Buffalo Horse Inc.

FORT BELKNAP
INDIAN COMMUNITY

1896
CURRENT RESERVATION
BOUNDARIES ESTABLISHED

8,000
COMBINED MEMBERSHIP
AANIIIH AND NAKODA
NATIONS

Buffalo Horse, Inc. is a tribally-owned corporation established by the Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) for the purpose of providing contract services to the federal, state, and private entities.

Buffalo Horse, Inc.’s goal is to develop a self-sustaining economy for the Aaniiih (Gros Ventre) and Nakoda (Assiniboine) Nations through new businesses, job creation, and resource development.

Buffalo Horse Inc. Creation Story

The meaning behind the company name “Buffalo Horse” came from an observation current BHI Board Member Chairman Tracy “Ching” King shared about a unique horse that he witnessed on the buffalo pasture near Snake Butte. In August 2009, Tribal Chairman King noticed a white horse running with the bison herd transferred from Yellowstone National Park. Buffalo Pasture Technicians also began seeing the white horse running alongside the bison herd. Attempts were made to capture the horse; the horse seemed to disappear whenever anyone got near the horse and bison. Chairman King shared a Nakoda story about the “Holy White Horse” that ran with the bison herds as a protection spirit. Before Europeans, when the bison still roamed free, our Nakoda people shared stories and songs about the “Holy White Horse” they would see during their bison hunts. Our People always had great success in our bison hunts when we would see the “Holy White Horse.”

Chairman Tracy “Ching” King felt that it was appropriate to name our new government contracting company “Buffalo Horse” as a successful business to create economic sovereignty for the Nakoda and A’aniiih nations. The goal of “Buffalo Horse” was to provide a contract vehicle in the federal procurement space that was unique, which would help our Tribe with self-sustainability and economic sovereignty. Before our People were placed on an Indian Reservation, we were wealthy from our nourishment and goods provided by the bison. The bison provided our homes, clothing, tools, and food. The horse gave us that vehicle to ride alongside the bison to harvest them for our survival.

Chairman King proclaimed that our new government contracts company would be called “Buffalo Horse” because it included the two most essential beings our nation needed for survival and wealth, the Buffalo and The Horse.