First Lakota woman to manage Super Market in Pine Ridge

PINE RIDGE – Buche Foods in Pine Ridge, SD has hired its first ever Lakota tribe member as the store manager.  Tameka Vocu has recently taken over the position when the acting manager stepped down due to health issues.

“I have some pretty big shoes to fill.  I was assisting Kraig for many years but I never thought I would be in his position,” said Tameka.  “It’s an honor to be the first Native American female managing the reservation’s biggest grocery store.  This is the greatest opportunity I have ever received and I’m hoping that with both team members and community support, we can only improve on where we are now.  Great things take time and I am still in the learning process.  I’m hoping everyone can be a little patient with me as I learn to manage things on my own.”

Tameka continued, “The team seems to be taking well to the change. They are all amazing, hardworking individuals.  We can only succeed by remembering we are all a team and team work is vital.

Managing duties include: Keeping monthly inventories, making sure departments and entire store is clean and presentable, managing team members and day to day business on a store level.  Keeping good communication with current vendors, assisting Tribal and other programs with bulk orders, and assisting customers are also some of the numerous responsibilities that Tameka has.  Tameka stated, “RF Buche has kept his word when he said he wanted the Lakota people to learn how to run this grocery store on our reservation and him giving me this opportunity is a wonderful thing.”

Recently Buche Foods launched Always On Online Grocery Shopping.  “This will better help the community members who would prefer a less public shopping setting or even no exposure to the virus.  It is at the store curbside pickup, pay online with credit/debit, or customers can choose our ‘Pay at Store’ option which accepts cash and EBT.  We have great team members who have quickly caught on to how the system works and they look forward to completing the customer orders.”  Said Tameka.

Tameka started out her grocery career as the scanning coordinator for 8 years.  This included weekly price changes, temporary price reductions, weekly ad prices, and assisting in any areas that she was needed.  When not working, Tameka enjoys spending time with her partner, Kellen, children, Kellen Jr, Samuel, and Alexander, shooting, reading, and doing puzzles.

Buche Foods took over the store 2 years ago from Sioux Nation that ran the store for its first 51 years of existence and in that 51 years, there has never been an owner so close to the people nor a Native American manager.  The Buche Foods transition involved the grocery store being shut down for 28 days while it was extensively remodeled with new refrigeration, floors, shelving and everything else in between.  During that time, RF Buche bused the people of Pine Ridge 45 miles to a neighboring grocery store to make their purchases.

“Pine Ridge is one of my favorite stores to visit,” said RF Buche.  “I have gotten to know some great Lakota people not only within the store but with the council and the entire community.  Tameka is a very strong, personable, and talented young woman.  The Lakota people should be very proud of their store as well as the entire team.  They are the best!”

The post First Lakota woman to manage Super Market in Pine Ridge first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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