FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Rapid City, SD –All nine South Dakota Tribes have voted to move forward on developing legislation to return federal lands in the Black Hills to the Great Sioux Nation – a historic display of Tribal unity and momentum around efforts to protect the Black Hills.
At a recent tribal council meeting, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe passed a resolution to move forward on working together to protect sacred sites, clean drinking water, and ensure better land management through the development of legislation to return federal lands in the Black Hills to the Great Sioux Nation.
The proposal — which is still in early draft form — aims to return federal lands in the Black Hills back to the Oceti Sakowin, providing a framework for land return and management. The proposal does not involve privately owned lands, and it does not settle or involve claims by the Great Sioux Nation regarding the 1868 Ft. Laramie Treaty.
Right now, there are 8,800 active mining claims in South Dakota – about 17 percent of the entire Black Hills. The legal strategy would protect the Black Hills from all extractive activities and preserve clean drinking water for all.
Indigenous organizations, elders, grassroots leaders, and community members have been organizing and providing support around proposed legislation since 2020, helping Tribal leaders prioritize this proposal as a critical way to protect drinking water for the region, preserve sacred sites, revitalize culture and land, strengthen sovereignty, bolster community wellbeing, and support jobs and economic development.
“The Oceti Sakowin people are coming together to claim the land that is rightfully and legally owed to us,” said Madonna Thunder Hawk, Cheyenne River Sioux elder. “We are here to say, loud and clear, that the Black Hills are not for sale. We love our land, and will continue defending it – from Pe’ Sla to Craven Canyon and beyond.”
“Crazy Horse set the bar on how to move as Indigenous people, and how important it is to defend the Black Hills,” said Joseph Brings Plenty Sr., District 5 Council Representative for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. “Together, we are strong – we need to be stronger than ever because we are fighting for an existence on our very own land.”
“All nine Tribes in South Dakota passing official resolutions of support and a collective call for action is historic,” said Wizipan Garriott, President for NDN Collective and citizen of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. “The people have spoken and this marks a significant milestone on our journey toward better land management, strengthening our economy, and ensuring clean drinking water for all.”
“The Oceti Sakowin stands united in our effort to protect our sacred land for future generations,” said Richard Moves Camp, Oglala Lakota spiritual leader and member of the Black Hills Sioux Nation Council. “We are committed to defending our way of life together.”
“The ability to live with and care for our land is essential to our collective healing,” said Russell Eagle Bear, Sicangu Lakota elder and Rosebud Sioux Tribe Presidential Cultural Liaison. “The fight for the Black Hills to be returned to its rightful stewards is not only a material one, but also a spiritual one.”
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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.
