The E-Tanka Café

New business on Pine Ridge promotes entrepreneurship and healthy lifestyles

By Katy EisenbraunEntrepreneurship and employment opportunities are sparse on KOTA Territory Indian Reservations. That plays a large role in the high unemployment rate there. But that troubling trend may be turning around.

The E-Tanka Cafe brings more than just healthy food to Kyle. It gives Native American youth the rare opportunity to work on the reservation.And:The Tanka Café offers only healthy food and drinks, which include sports drinks, baked chips and all-buffalo 'Tanka Dogs.' Their low fat menu is part of the Tanka Café project to promote healthy lifestyles and financial growth on the reservation. And if recent statistics are any indicator, their dual objective is a worthy cause.

Almost half of the Pine Ridge population has Diabetes and their unemployment rate is 15 times higher than the national average.Comment:  It's not clear from the article if the cafe's official name is the E-Tanka Café or the Tanka Café. I presume it's the former.

Native American Natural Foods Company, the makers of Tanka Bars and Tanka Dogs, is doing an impressive job of publicizing and extending its brand. It's a good example of how to market Native products to Indians and non-Indians alike.

But subtract one point for the 7.5-inch Tanka Bar image on the company's website. When size is a key attribute, you shouldn't use an image that suggests a product is larger than it is. In reality the Tanka Bar is three inches of foodstuff inside six inches of packaging.