Knife Chief Buffalo Nation

05/12/2026

Reminder to celebrate Native Non-profit Day!!

05/02/2026

There are many things we can learn from the Pte Oyate that we can apply to our own lives.

If you look at the skeletal structure of a North American bison, you are looking at an animal that is basically "engineered" to absorb massive amounts of physical punishment. A mature bull weighs around two thousand pounds. A massive portion of that weight is anchored in the front shoulder hump, which is supported by elongated vertebrae and packed with heavy muscle tissue. They evolved to survive blizzards, prairie fires, and apex predators by being an immovable object.

Normally, we measure a bison's durability by how well it handles a grizzly bear or a wolf pack. But in the summer of 2013, a bull in Iowa tested that physiology against raw atmospheric energy.

The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge sits in the Midwestern United States. It is a prime location for violent summer weather. During a severe thunderstorm, a lightning bolt struck the open prairie and made direct contact with a lone, mature bison bull.

The biological math of a lightning strike is absolute. A standard bolt carries roughly three hundred million volts of electricity. When that kind of energy hits a standard piece of livestock like a domestic cow or a horse, the results are catastrophic. The current stops the heart, fries the central nervous system, and boils the internal fluids. The animal drops dead in its tracks.

This specific bison took the full thermal and electrical impact directly across his back. The strike scorched away a massive patch of his thick hide, leaving a burned, raw crater across his hump and ribs.

Refuge biologists discovered him standing alone in the grass a few days later. He was visibly burned, heavily scarred, and severely underweight because the trauma temporarily suppressed his ability to forage. The managers assumed he would succumb to infection or internal organ failure. They left him alone, letting the landscape dictate the outcome.

The bison walked it off. His heavy physiological structure absorbed the shock. The wound scarred over, leaving a massive bald patch on his hump. He regained his weight, reentered the herd hierarchy, and went on to successfully breed. He earned the nickname Sparky from the refuge staff and lived another five years on the American prairie, eventually dying of old age at fourteen.

It is a stark look at what it takes to survive on the Great Plains. The environment is actively trying to kill everything standing on it. The North American bison survived the Pleistocene and the harsh climate of the Midwest because they are biologically built like armored vehicles.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

05/02/2026

05/01/2026

On Thursday (4/30) evening 9 tribes filed a lawsuit contending that the permit the US Forest Service granted to Pete Lien & Sons Inc. violated both the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act.

The Tribes who filed the suit include the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Santee Sioux Tribe, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and Yankton Sioux Tribe.

This is the second lawsuit filed against this drilling project with the first being filed on April 2, 2026, by NDN Collective, Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, and Earthworks.

Here are a few ways you can help Protect Pe’ Sla:

✍🏾 Sign our petition: https://ndnco.cc/protectpesla.

➡️ Add your organization, coalition, or Tribe name (no individuals at this time) to this sign on letter: https://ndnco.cc/signtosavepesla

🪶 Donate: https://donate.ndncollective.org/campaign/795725/donate

🎥 Stay tuned, we will be going LIVE and providing updates in the coming days.

👩🏽‍⚖️ The hearing will be held on Monday *May 4th at 3 pm MT at the *Federal Courthouse in Rapid City for the temporary restraining order that was filed on 4/29. Show your support and attend the courthouse.

05/01/2026

🪶 Save the Date: Indigenous Design Camp 2026!
Registration is officially OPEN for another year of creativity, culture, and innovation! Join us as we explore the intersection of traditional knowledge and modern design.

Whether you are a returning student or joining us for the first time, we can't wait to see what you'll create at Dunwoody College of Technology this summer.

🗓️ Event Details
When: June 22, 2026

Time: Kickoff at 9:00 AM

Where: Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis

Who: Open to all aspiring Indigenous designers!

📍 How to Register
Scan the QR code in the image below.

Visit our website (Link in bio/comments).

Spread the word! Tag a friend who needs to be there.

Let’s build the future together. 🌿✨

04/23/2026

Aŋpétu Wašté Mitákuyepi,

We are excited to announce the 2026 Teca Woapiye Wicoti (Children/Youth Healing Camp)! Registration is now open and will close on May 31, so be sure to sign up soon!

This camp is a community grassroots initiative, and we're so grateful for the support that makes it possible. Donations can be made at any time to help us continue creating this opportunity for our Wakanyeja (sacred beings-children).

We appreciate your support in helping make this camp possible for our Wakanyeja. Please feel free to share this post to help us spread the word!

Philámaya (thank you)!

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YX4W9YW4RL7GQ

04/22/2026

Lakota Mental Health First Aid - Instructed by Ethleen Iron Cloud-Two Dogs

April 25 & 26, 2026
9am-4pm
Oyate Health Center - Room Itazipco 2/3

04/21/2026

Last week one of our Board Members, Devyn Valandra, participated in the Native Americans in Philanthropy Conference (NAPCON). He engaged in workshops with foundations, non-profits, and leaders in philanthropy representing and bringing resources and opportunities back to Knife Chief, the Pte Oyate, and our people. We are eager to make a greater impact on restoring the Pte Oyate, our Lakota knowledge, and the wellbeing of our communities and land.

02/12/2026

A good learning opportunity for the young people

01/02/2026

Naslohan Waci (round dance) with the Koskalaka on the last day