Reclaiming Our Future:

Wambli Ska Community Development Society

Wambli Ska Community Development Society is a Native-led ecosystem rooted in the Lakota value of WOLAKOTA—peace, harmony, and right relationship. What began more than two decades ago with a drum and a vision has grown into a powerful movement that heals through culture, empowers through work, and transforms trauma into purpose. Our future rests in the hands of our youth, and everything we do is designed to help them rise.

At the heart of this effort is Sacred Storm Buffalo—a replicable model for Indigenous self-determination. Like the buffalo, we face the storm. We meet hardship head-on, confronting the realities of poverty, unemployment, housing shortages, substance use, and systemic neglect. We do not give up. We build forward.

Our solution is meaningful, culturally grounded work. We’re creating jobs that reflect who we are—jobs that offer pride, purpose, and a pathway out of poverty. This isn’t just workforce development. It’s about reclaiming our right to build, heal, and thrive on our own terms. This is sustainable rematriation economics.

Our vision includes job creation across several key sectors of Indigenous resurgence:

• Food Sovereignty: Expanding buffalo infrastructure and Indigenous agriculture

• Community Clean-Up Initiatives: Fostering neighborhood pride through restoration projects

• Renewable Energy Sovereignty: Training Native workers in solar, wind, and sustainable energy—and implementing those systems across our lands

• Natural Resource Stewardship: Managing land, water, and wildlife with Indigenous knowledge

• Public Safety: Creating Native-led security solutions for our communities

• Construction & Housing: Launching an in-house enterprise that develops youth talent and elder expertise to renovate and build homes for our Oyate

We are not waiting for solutions—we are creating them. With each job created, each young leader mentored, and each buffalo harvested with ceremony, we move closer to a sovereign future. This is our roadmap to self-determination—one built by us, for us, and with the generations to come in mind.

Wambli Ska Programs and Initiatives

Wambli Ska Okolakiciye Workforce Development

Wambli Ska’s workforce development initiative equips Indigenous youth and young adults with the skills, mentorship, and cultural grounding needed to build meaningful careers and purposeful lives. Rooted in Lakota values, our programs blend hands-on training, apprenticeships, and life skills with cultural teachings—empowering participants to reclaim traditional knowledge, pursue economic independence, and become leaders in their communities.

Sacred Storm Buffalo Food Hub

Sacred Storm Buffalo Food Hub is not just a store—it’s a movement. Located in the heart of North Rapid City at 1601 Haines Avenue, our hub is the visible expression of a deeper Indigenous-led food sovereignty initiative—born from vision, rooted in culture, driven by purpose, and powered by the principles of sustainable rematriation economics.

We are South Dakota’s only fully Indigenous nonprofit, social enterprise-owned and operated workforce development initiative offering mobile field harvest, ethical buffalo processing, packaging, and culturally grounded product development.

When you shop at Sacred Storm Buffalo Food Hub, you’re doing more than buying a steak, roast, or bar of Pretty Pink Buffalo tallow soap—you’re investing in the restoration of an entire ecosystem. One rooted in cultural dignity, traditional knowledge, and a deep commitment to preparing the next generation to lead with skill, pride, and purpose.

Iron Hoof Grill

Where Culture Meets the Flame
The Iron Hoof Grill is more than just a food truck—it’s a rolling ceremony. Operated by the apprentices of Sacred Storm Buffalo, this mobile kitchen is a living expression of culture, resilience, and Indigenous food sovereignty. Every stop we make, every dish we serve, is part of a larger story—a story of reclamation, transformation, and community connection.

Wambli Ska Ranch

Wambli Ska Ranch is a cornerstone initiative of Wambli Ska Community Development Okolakiciye, designed to blend Indigenous cultural revitalization with practical workforce development. The ranch serves as a living classroom where Native youth and community members engage in traditional practices such as buffalo caretaking, land stewardship, and sustainable agriculture. Through hands-on experiences, participants reconnect with ancestral knowledge, fostering a sense of identity and purpose.

Beyond cultural education, Wambli Ska Ranch offers training in areas like meat processing and ranch management, providing valuable skills that lead to economic empowerment and self-sufficiency. This holistic approach not only preserves Lakota traditions but also addresses contemporary challenges by creating pathways to meaningful employment and community resilience.

By intertwining cultural heritage with modern skill-building, Wambli Ska Ranch embodies a vision of thriving Indigenous communities rooted in tradition and equipped for the future.