Contact us at: whispernthunder1@gmail.comHands of Hope
~ Mary Burrows
Humanely harvested, ethically processed and packaged,
home-grown, grass-fed Bison meat is now available from
South Dakota's only Indigenous, non-profit social
enterprise: Sacred Storm Buffalo in Rapid City. But this is
not just another butchery and meat market. Sacred Storm
Buffalo is part of Wambli Ska's Workforce Development Initiative
and a food hub from whence many positive programs originate.
The enterprise is the culmination and continuation of the dream of Daron White Eagle, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST), who founded Wambli Ska Okolakiciye in 2005 with the intention of providing Native young people an alternative to gang-life and despair by presenting them with a re-connection to their culture, heritage, and spirituality.
Patronizing Sacred Storm Buffalo is investing in the restoration of an entire ecosystem and helping to establish a food sovereignty system that incorporates the production of healthy, culturally significant, nutrient-dense Bison meat. The harvested Bison roam free on ranches near Rapid City, where their presence encourages native plant growth and supports bio-diversity.
Sacred Storm Buffalo is grounded in traditional Lakota values, the bedrock upon which Native life builds, flourishes, and prospers. Those values are Fortitude, Generosity, Kinship, Prayer, Respect, Wisdom, and Compassion/Love.
“The vision at Sacred Storm Buffalo is to create a
sustainable future where every individual cherishes
their connection to the land and the nourishment it
provides. Sacred Storm Buffalo strives to be a
beacon of cultural preservation, education, and
empowerment by fostering a world where everyone
can access healthy, culturally relevant food choices.
Through its commitment to excellence in meat processing, apprenticeship programs, and advocacy for food sovereignty, Sacred Storm Buffalo envisions a society where harmony between humans and the Earth is restored, one meal at a time.”
Chris White Eagle (CRST) is the current Executive Director of Sacred Storm Buffalo. “We believe good food is a right, not a privilege,” he said. “Now anyone using EBT (food benefits) can shop our selection of Bison meat, Indigenous snacks, fresh produce, and healthy market staples. We're building a food system rooted in culture, wellness, and dignity for all.”
Aside from being a source of food (and, in the past, shelter, clothing, weapons, tools, and utensils) for the Lakota, Bison relatives represent living in harmony with Nature, which resonates deeply with Native people. Forced assimilation and reservation life have disconnected Native youth, and others, from their roots.
One driving force of Sacred Storm's mission is the workforce development program for Native youth and young adults, conceived with the goal of reconnecting them to their essential ancestral life ways.
The physical manifestation of Indigenous self-determination is the Sacred Storm Buffalo Food Truck, a mobile classroom and cultural revival that reclaims Indigenous presence in public spaces where Native people have long been “invisible,” bringing healing along with a place to gather, share, and experience pride in their heritage.
Apprentices from Wambli Ska operate the Bison-fueled enterprise that begins with healthy food. They learn everything about harvesting and processing Bison with reverence and respect. Contributing to the Sacred Storm Buffalo Food Truck helps them build real-world skills, from practicing the culinary arts to entrepreneurship, and including how to wield a spatula! The Truck is creating jobs, building skills, and presenting an example of self-determination everywhere it goes.
Young people in the programs are led and mentored by the wisdom and knowledge of individuals who know what it means to rise and turn pain into power, tradition into opportunity. The food truck experience is a first job for many: the first time they see themselves reflected in leadership, tradition, and vision; the first time building pride in themselves; the first time earning a living.
Above and beyond the societal implications of meaningful work, the Food Truck is a “ceremony of transformation.”
The menu fuses ancient food ways with modern presentations of Wambli Ska Buffalo, and emphasizes the sacred relationship between the Earth and its Peoples. Tacos, runzas, ramen, slow-smoked Buffalo Brisket sandwiches, and Sacred Storm Indian Tacos with in-house crafted fry bread are served, along with traditional soups and healthy snacks.
There is no microwave oven on the Truck. Each dish is prepared with purpose and intention by hands infused with hope. Flavors are warm and comforting and evoke memories of Bison hunts and communal meals. The Truck is the full-circle manifestation of field harvest becoming nourishment, and food becoming ceremony.
The creation of Sacred Storm Buffalo Food Truck has taken Wambli Ska's mission into the public square and created career opportunities for Native youth and young adults. The Truck serves futures. Young warriors learn to lead by giving service. They are not just feeding the People, they are feeding a movement, one sacred bite at a time. Nothing is wasted and everything is honored.
After the American Civil War, there was a concerted effort to confine Native Americans to reservations. It is estimated that 40 million Bison were slaughtered during the 50-year effort to destroy them, causing deprivation in Native cultures that forced them into the government welfare system.
Yet, after all this time, through wars and space travel, the Bison and the Lakota are still here, and thriving.
“Where the smoke rises, the songs follow. Where The Truck parks, people gather. And where the buffalo leads, we walk—with tradition behind us and tomorrow in our hands.”
Sacred Storm Buffalo Butcher Shop and Healthy Market
1601 Haines Ave., Rapid City, SD
Open: Tuesday–Friday, 10am – 6pm and Saturday, 9am–4pm
Media Contact: Annie Bachand annie@wambliskasociety.org 605-205-5155
https://sacredstormbuffalo.org/ or call (605) 205-5094
https://sacredstormbuffalo.org/sacred-storm-buffalo-food-truck-fueling-a-movement-one-sacred-bite-at-a-time/