One Spirit Supports the Vision of Bringing Back the
Sacred Food of the Lakota; @OneSpiritLakota
What’s next for the Charging
Buffalo Meathouse?
August 19, 2024 - Rapid City, SD - One Spirit, a
non-profit organization dedicated to providing support for the Lakota people of
Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota updates the status, progress and plans
for the Charging Buffalo Meat House.
In 2016, One Spirit built the first and only meat
processing facility on Pine Ridge Reservation, the Charging Buffalo Meathouse.
The facility provides employment opportunities, helps bring back the buffalo
herds, and provides healthy, traditional meat.
Bamm Brewer, the visionary that brought the idea
and skillset as a traditional carver to create the Charging Buffalo Meathouse,
recently talked about the significance of the project and what else is needed
to finalize the dream.
Read
this in full at: https://www.investorideas.com/news/2024/main/08191One-Spirit.asp
“One Spirit organization has joined the Lakota to help
bring back the Buffalo. One Spirit helped us build the Charging Buffalo Meat
House. Since we’ve been open five years, we have noticed monumental gains. It’s
like there are ripple effects that are happening...noticeable from the absence
of Buffalo from the Prairie.”
“These ripples are showing up as obstacles and
after going through them, we realize and look at them as positive gains. After
each ripple, we see the gains.”
“It took us five years to see how the Charging
Buffalo Meat House can really help the Lakota.
We went from processing for ranchers, hunters, and tribal programs to
now, possibly, the OST commodity food program. The Tribe has made big moves
toward utilizing the Charging Buffalo Meat House. It was announced to us that
the commodity program can buy locally for the first time in history. A food
initiative grant allows them to buy local.”
“To buy local: this is a landmark historical
happening.”
“As the summer season is upon us we are at a
crucial time to finish our expansion project which "would allow us to
produce more meat to the tribe and hire more workers creating jobs.”
Continued:
“On behalf of
our Tribal nation, I believe we together can finish the expansion project. The
OST commodity program is now looking to us as a resource of meat for our
people. We believe we can get our expansion done by late fall and start fully
inspected in a year. However, right now our focus should be electrical wiring
and then the interior work such as insulation and wall covering.”
“We have called this as a time to when we really
need to accelerate this project as the commodity programs intentions are to
purchase at market rate.”
A recent blog post on the One Spirit site says, “The Charging Buffalo Meat Processing
Facility stands as a beacon of hope, offering a chance at redemption and
empowerment for the Oglala Lakota people. Bamm Brewer's visionary program,
supported by One Spirit, is not just about employment; it's about transforming
lives and breaking the cycle of addiction and incarceration.”
Founder and the driving force of One Spirit, Jeri
Baker says, “The Charging Buffalo Meathouse stands as one of One Spirit's most
significant and expensive accomplishments, aiming to empower the Lakota people
to help themselves. However, to fully realize the facility's potential in
providing healthy food to tribal members and expanding sales beyond the
reservation, we require additional funds. Your donation can make a substantial
impact by financing the necessary upgrades for full certification and unlocking
the Charging Buffalo Facility's growth.”
Continued: “We are nearing completion. Currently, the
expansion is closed in, the electricity and plumbing is being installed, the
walk-in cooler is being built, and the insulation and wallboard is being
installed. We now need to finish the work we started—complete a meat
processing facility that can provide fresh meat to the food programs,
employment for the people, and a boost to the Reservation’s economy.”
Talking about specifics of what is needed she
commented, “We need AC and HVAC, the railings that will transport the Buffalo
in and out and through the meat house, and we also need to complete the walk-in
cooler. Basically all of this will be about 300,000.”
Charging
Buffalo Meathouse
About
One Spirit
One Spirit is a non-profit organization dedicated
to providing support for the Lakota people of Pine Ridge Reservation in South
Dakota. We strive to provide sustainable programs that promote
self-sufficiency, economic development, and educational opportunities for the
Lakota people. Our mission is to fulfill their vision of a self-sufficient and
independent future. To help the Oglala Lakota tribe of Native Americans achieve
happier, healthier lives within the context of their remarkable and unique
history and culture.
Learn more about programs and donating
https://www.onespiritlakota.org/
Contact
PO Box 3209, Rapid City, SD 57709
jbaker@nativeprogress.org | 570-460-6567
No comments:
Post a Comment