The Tipi Raisers invites you to join us in thinking big! For over a year we have been hard at work with a top-tier team of investment specialists and are excited to launch this pioneering approach to wealth management over the next ten years. By engaging this strategy, you'll have the peace of mind that comes from both growing your investments while contributing to transformative solutions aimed at ending generations of poverty, addiction, violence, and marginalization on the reservations we support! In collaboration with our tribal partners we have outlined seven potential projects that each have the potential to create culturally meaningful, sustainable industries in the communities we serve. Vision 2035 is our shared hope for the ripple effect of impact that each project has the potential to create!
The original Lakota People thrived, in part, due to their connection to the earth, and especially the bison. When the U.S. government decimated the massive bison herds, the People of the Plains (Lakota, Cheyenne, Arapahoe and others) sustenance, spiritual practices, connection to the earth as well as social and economic stability were similarly decimated. As a result, according to the American Indian Humanitarian Foundation, death due to heart disease is twice the national average (other stats around diabetes, infant mortality, etc.). The revitalization of modern-day Lakota culture and the health benefits of high protein bison meat is inextricably linked to the reintroduction of the bison directly into their societies.
This project originated in 2023 in partnership with Colorado State University (CSU) School of Veterinary Medicine and Knife Chief society on Pine Ridge. Through a generous donation from a private donor and a gift of five bison from CSU, Tipi Raisers connected tribal members with CSU to get training in bison herd management and care. We then transported the animals to Pine Ridge where they added to an existing, but small bison herd that is being seeded for future growth.
The Vision:
The Bison Rehoming Project has the potential to transform the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by 2035! Empowering Tribal members to economically sustain their families and communities while simultaneously creating a trained workforce in the highly specialized field of animal husbandry. This project can ensure that traditional knowledge and values are passed down to future leaders who learn to advocate for the preservation of Lakota lifeways, culture and land and nutrition. Expected impacts from full implementation of this project include:
+ Food Sovereignty: Empowering the Lakota People to address issues of hunger and health by cultivating their own healthy, fresh foods.
+ Employment and job training: While earning wages through their engagement with this project, Tribal members and Native Gen7 youth also gain valuable skills and experience that they can apply throughout their lives.
+ Cultural Identity: Establishing a living connection for the Lakota People to their origin story through access to a healthy bison herd.
+ Youth Empowerment and Leadership: Providing our Gen7 youth with mentoring and formal training through a partnership with CSU, to gain hands-on experience and expertise in bison herd management.
+ Education: Connecting Tribal schools with access to the herd. The local schools could potentially create and implement a multi-disciplinary curriculum around the herd which integrates the arts, history, science, math, and cultural significance of the bison.
Establishing this herd holds the promise of a future where Lakota culture thrives, interconnected with the land and flourishing economically for generations to come! Bison Rehoming Project
Path to Sustainability:
The project's initial phase, which we envision taking 8-12 months, begins with a thorough research and development process to include a feasibility study and strategic plan. Once that phase is completed we will move into implementation. The implementation phase will include orientation and foundational curriculum developed in collaboration with Colorado State University (CSU), which has graciously offered to guide the curriculum's development and assist in selecting youth participants. This partnership will give students the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning about herd management and facility upkeep, gaining practical skills for sustainable livestock stewardship.
Concurrently, this phase will include pasture acquisition and preparation, including repairing fences, installing water infrastructure, and securing hay to ensure optimal conditions for the herd. To support daily operations, we will hire tribal members whose expertise will contribute to the herd's care. Exploring partnerships with organizations like Great Range Bison presents an opportunity to expand the program's reach and impact.
Processing of the first bison, our first milestone, will provide nutritious food boxes for the community and lay the foundation for a culturally resonant and sustainable micro-economy with the potential to transform livelihoods and health outcomes on the Pine Ridge reservation.
Later milestones will be realized as cultural and educational components are introduced to local schools, enriching students' understanding of Indigenous traditions and agricultural practices.
This project requires significant funding to take it from its humble beginnings in 2023 to a flourishing industry that creates sustainable work and income streams for the Lakota people. Our tribal partners as well as those at CSU have estimated that it will take a herd of 250 bison to create a transformative impact by 2035 on the reservation. We have identified 600 acres available immediately for lease for our first twenty head of bison.
Ultimately, through highly specialized training and ongoing support, participants will not only gain practical expertise in herd management but also develop the following proficiencies that will equip participants to build a brighter future for themselves and their community:
+ Leadership skills + Business start-up support relative to animal husbandry and herd and land management + Increased employment prospects
These impacts, when realized, stand to address the longstanding issue of unemployment that plagues the Pine Ridge reservation. This, in turn, will contribute to reducing poverty and dependency within the community, while promoting self-sufficiency and confidence.
"For the sake of future generations, we must act now—working alongside our tribal families and community to provide what the U.S. government and others have not!" - Dave Ventimiglia | Executive Director
To learn more call Dave at 720-412-3335 or email us!
