Restoring the Buffalo People: Food, Sovereignty, and the Power of Seven Generations
Behind the Scenes at Rosebud Reservation, Where Bison, Culture, and Community are Growing Stronger Together
The road to healing—for land, people, and spirit—often begins with something deceptively simple: food. Not just eating, but growing, harvesting, and sharing food in a way that honors culture, history, and future generations. On the Rosebud Reservation in Mission, South Dakota, the team behind Native: The Prodigies of an Icon met the people doing just that.
Led by Wizipan "Little Elk" Garriott, previous Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs under the Biden Administration and a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and Michelle Haukaas, garden manager with the Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative, this chapter of the story is a powerful reminder that revival starts at the roots.
Buffalo and the Spirit of the Land
To understand the Rosebud movement is to understand the sacred connection between the Lakota people and the buffalo. For generations, the buffalo provided food, clothing, tools, and spiritual guidance. When they were taken from the land, so too was the Lakota way of life.
“Buffalo are essential to who we are,” says Wizipan. “In order for us to be our full authentic selves as Lakota, we must have a relationship with them.”
The Wolakota Buffalo Range, a 28,000-acre stretch of prairie, is now home to one of the most ambitious buffalo restoration efforts in history—an initiative to build the largest Native American-owned and managed bison herd in the world. When complete, it will support 1,500 bison and a resurgence of identity, sovereignty, and ecological balance.
The Power of Seven Generations
At the heart of the Rosebud mission is a philosophy passed down for centuries: the 7GEN principle. It teaches that every decision should consider the impact on the next seven generations—a guide not just for sustainability, but for morality and wisdom.
“If we make ethical decisions, and use complex systems thinking, we can build a prosperous future for all humanity,” Wizipan explains. “If we don’t—things won’t work out so well.”
It’s not just theory. It’s action. Rebuilding a buffalo economy. Reclaiming Indigenous land. Teaching children how to grow their own food. Sharing meals across generations. The future is being built in real time, and it tastes like home.
Food Sovereignty Is Freedom
Food sovereignty isn’t a buzzword here. It’s a lifeline. It’s about reclaiming the ability to nourish one’s family—not through dependence, but through community and connection.
“We want to feed ourselves. To grow and harvest our own food. That’s freedom,” says Michelle Haukaas.
Through greenhouses, farmers markets, canning projects, and seed saving workshops, the Sicangu Food Sovereignty Initiative is reviving ancestral knowledge and community pride. It's about making food local, sustainable, and abundant. It's about making health a right—not a privilege.
“We stock our pantry, but we also share with everyone,” Michelle says. “It’s educational, it’s healing, and yeah—it's basically free food. That’s a big deal.”
Bridging Worlds Through Food and Family
Perhaps the most beautiful thread running through this story is the reminder that food unites us all. Whether you’re Indigenous or non-Indigenous, urban or rural, from the Plains or from the city—every person must eat.
“Villains care about their children,” Wizipan says. “Everyone wants to leave a legacy.”
Through food, we pass on stories. Through land, we inherit responsibility. And through buffalo, the Lakota people are teaching the world what it means to be relatives again—not just to each other, but to the Earth itself.
The crew of Native came to document the return of a species. What they found was the return of a people’s power—through soil, seed, and soul.
And through it all, the buffalo watch patiently—finally coming home, finally welcomed back.
To see the full story unfold, follow the behind-the-scenes journey of Native: The Prodigies of an Icon on the Yanasa TV YouTube Channel. Because this isn’t just about bison. It’s about a vision seven generations strong—and the future it’s already creating.
Production Partners
Meet My Neighbor Productions, Inc.
Yanasa Ama Ventures, LLC
Grant Partner
National Buffalo Foundation
Platinum Sponsors
Great Range Premium Bison
Durham Ranch / Sierra Meat & Seafood Company
Tender Bison
National Buffalo Museum
Rangeland Premium Bison
Noble Premium Bison
Mosquito Park Enterprises LLC
Gold Sponsors
The Buffalo Wool Company
Texas Bison Association
Dakota Territory Buffalo Association
Heim Land & Bison
Dakota Pure Bison
Tesoro Ranch
777 Bison Ranch
Additional Sponsors & Partners
Herd Wear
National Bison Association
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The story of Native: The Prodigies of an Icon is more than a documentary—it's a movement to restore America’s most iconic species and reconnect people to the land, their food, and their heritage. Now, you can be part of that story.
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