May 14, 2025

This piece is sponsored by Vanguard Hospitality.

The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe holds a deep connection with the buffalo.

“For thousands of years, we’ve had this symbiotic relationship. They’ve fed us, they’ve clothed us, they’re housed us, they’ve taught us our spirituality,” said Avery Jones, a specialist in the Dakota language.

In 1990, the tribe started a buffalo herd both as a tie to its ancestral heritage and as a way to generate traffic for its gaming facility, which is the main source of jobs for its residents.

It has grown to 135 animals on 320 acres — but maintaining the herd comes with a cost.

“You have to feed them, you have to pay for the labor, for vet expenses, fencing,” said David Ross, a trustee on the executive council for the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. “Working with Vanguard is helping to provide all that.”

Vanguard Hospitality has begun purchasing buffalo meat from the tribe for use in its Sioux Falls restaurants.

“It’s outstanding quality, and by purchasing from the tribe, we’re assisting in helping move the buffalo meat for herd health,” said Tim Meagher, chief operating officer. “There’s only so much land there, and to make sure the amount of buffalo on the land isn’t excessive is important or else they’re susceptible to disease.”

Additionally, the tribe benefits from the herd nutritionally. Buffalo meat is distributed to tribal members as a healthier option for their diets.

“Buffalo meat is very lean. It’s very good for your body,” Meagher said. “And you get a minerality that comes from how they graze on different grasses. They naturally will restore dormant grasses on the plains just by the way they herd.”

You’ll find the Flandreau Santee Sioux buffalo in the bison burger as well as a featured buffalo steak at Minervas in downtown Sioux Falls, and expect to see more additions and special features in the months ahead.

“It’s a huge honor to be in a position to assist another community in their efforts to support their own food,” Meagher said. “The food sovereignty initiative they’re addressing and our efforts to support local producers can all happen together.”