As we embark on Black History Month at NDN Collective, we join in the celebration of Black brilliance, Black joy, and Black future-building that has persisted despite the continued violence of white supremacy. With deep reverence, we lift up the revolutionary leadership of our Black and Afro-Indigenous kin that has inspired the masses and catalyzed movement building everywhere.

We are honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our Black Relatives in our shared fight for collective liberation, while also acknowledging the work we must continue to do in addressing anti-Blackness in our own communities. When we commit to this work, we honor what it means to be a good relative. In kinship, we prevail.

In this month’s newsletter, we continue to shed light on the systemic injustices that threaten and harm our communities, honor those who have gone before us, and provide ways that you can take action today in defense of our people, land and culture. Thank you for being in community with us.

Tyre Nichols was brutally murdered at the hands of 5 Memphis police officers after he was pulled over on January 7, 2023. 

“We mourn Tyre’s death and honor his spirit by calling for real accountability. Charges against officers who have already killed someone are never enough — we need to abolish the whole damn system,” said Korina Barry, Managing Director of NDN Action.

Land defenders gather outside of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Minneapolis, MN. Photo by Weldon Grover, NDN Collective Tactical Media Associate.

We recently lost a beloved warrior and water protector, Joye Braun, (Wambli Wiyan Ka’win) of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Nation and Friday, January 20th would’ve been Joye’s 54th birthday. 

On this day, in recognition of her fierce leadership and the pivotal role she played in stopping the Keystone XL pipeline, water protectors stood in solidarity on Dakota lands in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“I hope only to continue her legacy as we strive to defend the land and the water for future generations. Much respect and admiration always for Joye,” said Lorenzo Serna, NDN Collective Director of Tactical Media who was on the ground at the event in honor of Joye.

‘Defend’ Mural by Artist Votan Henriquez located outside of NDN Headquarters in Rapid City, SD. Photo by NDN Collective.

Radically imagining a just future for ourselves means we don’t have to live with a dark, hopeless future. “Decolonizing our minds” will be a good tactic for changing how people think about better realities that may exist. It means asserting our various indigenous cultures with everything we do. This is where artists are able to “enter the fray” and hopefully change the way the general public thinks about our collective cultures too.

Artists have the ability to reach broad audiences and tell the stories of us Indigenous peoples and to help transform the minds of broad swaths of people. Artists have the ability to make alliances with the public and to sway them to the Indigenous ways of thinking, which in reality is a humanistic worldview that acknowledges that we need to nurture nature better than humanity is doing now. It helps form a collective so that it is not an “us versus them” mentality and we realize that we are all in the endeavor of helping to heal our planet together. It helps us form alliances.

McNeil has been reaching the broad mainstream audiences via his artwork for a long time and he has been using his “Radical Imagination Grant” to make new work that is about how our world is being transformed with global climate change. He is making a digital gas mask that appears to be made out of our Lingít spruce root basket materials. It is digital, but looks believable. He is also working on a digital robe that is inspired by our Chilkat robes. One of the early steps involves travel to the museums in Alaska that has collections of Chilkat weavings; this travel was funded by the Radical Imagination Grant. McNeil was able to arrange the time in the museums with the curators. McNeil needed to bring his portable studio to make high resolution photographs of the Chilkat robes whose patterns will be inspired for new in work in 2023.

The above photograph was made at the Alaska State Museum with the expert assistance of their Curator of Collections Steve Henrikson. Henrikson was gracious and helpful in that he set aside the day for working with McNeil in their collections area to make the photographs of the robes that McNeil is planning to use as part of his art and research as a critical aspect of this Radical Imagination Grant. McNeil would not have been able to set aside the time and travel without this grant, so Gunalchéesh, thank you kindly for awarding the grant.

As of January 2023, Jade Begay who served as NDN Collective’s Climate Justice Director has moved into the role of Policy and Advocacy Director. She’s jumping into this role ready to work on the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act so Tribes and Indigenous Peoples can take advantage of the historic climate and environmental justice investments.

Jade will also work to advance climate and environmental justice, racial equity, and elevate policies that honor and support the self determination of Indigenous Peoples. Learn more about this new role here. To contact Jade about policy and advocacy issues facing Indian Country, email her here: jade@ndncollective.org 

On Friday, February 3, 2023, the EPA’s notice was published for the Willow Project on the federal register. This notice begins 30 days of action to #STOPWILLLOW.

ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project is the single largest proposed oil extraction project currently threatening our public lands.

We are standing in solidarity with the local community of Nuisqut who are urging President Biden to halt the project for good. 38 Indigenous led organizations have submitted a letter to the Biden Administration in opposition to the Willow Project . We encourage supporters of climate justice to tweet at @POTUS and urge the admin to #STOPWILLOW.

EPA announced $100 million for environmental justice grants – the largest amount ever offered by the agency – to help underserved and overburdened communities across the country. Applications are due by April 10, 2023.

– Slides fr- Recording of the January 24, 2023 EJCPS webinar (Passcode: 85564988)
– Slides from the January 24, 20223 EJCPS webinar (pdf)

– Recording of the February 2, 2023 EJCPS webinar (Passcode: 46598050)
– Slides from the February 2, 2023 EJCPS webinar (pdf)

– Recording of the January 26, 2023 EJG2G webinar (Passcode: 42015614)
– Slides from the January 26, 2023 EJG2G webinar

From 2:00 to 3:30 pm (Eastern Standard Time). Join the February 7, 2023 EJG2G Webinar. Registration is NOT required.

Lorenzo Serna, NDN Collective Director of Tactical Media. Photo By Steph Viera for NDN Collective.

Last year, beloved water protector, pipeline fighter, trainer, and advocate Joye Braun (Wambli Wiyan Ka’win) of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Nation passed away. As a National Pipeline organizer with Honor the Earth, Joye led campaigns targeting the Keystone XL, the Dakota Access Pipeline and most recently, called for President Biden to “Be a climate warrior, not a wimp. Kill the black snakes, reject all fossil fuel projects and declare a climate emergency!”

On Friday, January 20, Lorenzo Serna, NDN Collective Director of Tactical Media, went LIVE in Minneapolis, MN to provide lifestream coverage of Spark Joy(e): Extinguish Fossil Fuels, a national day of action event honoring Joye Braun demanding an end to fossil fuel projects, which began at the Minneapolis Department of Natural Resources with an opening prayer and ceremony followed by speakers and a letter writing event.

February 6th marked the beginning of Leonard Peltier’s unjust incarceration 48 years ago. NDN Collective Tactical Media team went LIVE at the Federal Courthouse in Minneapolis, MN, highlighting the #RiseUpForPeltier International Day of Solidarity and continued efforts demanding the freedom of Leonard Peltier.

On the week of January 9th, Sonia Guajajara was sworn in to lead Brazil’s Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. Guajajara was appointed by President Lula Da Silva. As Guajajara was sworn in, she made a vow to make the demarcation of Indigenous lands and the battle against environmental crime her top priorities.

“Our only hope today lies in our ability to recapture the revolutionary spirit and go out into a sometimes hostile world declaring eternal hostility to poverty, racism, and militarism. 

Now let us rededicate ourselves to the long and bitter—but beautiful—struggle for a new world.”

 —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

We demand executive clemency for Leonard Peltier, the longest held political prisoner. For 46 years Tribes, organizations, and individuals have tirelessly advocated for his freedom. We will continue to #RiseUpForPeltier until the @thejusticedept and @POTUS take the prompt and rightful action to release him.

“Tyre Nichols was a beloved son, a father, an artist, and an esteemed member of the skateboarding community. He made an impact on the lives of many, and was known as an encourager among his peers. His life was taken at the hands of police all too eager to control, brutalize, and punish human life to the highest degree. The brutal assault on his body and the taking of his life reminds us of the sheer urgency required to dismantle systemic racism and boldly examine the brutality inherent in a police state.”

– Sarah Manning, NDN Collective Director of Communications.

Our shared history is rich with Black excellence, Black brilliance, and Black leadership in revolutionary movements. This #BlackHistoryMonth and beyond, we recognize the countless achievements, contributions, authentic lived realities, and past and present struggles of our Black kin.

While there’s been incredible environmental and climate justice victories in Alaska like the protections for the Tongass National Forest and rejection of the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, the Department of Interior is only one step away from approving ConocoPhillips’ dirty and dangerous Willow project in the Arctic.

Today DOI posted notice in the Federal Register and so begins 30 days of action to #STOPWILLLOW.

Participants join AIM Members on the Leonard Peltier Freedom Walk in Washington, DC. November 2022. Photo by NDN Collective.

Tyre Nichols was brutally murdered at the hands of 5 Memphis police officers after he was pulled over on January 7, 2023.

The family is requesting assistance that would grant them space to seek justice, properly grieve, acquire mental health services and build a memorial skate park for Tyre.

On January 18th forest defender Manuel/Cami/Tortugita was killed by the Atlanta police department while defending the Weelaunee Forest, the site where Copy City, a police training center, is set to be built.

Defend the Atlanta Forest shared a solidarity statement:

“What do cops do with their increased budgets and their carte blanche from politicians? They kill people, every single day. They incarcerate and traumatize schoolchildren, parents, loved ones who are simply struggling to survive. We must not settle for a society organized recklessly upon the values of violence, racism, greed, and careless indifference to life.

“The forest defenders are trying to create a better world for all of us. We owe it to the people of Atlanta and to future generations everywhere to support them.”

(All resources sourced from https://defendtheatlantaforest.org/solidarity/)

Last year, beloved water protector, pipeline fighter, trainer, and advocate Joye Braun (Wambli Wiyan Ka’win) of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Nation passed away.

As a National Pipeline organizer with Honor the Earth, Joye led campaigns targeting the Keystone XL, the Dakota Access Pipeline and most recently, called for President Biden to “Be a climate warrior, not a wimp. Kill the black snakes, reject all fossil fuel projects and declare a climate emergency!”

The Grants Associate supports and manages various administrative and financial functions related to grants management within the Foundation. The Associate periodically interacts with other staff, grantees, auditors, vendors, and other external partners.

The Administrative Associate duties and responsibilities will include providing administrative support to the Director of Operations and the Operations Team, as well as providing assistance with and at the NDN Collective Headquarters building.

The Lending Associate provides administrative and programmatic support to the NDN Fund and assists the Managing Director in planning, organizing and implementing activities and duties of the Fund as part of the NDN Ecosystem, internally and externally.

The Portfolio Manager will be responsible for supporting loan closings and funding, corresponding with borrowers, monitoring loan repayments, and coordinating quarterly borrower reporting, analysis and evaluation.

NDN Collective has (3) three Program Officer positions open to support the Collective Abundance Fund Program across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Reporting to the Program Manager, the Program Officer will support the NDN Foundation Collective Abundance Fund Program. This includes supporting all grantmaking processes as part of a continuum from dissemination, application, review, selection, reporting and evaluation, as well as managing grantee-partner relationships, and sharing information and capacity building resources.

Reporting to the Director of Grantmaking, the Program Officer will support the NDN Foundation Grants Programs which includes several specific funding streams. This includes supporting all grantmaking processes as part of a continuum from dissemination, application, review, selection, reporting and evaluation, as well as managing grantee-partner relationships, and sharing information and capacity building resources.

The Director of Grantmaking will manage and implement NDN Collective grantmaking programs and processes, including harvesting insights and lessons learned through reporting and information sharing.

The Lending Officer will work with the Director of Lending and the NDN Fund Managing Director on business development and origination, lending, risk management and policy and power building.

The Payroll Coordinator processes payroll across the NDN ecosystem, corresponds with team members as necessary regarding expenses, and provides overall assistance in the Finance Department.

The Accounts Receivable Coordinator is responsible for proper record keeping and reporting for all types of revenue (philanthropic and government grants, individual contributions, and earned) across the NDN ecosystem, corresponds with team members as necessary regarding revenue, and provides overall assistance in the Finance Department.

The Controller will oversee and manage the day-to-day and long-term financial and administrative operations of the agency. The Controller will ensure accounting records and financial statements are in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and ensure maintenance of effective internal controls.

The Director of Communications and Communications and Narrative team, supporting all aspects of content production and targeted outreach. With special attention to media strategy, narrative and copy editing, the Deputy Director of Communications  works across a host of disciplines and platforms, including email, social media, blogs, website, and management of internal and external communications systems.

The Executive Assistant to the President & CEO provides services essential to the mission of the organization and the day-to-day operations of the President’s Office. This position also provides support to the organization’s Board of Directors.

The Warehouse Manager will oversee NDN Collective’s Warehouse systems and policies.

The Media & Public Relations Officer acts as the primary media contact for the NDN Collective ecosystem and the President & CEO, creating and managing communications and messaging that shape public opinion and increase awareness of the NDN brand.

The Director of Advancement will spearhead advancement efforts as NDN Collective launches and grows to become the most ambitious, systemic effort to empower Indigenous communities in the history of philanthropy.

the Advancement Officer will lead the department’s grant and report writing and management. They will also support the Director of Advancement on all donor management and donor-related projects and develop grants management tools and processes that will be deployed across the organization.