Sacred Storm Buffalo takes a different approach in an industry that often values efficiency above all else. To the Lakota people, the Buffalo is a relative, a being that willingly sacrifices itself for the love of its people. This sacred relationship guides our commitment to humane treatment, in which we honor the Buffalo’s generosity in life and death with the practice of field harvesting.
Our Bison remain unconfined, free to graze on the prairie grasses and drink from the creeks they have sustained themselves on for generations. When the time comes for harvest, we do so with a single shot that ensures our animal relatives feel no pain and experience no distress.
We take great care in choosing this compassionate and responsible path to food sovereignty, and we’d like to explain more about the process that brings our Bison from field to table.
Transporting Bison from their natural habitat to a slaughterhouse is a stressful, disorienting experience. Bison have retained their instincts, including being naturally wary of confinement. Removing them from their free-range habitat and transporting them to a slaughterhouse means forcing them into situations that go against their nature—tight spaces, loud noises, the feel of metal under their hooves. It’s a terrifying experience, and they haven’t even reached their final destination.
In most facilities, little thought is given to what happens beyond the meat. The hide is quickly stripped away and discarded, and the head, bones, and organs are treated as waste. These facilities are built for efficiency and speed, but for Buffalo, it’s far from the respect they deserve. There’s no pause, no moment of thanks for the life taken.
For the Lakota, this disregard flies in the face of the Pte Oyate (Buffalo Nation) beliefs, which call for gratitude and our using every part of our relatives so that the sacrifice does not go to waste. Sacred Storm Buffalo believes there’s a better way.
Once inside a slaughterhouse, the Buffalo are funneled into a series of metal-railed aisles to keep them in a single-file line, and handlers use prods—sometimes electric—to keep them moving forward through narrow chutes. Rather than the sweet smell of sun-warmed prairie or the song of the Tḣaṡíyagmuŋka (meadowlark) and Uŋkċékhiḣa (magpie), there is nothing but clanging machinery surrounding them as they navigate tight turns.
When they reach the stunning area, they’re subjected to a blow to the skull with a high-powered handgun to render the Bison unconscious. From there, they are hoisted by their back legs to be bled, then conveyed through the various processing stages.
Field harvesting shows respect to our Buffalo relatives, as it allows them to remain where they are most comfortable—the open prairie beneath the same sky they’ve known their entire lives. There’s no fear or anxiety because a single, well-placed shot ends the animal’s life quickly and painlessly, a final gesture of gratitude for all that it provides.
Sacred Storm Buffalo processes in the field, too, starting the work right where the Buffalo falls so we can immediately begin preserving the parts of the Bison that would otherwise be discarded in a conventional facility. We carefully remove the hide to be used for traditional leatherwork. Bones are cleaned and set aside for soup stock or pet chews, and the organs—rich in nutrients—are returned to the earth, feeding the soil and sustaining other animals.
For the young warriors on the field harvesting team, this job teaches them not only the knowledge of the Lakota people but also how to butcher with care and safely handle meat. This hands-on work also sees them taking responsibility for the community.
As they master the craft of field butchering, they’re engaging in hands-on work that keeps these skills alive while ensuring that their friends, family, and neighbors have access to healthy, high-quality meat. Warriors are paving the way toward food sovereignty, which comes with the pride of knowing they are part of something larger than themselves.
Field harvesting allows us to keep Buffalo far from the fear and stress of the slaughterhouse. It is a humane practice that respects the life of each animal and allows us to provide a nutrient-dense source of protein for our community and beyond.
We invite you to learn more about the Sacred Storm Buffalo initiative and support our efforts to uplift young warriors while building a sustainable food future.
Your generosity contributes to the cultural preservation, health, economic stability, employment opportunities, and social cohesion within the Indigenous community.
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