FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 16, 2026
Rapid City, SD – Today, the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s office dropped all charges against Nick Tilsen, Founder & CEO of NDN Collective.
In response, Nick Tilsen released the following statement:
“Today I am free! My freedom wasn’t granted by a judge, a jury, or the settler colonial court system. My freedom was won by the people, the movement, and the ancestors. We organized, prayed, wrote, called, and fought these politically motivated charges with integrity, deep principles, and strong beliefs.
“The Pennington County State’s Attorney’s office fought tooth and nail to put me in prison because they are afraid of the power we are building. They’re afraid because we aren’t just speaking truth to power – we are successfully building new solutions, exercising our rights, and changing the state’s violent systems that have oppressed Indigenous people for hundreds of years. They’re afraid of people fighting back and rising up to expose just how deep racism runs. They’re afraid of accountability and they’re afraid of real change.
“I will never apologize for protecting my people or standing up for Mother Earth. The reality is that our very survival as people is dependent on our ability to look out for one another, build stronger and safer communities, and push back against the system that attempts to criminalize and vilify us. We cannot be afraid. We cannot operate from a place of fear and control like our oppressors do.
“I thank my elders, my people, my family, the ancestors, my attorneys and my team at NDN Collective for standing with me. These efforts have not slowed us down. We are stronger than ever, more strategic and re-energized for the path ahead. We will continue to exercise Indigenous self-determination and build collective power for all people and Mother Earth.”
Nick was facing up to 26 years in prison, having been initially charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and obstructing law enforcement, with a simple assault on a law enforcement officer charge added less than two weeks before his trial, which began on January 26. His case went to mistrial after the jury could not come to a unanimous decision.
From the beginning, NDN Collective has uplifted this case as a blatantly politically motivated effort to silence a movement leader by criminalizing his actions and misusing the legal system.
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NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change, we are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms.
