Ponca Tribe gets $4.8 million to build buffalo processing plant in Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Ponca Tribe of Nebraska announced Friday that it received a $4.8 million federal grant to build a buffalo processing facility.

The United States Department of Agriculture offered this grant to allow the tribe to harvest, process, manufacture and store buffalo meat.

The money will be used to help build a facility in Niobrara, which is the traditional homeland of the Ponca Tribe.

Construction is expected to begin this fall, with completion by spring of 2025.

The facility will create several jobs for tribal members in the rural community and help feed over 5,800 members nationwide.

Tribe officials said the facility will be used to sustainably harvest and distribute meat to its members in accordance with sacred traditions.

“We greatly appreciate the USDA’s grant to support the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska’s ongoing work to sustainably harvest buffalo from our herd to feed our tribal members across the county,” Chairwoman Candace Schmidt said. “This grant will help our tribe advance our mission to provide services, support and nutrition to our tribal members regardless of whether they live within our tribal service area.”