By Josh Margolis
ROCKY BOY, Mont. (NMB) – A grand opening was held on Thursday in Rocky Boy for the new Help Lodge, a multi-purpose facility that features a food bank and a commercial kitchen.
Tribal Chairman Harlan “Gopher” Baker says this building, which was funded entirely through about $1 million in CARES COVID-19 relief dollars, is one big step towards the goal of food sovereignty.
“(This will) probably be our main hub to our community. Being able to provide that service to the community, as far as an available resource, that’s our hope. That we’re able to for a long time, be able to provide that service to the people, to have that resource here.”
Chippewa Cree Sustainability Coordinator Jason Belcourt says to achieve that sovereignty, they need to make sure they utilize their own resources, such as their buffalo herd and crops.
“Try to live by that motto: What we grow here, we eat here. And what we eat here, we grow here. William Lodgepole is our Food Sovereignty Coordinator. And he’s taken off with that side of things. He’s planted enough potatoes to yield 4,000 pounds of potatoes. So we’re pretty excited about that. And we recently wrote a grant to construct a root cellar. All these things are falling in place for us to really try and achieve sustainability”
Jolene Standing Rock, Buffalo Child Ranch Board member, says donations to the pantry have been plentiful.
“We receive them as they come. Like last fall, we got a bunch of cheese and stuff like that. And a buffalo was donated here too, so it’s already processed and good to go.”
Bobbi Jo Favel, Natural Resources Director, says lots of people played a part in making this building a reality, and believes this facility can serve a wide variety of purposes.
“Not only a community center, but being a place where the different departments can host meetings or trainings, things of that nature. We’ll also be looking to use it for that as well. So the entire community, as well as the Tribal departments, can benefit.”
People looking to use the food pantry can apply by visiting the Tribal Housing Authority and filling out a few documents.
