teaching assistants.
Dual Purpose Herds – The cultural herd serves ceremonies, education, and community needs, while the production herd supports sustainability and economic opportunity.
Buffalo Management Plan – Discussions centered on cultural priorities, operational needs (processing, storage, workforce), market opportunities, and resilience planning.
Sovereignty & Future Generations – Student involvement ensures knowledge transfer, while leadership at Fort Belknap builds a program rooted in culture, community, and self-reliance.
Read more below.
Tanka Fund recently reached an important milestone in our mission to return Buffalo to Native lands, lives, and economies. For the first time, we were invited to provide direct technical service to a Tribal Buffalo program. While our work has historically centered on partnerships with Native ranchers, this visit to the Fort Belknap Indian Community created an opportunity to support a Tribe in strengthening their Buffalo management systems and planning for the future.
This work was made possible through the partnership of the First Nations Development Institute (FNDI). Over several days, we had the privilege of meeting with Herd Manager Bronc SpeakThunder, Yvonne Stanley, Administrative Assistant, Teri Harper, Buffalo Center Research Coordinator and professor at Aaniiih Nakoda College, four young teaching assistants (Tanner, Shaun, James, and Mikkel), and Dr. Sean Chandler, president of Aaniiih Nakoda College. Together, we toured the college, visited the reservation, and walked the pastures of both the cultural herd and the production herd. These herds serve distinct but equally important purposes: one is dedicated to ceremonies, education, and community needs, while the other supports long-term sustainability and economic opportunity.
Technical Assistants Tanner, Shaun, James, and Mikkel.
Ongoing Work
Our time at Fort Belknap focused on listening, learning, and beginning conversations about what a more formal Buffalo Management Plan could look like. This plan is envisioned as a tool that will help guide herd stability, support both cultural and commercial goals, and ensure the program remains resilient for future generations.
Key areas identified in these discussions include:
Cultural priorities such as ceremonial harvests, student engagement, and full use of each Buffalo.
Operational needs such as processing capacity, cold storage, sanitation, and workforce training.
Market opportunities ranging from local retail to potential USDA procurement.
Resilience planning to prepare for challenges such as drought, fire, or disease.
Why It Matters
These conversations are not only about logistics. They are about sovereignty, cultural survival, and leadership development. By involving students in herd care and processing, Fort Belknap is ensuring that the next generation understands not only how to manage Buffalo but why Buffalo are central to the health of the community.
Gratitude and Next Steps
We are grateful to FNDI for their partnership and to the people of Fort Belknap for the opportunity to work together. The process of shaping a sustainable Buffalo program is ongoing, and Tanka Fund is proud to contribute support where it is needed. The combined leadership of Bronc SpeakThunder, Yvonne Stanley, and Teri Harper is helping to build a foundation for Buffalo management that is both culturally grounded and future-focused.
As this process continues, we remain committed to helping Fort Belknap and other Tribal partners strengthen Buffalo programs that are rooted in culture, community, and self-reliance.
