Kalispel Tribe Will Open Meat Business

The Kalispel Tribe plans to use two refrigerated trailers donated by Albertson’s to begin a custom meat cutting and wrapping business.

The operation, to be located in the tribe’s industrial park north of Cusick, will be run either by the tribe or one of its members, said Tom Lien, business manager for the Kalispels.

The business, which should open in about 60 days, will allow the tribe to process the meat from its bison herd internally, Lien said.

“We process six or seven bison a year at $500 or $600 apiece,” he said. “We can save $3,000 or $4,000 a year processing the meat ourselves.”

The Kalispel reservation, 57 miles north of Spokane, comprises 5,000 acres and 150 members who live on the reservation.

The donation from the Idaho-based grocery chain was essential, Lien said, because of the high cost of the necessary equipment.

“They made this possible for us to do,” he said.