Wóphila Thánka: Gratitude in action
Across generations the Buffalo’s hoofprints have tattooed the prairie. The deep-earth rumble of Tatáŋka walking home echoes through our grasslands, our hearts, and our community. In Lakota tradition, the Buffalo are relatives who carry strength, belonging, and the promise of return.
This season, we honor you: our donors, ranchers, and supporters who help bring the Buffalo home. Wóphila Thánka. A Great Thank You.
It is because of you that this work becomes reality:
The Tanka Fund connects with 24 Native Buffalo stewards across eight states.
That support includes grants, fencing, equipment, livestock, and technical services that make Buffalo ranching possible.
Since 2020, more than 2,300 Buffalo have returned from conservation preserves to Indigenous communities through partnership efforts.
These numbers represent more than progress. They tell stories of grasslands restored and cared for, of families stepping into Buffalo stewardship, and of young people learning to work with the land and the herds that sustain us.
As part of our campaign, Gratitude in Action: Wóphila Thánka, we invite you to share your own way of saying “thank you.” Record a short video or message in your language and send it to marketing@tankafund.org. Your voice becomes part of this circle of gratitude.
Supporters who give $500 or more will receive the Infinity Journey of the Buffalo Blanket as a gift of appreciation. Throughout the year, we will also share gifts with randomly selected donors, funders, and community members who take part in this movement. Every act of gratitude keeps this work growing.
After the new year, we will share our 2025 progress — new herd releases, new rancher support, and Buffalo returning once again to the prairie where they belong.
Wóphila Thánka. A Great Thank You for standing with the Buffalo and walking this return together.
Our Wóphila Tȟáŋka to the community
Tanka Fund returned to the He Sapa Wacipi (Black Hills Powwow) in Rapid City, SD — the same place our mission began 11 years ago. With over 1,800 dancers, this year’s gathering was one of the largest in the nation. We connected with friends old and new, including Jana Schmieding (Reservation Dogs) and ranchers Alex and Wayne Frederick, and gave away Tanka Fund merch and Infinity Journey of the Buffalo blankets.
Powwows remain powerful celebrations of song, dance, and identity — reminders of resilience, joy, and community across generations.
🦬 Wóphila tȟáŋka to everyone who stopped by and shared in the spirit of the Buffalo.
MORE FROM THE BLACK HILLS POWWOW
MORE FROM INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
Our Rancher Partners: Lisa Ansell Frazier
Founded and led by Lisa Ansell Frazier of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Buffalo Youth Nation Project is helping restore balance across the Great Plains through food, culture, and connection. Guided by Lakota values, the Native woman-led nonprofit has distributed over 185,000 pounds of food to students, families, and elders — with Buffalo at the heart of its work to heal and reconnect communities.
READ MORE
Relatives in Action: Tim Harjo
Tanka Fund rancher partner Tim Harjo (Chiricahua Apache, Comanche, and Seminole) wears many hats — including serving as a board member of the Native American Hall of Fame.
We’re honored to have been formally invited to attend the 2023 Induction Ceremony Gala this weekend at the OKANA Hotel & Waterpark in Oklahoma City, OK.
LEARN MORE
Ally Focus: Flower Hill Institute
Tanka Fund is proud to announce our official partnership with Flower Hill Institute, an Indigenous-led nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the resilience of Tribal nations. Since 2015, Flower Hill has collaborated with Tribal leaders and communities across the United States, offering innovative problem-solving and technical assistance to help address some of the most pressing challenges faced by Indigenous peoples.
“We’ve watched Tanka Fund grow and evolve, and the role it plays is so important if we’re going to restore Buffalo to Tribal communities and Tribal nations,” said Dave Carter, Regional Director for Technical Assistance at Flower Hill Institute. “Our role now at Flower Hill is to expand meat processing capacity with Tribal producers — creating opportunities for both cultural harvests and commercial development that strengthen local economies.”
LEARN MORE
Technical Service Spotlight: Lessons from a rainfall simulator
Our Head Range Ecologist, Kala Eiring, recently attended the Pennington County Conservation Conference in Rapid City, SD, where she heard from Kent Vlieger, State Soil Health Specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service of South Dakota. His live demonstration offered an impactful reminder of how land management practices directly shape the health of the soil and, by extension, the wellbeing of Buffalo and the ecosystems they depend on.
The demonstration compared the same soil type under five different management styles: cover crop, rotational grazing, continuous grazing, no-till, and tilled. The results were striking. The no-till and rotationally grazed soils absorbed and held far more water, while the tilled and continuously grazed soils shed most of the simulated rainfall as runoff — leaving them nearly dry even after a one-inch “storm.”
For those working to restore Buffalo to Native lands, these findings go far beyond a lab lesson. Healthy soil supports the Native grasses that Buffalo thrive on. Practices like no-till and rotational grazing mimic the natural movement of Buffalo herds across the prairie — allowing the land to rest, rebuild, and retain water. When the soil holds life, the Buffalo and everything connected to them do too.
You can reach out to our range ecologists at zintkala.eiring@tankafund.org and janet.moore@tankafund.org.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
On the horizon
November is a significant month for the Native community. Not only is it Native American Heritage Month, but November 1 marks National Bison Day — a perfect lead-in to the second annual Tatáŋka (Buffalo) Harvest held on November 6, which we are co-hosting with Oyáte Wóokiye as part of our Buffalo to Schools initiative. This Native-woman-led harvest honors the matriarchal leadership traditionally held in Buffalo processing and preparation — a reflection of the deep relationship between women and the Buffalo Nation in Lakota ways of life.
The plains Buffalo itself is a matriarchal species, guided by the wisdom of experienced females who lead and protect the herd. Traditional Lakota culture mirrors this structure, valuing women-led leadership as vital to the community’s strength and balance. In the video below, members of World Wildlife Fund’s Native Nations team and partners share what the return of the Buffalo means for the grasslands and for Indigenous communities across the Great Plains. See the video featuring their story at the link below.
MATRIARCHS OF THE PLAINS
Tanka Trivia
Last Month’s Trivia Question:
How much water does a Buffalo drink a day?
Answer: An adult Buffalo can drink upwards to 15 gallons per day.
This Month’s Question:
What do both Bears and Buffalo have in common?
Think you know?
Email your answer to info@tankafund.org for a chance to win exclusive Tanka Fund merch!
🦬 Good luck, and thank you for supporting Buffalo restoration!
SUPPORT THE RETURN
