Restoration of bison by tribes, aiming to include them on school lunch menus

Restoration of bison by tribes, aiming to include them on school lunch menus

In the heart of South Dakota, Lisa Iron Cloud, a key figure in the Indigenous food sovereignty movement, is making a difference. Growing up poor and moving frequently between the Pine Ridge reservation and Rapid City, Lisa's life has been marked by resilience and a deep connection to her heritage.

Lisa, now a coach for a group learning buffalo butchering and cooking, is not just teaching skills but also reviving traditional methods passed down through generations. This movement aims to combat physical and mental health problems on reservations by building food systems based on ancestral diets.

One of the cornerstones of this movement is the use of buffalo, a staple in Indigenous diets for centuries. However, the high cost of buffalo meat often makes it a challenge for schools to obtain. Donations and nonprofit organisations, such as the Buffalo Youth Nation Project founded by Lisa Ansell Frazier, play a crucial role in bridging this gap.

The Buffalo Youth Nation Project is focused on getting healthy Indigenous foods into Native after-school programs. They plan to include cultural buffalo harvests as part of their mission. Another organisation, the nonprofit Tanka Fund, is also actively involved, with Nancy Averett working tirelessly to support this cause.

The USDA's Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) has been a significant ally in this fight. This program allowed tribal governments to decide how to spend federal food assistance dollars, including investing in infrastructure like the 16-foot refrigerated trailer for buffalo processing, jointly commissioned by the USDA and the Intertribal Buffalo Council.

Recent changes in USDA rules have also been beneficial, allowing schools to get reimbursed for serving buffalo and other traditional Indigenous foods. This change could pave the way for schools to use food service dollars to buy buffalo from tribes and Native ranchers, as envisioned in the long-term goal.

However, the Trump Administration's USDA announced that the LFPA would cease at the end of the year, potentially causing a setback in these efforts. Despite this, the momentum towards Indigenous food sovereignty continues, with figures like Troy Heinert, running the Bureau of Indian Affairs' bison conservation and expansion project, leading the charge.

Krsytal Northcott, director of food services for Fort Washakie Schools, is one of many seeking a new source for buffalo meat to serve in schools. As the group Lisa Iron Cloud coaches continues to learn and grow, the future of Indigenous food sovereignty looks promising, with a renewed commitment to preserving and promoting traditional diets.