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November 25, 2025

Buffalo Youth Nation Project: A Story of Regenerative Abundance

This year, with the support of donors like you, the Buffalo Youth Nation Project (BYNP) made powerful strides toward restoring food sovereignty, cultural knowledge, and Indigenous-led stewardship across Native communities.

Restoring the Herd, Restoring the Land

Your contributions helped strengthen the Wokini Bison Herd—bringing in additional bison, including breeding bulls, and advancing a 200-acre grazing plan that invests in fencing, soil health, and long-term herd vitality. This isn’t just herd expansion—it’s land healing. It’s rebuilding a buffalo-based food system that once nourished entire Nations.

Feeding Communities and Growing Young Leaders

With your support, BYNP delivered more than 180,000 pounds of fresh, locally sourced food to over 7,000 people this year alone. Their after-school food program continues to nourish families, elders, and youth while providing culturally grounded nutrition education that reconnects the next generation to their First Foods.

“We often see schools as spaces where our ancestors were assimilated and traumatized, we have an opportunity now to reclaim those structures and use them as spaces of healing and regeneration for our youth.” – Lisa Ansell Frazier, Buffalo Youth Nation Project

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Shelly Vendiola

(she/her), Swinomish/Visayan, Community Engagement and Culture Director

Shelly Vendiola, (Swinomish/Visayan) is an enrolled member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, and Visayan. She has served as an educator, facilitator, activist, and peacemaker/mediator for over 30 years. Shelly co-founded the native Community Engagement and Peacemaking Project and offers consultation in the areas of community engagement and facilitation services including: leadership development, strategic planning, organization mapping, dispute resolution, interest-based negotiations and peacemaking circles throughout the country.

Currently she works as a Community Engagement & Culture Director for the Na’ah Illahee Fund, and serves on the board of the Indigenous Environmental Network and the Skagit YMCA. She continues to work in partnership with the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection, co-chairs the Protect Mother Earth Subcommittee, and is a member of the Swinomish Health, Education and Social Services Committee. Shelly developed a place-based curriculum about the history and culture of the Swinomish peoples and taught a series of cultural sovereignty courses for over 10 years at the Northwest Indian College – Coast Salish Institute within their Native Studies Leadership Program.

Previously her team provided leadership and consultation for the Lummi Cedar Project – Organized Generations Healthy Lifestyles Program. Ms. Vendiola served as President for the national Indigenous Women’s Network and a Campaign Director for the Indigenous Environmental Network. Shelly received several years of formal dispute resolution training from the Indian Dispute Resolution Services, Inc., and the San Francisco Community Boards Program. She is the recipient of the Native Action Network – Enduring Spirit Award, and a recognized educator and peacemaker in the Northwest region. Shelly has an M.Ed. in Higher Education and practices indigenous pedagogy and indigenous research methodology within all aspects of her work.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Shelly is passionate about gardening. She practices the ancient form of meditation known as Qi Gong for balance, energy, and resiliency, and is a certified Yoga instructor. Her motto is, “There is nothing permanent in the world but change, the key is how we flow with it!”