Buffalo Tail Consulting, LLC
Our mission is to advocate for Tribal and community driven initiatives by translating complex policy needs into strategic program development and implementation.
Based in Indian Country, Buffalo Tail Consulting, LLC is an American Indian woman owned small business that provides government relations, and a wide range of specialized consulting services specifically tailored for Indian Country.
We are firmly grounded in reservation and urban lived experiences. Our foundational values are rooted in traditional ceremonial ways of life and kinship, providing a distinctive perspective on Tribal governance and policy endeavors. We understand Tribal communities, because we live in them.
Championing Advocacy for Tribal Nations
Our team is committed to deploying our 50 years of combined experience in Indian Affairs and Advocacy for Tribal Nations.
Project Management & Program Development
We apply specialized knowledge, skills, methodologies, and techniques to develop measurable project goals and ensure successful project completion. In today’s fast-paced business environment, effective project management - from inception to execution - is essential for achieving strategic objectives and maximizing efficiency.
Grassroots Advocacy
We empower communities to advocate for meaningful change at the Tribal, local, state, and federal level. Through strategic communication and mobilization, we build ecosystems that enable individuals to influence decision makers, drive action, and amplify their message more effectively.
Tribal, State and Federal Government Relations
We develop customized political and communications strategies to shape legislation that advances your policy priorities. By closely monitor the policy-making process, we ensure your interests are effectively advanced. Additionally, we provide tailored support in navigating political landscape, offering as much or little involvement as you prefer. Our strong relationships with legislators and key decision makers are instrumental in advancing your interests across state, Tribal, and federal relations.
Founder and CEO
Marisa Miakonda Cummings is a citizen of the Omaha Tribe and was raised in Sioux City, Iowa. Marisa’s experiences in the federal government, the non-profit sector, and higher education have uniquely positioned her to serve in leadership roles to execute strategic program development, external engagement, and government relations responsibilities. Her deep commitment to racial, social, and economic justice, along with her expertise in federal Indian law, has been demonstrated throughout her career.
Marisa has a vast amount of experience, having served in various leadership roles, including at state flagship universities, in Tribal Administration, as a Non-Profit CEO, and most recently as the Senior Advisor for Tribal Affairs in the Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Marisa served as a Senior Advisor with a distinguished focus on the Tribal Affairs portfolio, guiding key policy priorities for Indian Country. Her extensive expertise encompasses critical issues such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP), Native Languages, and Indian Child Welfare. Marisa has held the esteemed position of Alternate Commissioner on the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC) and was instrumental in drafting the HHS response to the NIAC's initiatives. In her role at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), she led the development of the MMIP Action Plan and conducted comprehensive agency-wide trainings on the history of Federal Indian Policy and contemporary challenges in Indian Country.
Marisa's advisory work on policy for PL 102-477 has integrated employment, training, and related services, empowering tribal governments and organizations to address unique community challenges comprehensively. Her dedication to tribal representation has taken her across Indian Country, where she has shared and implemented historic policy reforms directly impacting Tribal nations.
Marisa earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa and her Masters in Tribal Administration and Governance from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She also carries a Certificate in Philanthropic Fundraising from Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University Indianapolis.
Marisa is the mother of four adult children and the grandmother of two. She strongly believes in our ceremonial and cultural ways of life and our many art forms as living material culture.
Marisa Miakonda Cummings
Citizen of the Omaha Tribe
Ryan Wilson (Tatanka Wasake’) is an Oglala Lakota leader from the number 4 community on the Pine Ridge Reservation, currently residing in New Town, ND. He is the founder and President of the National Alliance to Save Native Languages, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to the preservation and revitalization of Native languages.
In 2004, Ryan was appointed by U.S. Senator Tom Daschle to serve on the Senate Democrat Native American Leadership Forum, where he collaborated with tribal leaders and U.S. Senators Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, and Byron Dorgan to develop Indian Country policy recommendations for the 109th Congress. His efforts helped establish Indian education priorities.
Ryan launched the NIEA Native Language Revitalization Initiative in 2005 and successfully secured the passage of the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act. This Act, housed in the Administration for Native Americans (ANA), increased funding opportunities for language revitalization efforts, with funding accelerating from an average of $1.5 million annually to over $12 million annually under Ryan’s leadership. His work culminated in a 20-year effort to secure vital resources in the Health and Human Services Department (HHS), Department of Education (DOE), and Department of Interior (DOI) for Native language development and immersion schools.
In 2009, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Education Secretary Arne Duncan appointed Ryan to a panel of Indian education experts to advise on Indian education policy. At this roundtable, Ryan sternly warned against moving the Bureau of Indian Education into the Department of Education. He later orchestrated the Department of Education and Interior Indian Education Consultation hearing at Pine Ridge High School in 2010, marking the first-ever Department of Education consultation hearing on Indian lands and demonstrating the Obama Administration's commitment to Indian education.
In 2024, as co-chair of the National Congress of American Indians Native Language Task Force, Ryan supported the federal initiative led by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to develop and fund a tribally driven 10-year plan for Native language revitalization. He maintains close ties with the Senate Democratic Caucus and frequently provides testimony before Congress and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on education issues and Native children's treaty-based educational rights and appropriations.
Ryan graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Washington in 2002. He is a small business owner and is active in his community and ceremonial circles.
Ryan Wilson
Citizen of the Oglala Sioux Tribe
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