Impact Story
This past season, First Nations’ Native Agriculture and Food Systems Investments program sponsored the first Young Women’s Buffalo Harvest at the DuBray Buffalo Ranch, alongside community partners Codie Horse-Topetchy and Elsie DuBray.
The inaugural gathering brought together 15 young women, ages 17 to 28, from various tribal nations, including Comanche, Apache, Oglala Lakota, and Kiowa. They arrived with various levels of experience and educational pathways, ranging from high school students to young women pursuing master’s and graduate-level degrees.
For some of the young women, it was their first time in the presence of buffalo; while others came with more experience and familiarity stepping into the role of mentors and key knowledge-holders within the group. This provided a collective learning space grounded in mutual respect, laughter, shared responsibility, and a deepened connection to the buffalo.
Throughout the harvest, knowledge moved in a noticeably expansive and meaningful way between Elsie’s parents, Michelle DuBray and Fred DuBray, and the young women. Fred shared that he was also learning alongside the women and from his daughter, while acknowledging that the way forward must include young women in buffalo rematriation to the extent that traditional practices are no longer the first of their kind, but regularly occurring community events. Intergenerational knowledge must be expansive, adaptive, and embraced by all generations for it to endure and create lasting change.
A significant aspect of the event was seeing how the younger women were teaching the older ones, and the older ones teaching the older ones.
Connecting and learning
The young women were guided through the full process of harvesting a buffalo, while learning how to use every part of the buffalo and learning how different organs served a purpose. One moment that stuck out was when one of the young women was holding one of the lungs and attempting to blow into it to fill the lung with air, but still not being able to fill it up all the way. This gave all the women a demonstration of just how powerful our buffalo relatives truly are and the strength they have within them.
The experience engaged all the senses — from feeling the warmth of the buffalo and the smells of the harvest, to the taste of the buffalo and the physical and emotional aspects of working together. Being in community with other young women allowed for them to step into experiences they may not have pursued on their own, finding courage to try something new through collective support.
Alongside the moments of emotional weight and deep spiritual connection, there was an overwhelming amount of laughter and joy, creating a space for healing, reflection, and celebration. Another participant shared how, upon arriving at the ranch the first evening, she was reminded of being home and was pulled to look up toward the sky, reconnecting to her homelands, and feeling the land bring back memories and teachings. Showing the environment itself is a teacher capable of grounding participants in preparation for the days ahead.
For many of the young women, this opportunity opened up new ways of thinking about their own communities, futures, and the possibilities of how their work can be guided by strengthening their focus in agriculture, food systems, community education, and leadership. This gathering reinforced the importance of intentionally including, honoring, and respecting Tribal Sovereignty to allow for the continued education and access to buffalo for generations.
In centering women’s presence, the event affirmed that their perspectives, skills, education, and leadership are vital to the future of the buffalo and our work toward food sovereignty.
A movement for the future
Looking ahead, the harvest offered a sense of peace and re-centering by reminding everyone who participated why this work matters. It was reaffirming to see young women with a need to continue this work with intentionality, care, and enthusiasm. There were many moments during the harvest that were incredibly meaningful and deeply impactful that cannot be captured into words, but are a feeling carried by the group, as a whole.
Building on the momentum, the Native Agriculture and Food Systems Investments team will be working to sponsor a Women’s Buffalo Harvest in 2026 in partnership with Texas Tribal Buffalo Project to create a space for women of all ages to learn, lead, and carry forward their own teachings.
The Young Women’s Buffalo Harvest is not meant to be the only one of its kind. Rather, it is part of a growing movement honoring women and ensuring that traditional food practices are carried for generations. In the meantime, First Nations will continue to support the young women who made the event possible and work with communities to provide more opportunities of this kind.
