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  • 1575 Valley Drive Rapid City, SD 57703

Igniting Tradition,
Illuminating Futures

Wambli Ska
Society

Founded in 2014, Wambli Ska Okolakiciye is a Native-led nonprofit organization based in Rapid City, South Dakota. It began as the vision of Daron White Eagle– father of Chris White Eagle and grandfather of Chance White Eagle– whose dedication to revitalizing Native culture inspired a lasting legacy. Daron worked tirelessly to reconnect youth and families with traditional songs and dances, guiding them toward what he called “the path of a good road.”

After his passing, Daron’s family continued his work, opening Rapid City’s first Native American community teen and family center in 2021. Since its opening, Wambli Ska has expanded to offer longer hours, additional staff, and an on-site K-12 homeschool program, all of which strive to better meet the needs of the community.

From the start, Wambli Ska has focused on supporting gang-affiliated youth with diversion programs to help them rewrite their futures. This work caught national attention, leading to Wambli Ska’s involvement in the White House Community Violence Intervention (CVI) Collaborative.

The CVI Collaborative focuses on addressing the root causes of violence– gang activity, bullying, racial tensions, gun violence, and substance-related abuse– by connecting people to the resources they need to move toward the path of a good road.

These are just a few examples of how Wambli Ska employs community-driven, holistic strategies that go beyond what law enforcement or local governments can achieve alone, effectively disrupting cycles of violence and kindling lasting change.

Sacred Storm Buffalo

For Wambli Ska, the natural next step was to build on their mission by creating a program that would keep alumni on the path of a good road.

And, so, Sacred Storm Buffalo came to fruition.

Sacred Storm Buffalo continues Wambli Ska’s vision of rooting participants in traditional Native American practices, and builds on those roots by also equipping them with the tools for economic empowerment: skills in butchery and ecological stewardship. Even beyond teaching a trade, our apprenticeships offer a way to reclaim food sovereignty and deepen cultural connections.

The Workforce Development Program operates through a nonprofit Native-owned Buffalo processing plant and mobile slaughter unit, creating a “birth-to-table” approach to food production. Every step—nurturing Bison herds, harvesting, butchery, and distributing the meat—carries deep cultural significance. Beyond sustenance, it’s a way to restore resilience, independence, and empowerment to the community.

The Impact of Traditional Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship programs rooted in traditional practices uplift communities and preserve cultural continuity.

Here’s how they make a difference:

Community Well-being

  1. Hands-on learning boosts academic engagement and mental health by giving participants a sense of purpose. The mentorship component fosters strong interpersonal relationships, while practical skills like butchery promote economic self-sufficiency.
  2. Apprenticeship programs involve close mentorship and collaboration among participants, fostering strong interpersonal connections. These relationships support learning and contribute to a sense of community and belonging.
  3. Equipping young warriors with practical skills through apprenticeships can enhance their employability and contribute to economic development within the community. Moreover, by promoting self-sufficiency, these programs reduce dependency on external resources.

Cultural Continuity

  1. Apprenticeship programs pass down traditional knowledge, skills, and values from one generation to the next. This ensures that cultural practices, integral to Indigenous communities’ identities, are preserved and celebrated.
  2. Elders play a crucial role in apprenticeship programs, serving as mentors and guardians of traditional wisdom. Through these programs, younger generations can learn directly from their elders, ensuring that valuable knowledge is not lost.

By embracing and perpetuating their traditional practices, communities reaffirm their cultural identity and strengthen their bonds. This sense of cultural continuity fosters resilience in the face of external pressures and promotes pride in heritage.

Zuya Wicasa Ta O’Tipi | Warrior’s Lodge

The success of Sacred Storm Buffalo has revealed an urgent need for workforce housing. Zuya Wicasa Ta O’Tipi– Warrior’s Lodge– is a dedicated nonprofit space for apprentices to find security and safety that helps them thrive during their training.

The creation of Warriors Lodge addresses systemic challenges from the foundation up:

  1. Stable housing directly addresses long-standing inequities in Indigenous communities. Because we remove the stress of housing insecurity, apprentices can focus on developing their skills and building their futures.
  2. The Warrior’s Lodge initiative sets our apprentices up for economic empowerment. We invest in Indigenous communities’ long-term fiscal stability and growth by providing the resources for participants to gain valuable trade skills along with the independence and confidence they need to succeed in the meat processing industry.
  3. Affordable housing for workers nurtures a feeling of belonging, providing a secure space to rest with established rules and norms. Being situated within or close to their communities during training cultivates a supportive atmosphere where apprentices experience a sense of connection and appreciation, enriching their general well-being.
  4. Workforce housing provides the space and environment for young warriors to develop practical skills such as cooking, cleaning, and daily chores, from making their beds to washing linens and clothing. We want to create an environment in which our participants enter the workforce not just with job skills but also having attained a level of personal development, self-determination, and future success beyond the apprenticeship program.

Amidst this co-creative and explorative journey, individuals found a path to healing and life, feeling fortunate to help others do the same. Through the holistic sanctuary of Sacred Storm Buffalo and the Warriors Lodge, we offer a refuge and a roadmap to wellness—nourishing the body, mind, and spirit.

Support Sacred Storm Buffalo

Your generosity contributes to the cultural preservation, health, economic stability, employment opportunities, and social cohesion within the Indigenous community.

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Location:

1575 Valley Drive Rapid City, SD 57703

Hours:

8 AM - 3 PM, Monday-Friday

Phone: (605) 205-5100

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