With grant dollars being cut or frozen by multiple federal agencies, many local organizations are struggling to look to what’s next or how to continue.
Some of the most underserved areas in South Dakota rely on funding for food and other commodities. That includes some Native American communities.
Eight years ago, Virgil Two Eagle, Sr., took over his uncle’s ranch after he passed away. The ranch spans over 3,600 acres on the Pine Ridge Reservation. There, Virgil tends to over 70 buffalo.
He said taking over for his uncle became much more than a job. It became a way to give back to some of the sacred Lakota animals.
“Bison or buffalo. As we say in our Lakota language, Tatanka or Pte Oyate, has always been vital to us throughout time immemorial," Two Eagle said. "I’m very honored that I do what I do as far as being a bison caretaker. I take care of them, and they take care of me."
Until recently Virgil said he was one of the only Oglala Sioux Tribe members to have tried his bison. But then last year the Oglala Sioux Tribe received a USDA grant allowing local producers to sell their product to a commodity program that would then distribute the products to people on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
He said in a place where good, quality food simply isn’t feasible financially for most, it meant a lot to be able to provide an important food source to his tribe.
“Man, I was so excited! I was so excited about that because finally our people, our tribal members here on the reservation, through this grant will finally get to eat what I’ve been raising here on the reservation for years: our buffalo, our bison. And I was really honored for that,” Two Eagle said.
Virgil said the Tanka fund — a nonprofit that helps Native buffalo ranchers receive funding and bison — helped him secure additional grant dollars to help with day-to-day operations. He said those allow him to update outdated equipment, buy new fencing materials for corrals and other necessities to continue his ranch.
Virgil said those funds go much farther than just himself. He said they help him spread love to the entire Pine Ridge community.
“Man, you know what that done for our local people that help me? These local young men that help me? It brought pride back knowing that they’re helping me, help the buffalo and taking care of them," Two Eagle said. "With the fencing, they’ll be safe. They’ll be home. And helping me with the water, you know: making sure the water is all good and there’s water available to them. And the hay; it allowed me also to buy hay from other local producers here. That allowed them, for them to buy their equipment."
So, when Virgil learned grant programs were getting cut and funds frozen, he decided to make a call to the Tanka fund to see about his own funding.
“To find out that we were also affected by that, what little grant money we got, we weren’t getting it, I had a wide range of emotions and feelings about that also. You know, the uncertainty, you know, what tomorrow’s gonna bring because these grant moneys helped us day-to-day with our operations. For me anyways,” Two Eagle said.
Initially, Virgil said he didn’t understand why this was happening.
“The feeling of, basically uncertainty, but kind of felt like… I guess I’m not very as far as how I really, truly feel other than mad and angry, you know. Because more feelings into that,” Two Eagle said.
Funding for the tribe’s Local Food Purchase Assistance Program was initially pulled, the Oglala Sioux Tribe announced its return starting April 1.
But that’s not for every grant Virgil and other local producers use. Representatives from the Tanka fund say a lot of grants are under review or frozen as the USDA and other federal government entities to look to make cuts, including Congress.
In February, Congress released a budget resolution requiring the House Agriculture Committee to cut $230 billion over the next decade.
It narrowly passed the House Feb. 25. All Republicans except one voted in favor. They cited cost-savings as the primary reason with cuts in multiple areas at the federal level.
Many Republicans say states can share the cost of programs the federal government foots the bill for. That includes SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps support local farming and producing operations.
Some have also indicated cuts to conservation funding available to local farmers is on the horizon to reach the full $230 billion.
Jonathan Coppess is the Associate Professor and Director of the Gardner Agriculture Policy Program at the University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign. He estimates the House’s budget would cut about $292 million in South Dakota for farmers to employ conservation practices. He said to the government it’s not much, but for people like Virgil it’s vital.
"You know if you’re getting assistance to help cover the costs of a conservation practice; maybe you’re putting in a wetland, restoring a wetland, putting in a grass waterway, or field borders, you know, this assistance is helping you do those practices," Coppess said. "And in the billions of dollars we’re talking about it’s not a lot, but to you on your farm operating on a tight margin and a tough economic environment, it can mean a whole heck of a lot. Right? I mean it can very much mean the difference between even thinking about doing the practice."
He said another important aspect to look at is how these funds extend beyond just the farmer. For farmers like Virgil who utilize conservation funds, their practices reach the surrounding community.
“But it’s also good for all the rest of us who are taxpayers who pay for these payments because we get cleaner water, and less soil erosion, and more wildlife habitat and things like that," Coppess said. "So, these are a different type of fund and assistance. Which goes to the sort of bigger question: If we remove these funds, then we’re not making the investments in farmers to help both the farmer and all the rest of us with the benefits of these practices."
So, although funding isn’t a guarantee in the future, Virgil said it’s nothing he and his people can’t handle.
“As Native people, we’re resilient, you know. We’ve always been through hard times like this. So, we’ll bounce back, you know? This ain’t gonna hold us down forever,” Two Eagle said.
He said as for his day-to-day, he’s going to carry on and keep working. He said his uncle managed to work without these grant funds and if need be, he will too.
