Tribes Honor Neligh Couple With Sacred Buffalo Robe

Nearly one year to the day of the Harvest the Hope concert at Art and Helen Tanderup’s farm north of Neligh, another rare event took place in Antelope County.

After harvesting the Ponca Tribe’s sacred red corn, a rare and prestigious wrapping ceremony was held in front of the Tanderup’s barn, the same barn where a press conference was held with Willie Nelson and Neil Young last year.

Members of several tribes were on hand to wrap Art and Helen in a painted buffalo hide from a traditional Omaha and Lakota tribal artist Steve Tamayo. A similar ceremony took place last year with Willie Nelson and Neil Young.

“This is awesome because we’re just part of a larger group of people who are working together very collaboratively to try and stop KXL,” Art Tanderfup told the ACN immediately following the ceremony. “All of us are doing something, so it’s really an honor to us.”

During the ceremony, those in attendance were asked to stop recording as a special song was performed for the Tanderups and sacred eagle bone whistle was blown.

“What that symbolizes we we blow it, it’s very sacred,” the audience was told. “Some things are best left in the mind.”