NDN Collective President and CEO Nick Tilsen Faces 15 Years in Prison for Protest Against White Supremacy

August 21, 2020

NDN Collective President and CEO Nick Tilsen Faces 15 Years in Prison for Protest Against White Supremacy

NDN Collective President and CEO Nick Tilsen faces legal backlash from the State of South Dakota with trumped-up charges for the stand he and other land defenders took in the Black Hills on July 3rd leading up to Trump's visit to Mount Rushmore.

FOR IMMEDIAT RELEASE: August 21, 2020

Rapid City, South Dakota– NDN Collective President and CEO Nick Tilsen is facing 3 felony charges and up to 15 years in prison for the stand he took on July 3rd in Ȟesápa, known today as the Black Hills, while in protest of President Donald Trump’s visit to Mount Rushmore. A preliminary hearing is taking place today, Friday, August 21, at 10:00 a.m. MST in the Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City.

In the lead up to Trump’s visit to the Black Hills on July 3rd, over 200 protestors, including Tilsen, gathered and were soon met with excessive police force. These protestors, also known as land defenders, were demanding the closure of Mount Rushmore and protesting the unwelcome intrusion of Trump and his celebration of white supremacy on stolen land. 

Indigenous and Lakota women gather on the side of the highway in the lead up to Donald Trump’s visit to the Black Hills. Photo by Willi White.

“The intention behind the action was to continue the fight to return the Black Hills to the Oglala Lakota people,” said Tilsen. “Every generation since the land was taken has fought to get it back, and many of us, including myself, grew up around this movement to get our land back.”

Twenty land defenders were arrested in the Black Hills that day, all facing misdemeanor charges, and Tilsen, facing three felonies. Tilsen, a well-known and respected Indigenous movement leader, was held in Pennington County jail over the weekend in Rapid City, ultimately facing a slew of trumped-up charges amounting to a potential 15 years in prison.

“I’ve worked hard to make a better way for our people,” said Tilsen, who has devoted his entire adult life to community development and justice for Indigenous people. “These trumped up charges aren’t just against me– they’re against our people. These charges are designed to derail our movements. But we stand on the right side of history and we know our ancestors stand with us.”

NDN Collective President and CEO Nick Tilsen stands outside of the NDN Headquarters upon his release from Pennington County Jail on July 6. Photo by Arlo Iron Cloud.

On Saturday, August 15, NDN Collective announced the release of three online petitions related to the action, aimed to 1) urge the closure of  Mt. Rushmore and return of all public lands in Black Hills, 2) drop all charges against the Black Hill land defenders, and 3) to drop charges against NDN Collective President and CEO Nick Tilsen. The petitions, which can be found below, have received approximately 30,000 signatures to date. 


“We understand that our actions on July 3rd and the national media attention garnered deeply embarrassed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Sheriff Thom,” said Tilsen. “And what we are now facing is total backlash. These charges are nothing short of abuse of power and this is exactly what is wrong with the legal system today. It is undeniably white supremacy at work.”

On Friday morning at 8:45 a.m. MST, NDN Collective will be live-streaming to their Facebook page a solidarity march from the NDN Collective headquarters to State’s Attorney Mark Vargo’s office to deliver the petitions.  A live-streamed press conference will follow on the steps of the courthouse at 9:05 a.m., and another press conference will take place after the hearing. 

###

About NDN Collective

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.

April 2023 Edition

Stay Informed. Take Action.

Subscribe to the NDN allies newsletter

Sign up to get our newsletter. Delivered once per month.

We care about the protection of your data and would never sell your email or share it with anyone without your permission.

Meet the 2023/24 Cohort of NDN Changemaker Fellows Posted 2 days ago
Learn more about these phenomenal visionaries who continue to enact revolutionary change and build Indigenous power.
NDN Collective Urges POTUS to Reject “Permitting Reform” in Debt Ceiling Posted 1 week ago
“We are being shut out as environmental and climate related policy is part of the debt ceiling negotiations.”
5 things Indian Country Needs to Know about the Dirty Permitting Deal Posted 1 week ago
It is critical in the coming days and weeks that we mobilize and tell President Biden to reject the #DirtyDeal & #DefaultOnAmerica Act!
NDN Collective announces 2023/24 NDN Changemaker Fellow Cohort Posted 2 weeks ago
"We are hosting visionaries from their early twenties into their elder years, each one offering strong work, new perspectives, and pathways towards a future that speaks to the question our founder and CEO Nick Tilsen poses, “What if our best days are ahead of us?”
NDN Collective Launches 2023 Collective Abundance Grant: A Wealth Building Opportunity for Indigenous Families Posted 3 weeks ago
The Collective Abundance Fund supports the traditional aspects of wealth, like down payments on a home, education expenses, or capital investments in a new or current business.
NDN Collective and Native Organizers Alliance Respond to Biden 2024 Re-election Announcement Posted 1 month ago
“Now more than ever, it is crucial for the Biden-Harris administration to recognize the leadership of Native peoples and our communities’ ability to drive turnout in local and federal elections. The Native vote holds the power to determine the outcome of elections. We cannot be ignored.”
NDN Collective Launches Podcast, "LANDBACK for the People" Posted 1 month ago
Featuring conversations with Indigenous organizers, activists, matriarchs, and protectors from across Turtle Island, LANDBACK For the People provides an up-close-and-personal experience that is bold, action-oriented, and solution-focused. The first episode features Civil rights pioneer Madonna Thunder Hawk.
NDN Collective Responds to Biden Climate Justice Executive Order Posted 1 month ago
"This action from the Biden Administration signals that our guidance and feedback, informed by our lived experience as environmental justice and Tribal community members, is not only being heard but is being acted upon and implemented in the ways that we need."
NDN Collective Welcomes the Collective Abundance Team Posted 1 month ago
The team of three will support the implementation of the Collective Abundance Fund, which is to support the rebuilding of Indigenous and generational wealth by providing significant resources for wealth building activities across the tri-state region of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
NDN Collective Announces 2023 Open Application Period for "Community Action Fund" in Support of Indigenous Frontline Organizers Posted 1 month ago
Grants up to $30,000 offered to support on the ground organizers and movement builders who stand on the frontlines to defend Indigenous Peoples inherent rights to self-determination and equity for all people and Mother Earth.

United like never before, we rise together—arm in arm—to equip all Indigenous Peoples with the tools needed to become architects of our future. Through a holistic approach to infrastructure, funding, advocacy, movement building, and philanthropy we are fostering a world of justice and equity for all people and the planet.