Everybody Solar is thrilled to join forces with the nonprofit organization, One Spirit, as we embark on an inspiring project to bring solar energy to the Charging Buffalo Meathouse—the first and only meat processing facility on Pine Ridge Reservation.
The Charging Buffalo Meathouse stands as a beacon of progress, offering employment opportunities, facilitating the resurgence of buffalo herds, and providing the community with access to healthy, traditional meat. By incorporating solar energy into this vital facility, we amplify its positive impact, ensuring sustainable practices that benefit the environment and the community alike.
Project Overview:
The Charging Buffalo House (CBH) holds profound significance, representing more than just a meat-packing plant. This visionary endeavor is a testament to the Lakota people's unwavering commitment to their cultural heritage and sustainable practices. With the CBH, the community embraces a renewed connection to a traditional source of meat, restoring cultural ceremonies and offering a means to combat hunger and diet-related diseases that have plagued the region.
For generations, the buffalo held a sacred place in the daily life of the Lakota, influencing everything from hunting, cooking, and art to teaching, praying, singing, and celebrating. The Buffalo Nation served as a living example of familial unity, with the buffalo caring for their young and elderly, keeping them safe at the center of their circle. By bringing the Buffalo Nation back to the reservation, families feel strengthened once more, forging a deeper sense of community and shared identity.
With the addition of a 11.16 kW solar energy system to the Charging Buffalo House, the facility will save over $1,800 in electricity costs each year. Moreover, the CBH will serve as a model of environmental stewardship, integrating solar energy as a teaching tool to exemplify the Lakota's "Leave No Trace" principles.
“The big savings definitely helps us put that money back into our business, hire more people who
need the work, and also helps us buy equipment needed...the solar power system will help our
people bring back our buffalo to the menu of our food supply.” —Bamm Brewer, Buffalo House Manager
THANK YOU to individuals and organizations who have made contributions to help bring solar to the Lakota Buffalo House!
Special Thanks to....
Daryl Bosma, Anne Christophe, David Ellis, Runa Jone, Jim Katz, George Kline, David Lemon, Karla Mundy, Arthur Paine, Kizhanatham Srikanth, Alain Valette, Polly Wingfield, Nancy Zycheck, Murdock Electric, The Gumerlock Family Foundation.
