Our Team
Britney Hiseley, Executive Director
Britney Hiseley attained a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS. She is an enrolled member of Citizen Band Potawatomi of Oklahoma and a descendant of Cherokee Nation. Miss Hiseley has dedicated her career in high-performing administration and program management profession with more than 10 years of relevant experience spanning the nonprofit, educational, and several private-sector organizations.
Travis Leading Cloud, Training Coordinator
Travis Leading Cloud manages the training and education outreach for Tatanka Funds. In this role, he develops curricula, fosters partnerships with other organizations, and offers classes to community members. Travis is also available for one-on-one financial literacy Q&A by appointment or walk-in. Travis is an enrolled citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and has previously worked for RST Corrections and RST Child Care.
Board of Directors
Dawson Her Many Horses, President
David Murray, Vice President
Juel Burnette, Treasurer/Secretary
Wayne Boyd, Member
Clay Colombe, Member
History of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate
The name "Sicangu" means "burnt-thigh" in our native Lakota language, and we live on the land that is now known as the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Generally speaking, "Lakota" and "Sioux" both refer to the larger Nation of which we are a part; however "Sioux" is a name given by outsiders. We proudly claim Sicangu Lakota as our name and our identity.
The Rosebud Sioux Reservation is located in south central South Dakota and borders the Pine Ridge Reservation on its northwest corner and the state of Nebraska to the south. The reservation consists of rolling hills, timberland, and breathtaking canyons. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe manages nearly 1,000,000 acres, though we lay claim to a much larger homeland which includes the Black Hills.
The US Census dramatically underestimates the population of our reservation. We estimate that there are around 20,000 residents of the Reservation, with about 90% of them being Native American. There are 20 communities spread across the reservation, making it one of the most rural areas in the lower 48 states.
Historically we depended on the buffalo for food, clothing and shelter. They were the foundation of our economy, which makes the name "Tatanka Funds" so fitting. "Tatanka" is the Lakota word for buffalo.
The Lakota of the 1800's were the ultimate representative of the Plains Indian culture, with organized bands living in tipis on the prairie, dependence on the buffalo. and a warrior culture.
Under terms of the Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1868, the Lakota were placed on one large reservation that encompassed parts of North and South Dakota and four other states. After gold was discovered in the area, the United States confiscated 7.7 million acres of the Sioux’s sacred Black Hills and created several smaller reservations.
The Tribal governments maintain jurisdiction within the boundaries of the reservation including all rights-of-way, waterways, watercourses and streams running through any part of the reservation. The Tribal Council consists of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, a Sgt-At-Arms and 20 additional Council members all of which are elected by the Tribal members.
Today, the major economic occupation on the Rosebud Reservation is cattle ranching and farming for a number of Tribal operators. The second largest employer is the Rosebud Sioux Tribe through the provision of administrative and other services including the Tribal Land Enterprise, education, healthcare, and law enforcement. Tribally operated schools and Sinte Gleska University are large employers. The Rosebud Casino employs a large number of Tribal members. The Tribe also operates a Tribal Ranch, a hunting program for small game, big game, and waterfowl. The Tribe also manages a buffalo herd for food and game production.