The beginning of this new year brought forward old fights as we continued to witness the federal government terrorize communities and even murder its own citizens in Mni Sota Makoce (Minneapolis). The very same fort that was used to imprison the Dakota peoples in the wake of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 is now where ICE is imprisoning our immigrant neighbors in Mni Sota Makoce. 

As Indigenous Peoples, this is not our first time standing up against the federal government. This is why we deployed additional NDN Collective staff to support organisers and partners in Mni Sota Makoce. As with any community we deploy to, our focus is on uplifting the local community and leadership to invest in the self-determination of the people on the ground.  This same month, we also saw our CEO and Founder, Nick Tilsen, face trial for politically motivated charges from a 2022 incident. The three days in court ended with the judge declaring a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Nick remains under indictment as this fight for his freedom continues. 

In this moment, we are witnessing people risk a lot for those they have never met. The people are standing up and fighting for future generations to live a life free from this terror, and creating circles of care for one another. So even in these hard times, we move forward with overwhelming gratitude. We are grateful to all of you who continue to stand by our side and support our work to build a more just and equitable world for all people and Mother Earth.

Nick Tilsen delivers an update to his family and community on the trial outside of the Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City, SD. Photo by NDN Collective.

After three days of hearings, a mistrial was declared after the jury could not come to a unanimous decision in the case where the state of South Dakota had pressed charges against Nick Tilsen, Founder & CEO of NDN Collective. The state now has 45 days to notify the judge of their intention to retry the case. “I’m grateful for everyone who stood with me through the latest iteration of this lengthy legal battle – the support of my family, lawyers, spiritual leaders, medicine people, and community means everything to me,” said Nick Tilsen, founder and CEO of NDN Collective. “The fight is not over.”

In the past month, three Oceti Sakowin Tribes in South Dakota (Crow Creek, Cheyenne River, and Oglala) have banned ICE from their Tribal lands. ICE is using Fort Snelling – the same fort that Dakota people were imprisoned and tortured at in the wake of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 – to detain not just undocumented people but legal residents, asylum seekers, U.S. citizens, Indigenous peoples, and enrolled Tribal Citizens. This is why NDN Collective created this #BanICE Toolkit for Tribes and Tribal Leaders who want to ban I.C.E. agents from their Tribal lands, territories, and reservations.

Deanna Eaglefeather (Rosebud Sioux) is a Collective Abundance Year 1 awardee who used her award to invest in land-based, community-centered food systems. She did this through building a greenhouse, improving infrastructure, and raising goats and chickens. Deanna even launched a small agricultural business that creates meaningful land-based educational experiences for local schoolchildren and community members. Her work reflects a deep commitment to being a good relative, sharing food, knowledge, and encouragement through tours, workshops, and school partnerships, while also prioritizing wellness and healing. We are grateful to Deanna for sharing her story and these lessons of Indigenous wealth rooted in sustainability, generosity, cultural strength, and collective abundance.

A community member paints an Aim Patrol patch to identify neighborhood patrollers. Photo provided by NDN Collective.

For the Dakota peoples, some of the Indigenous Peoples of Mni Sota Makoce (Minneapolis), where the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers converge, is a sacred site called Bdote. This is also where Fort Snelling is located, where Dakota people were imprisoned and tortured in the wake of the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. Now, in 2026, ICE is using that very same Fort Snelling to kidnap and imprison not just undocumented people but legal residents, asylum seekers, citizens, and even Indigenous peoples … Continue Reading

 In the first episode of Season 4 of the LANDBACK For the People Podcast, NDN Collective’s Senior Tactical Media Strategist, Lorenzo Serna, interviews NDN Collective founder and CEO Nick Tilsen. During the episode, they discuss Nick’s origins as an organizer, unpack what it means to be a leader in Indigenous movement spaces, and talk about the circumstances surrounding Nick’s trial, where he is facing up to 26 years in prison based on politically motivated charges … Continue reading

Nick shares speaks with Lorenzo Serna on the LANDBACK For the People Podcast

We’re back for season 4, and in this first episode, we get personal. As some of you may know, Nick Tilsen, Oglala Lakota, Founder & CEO of NDN Collective, is being brought to trial in Pennington County, South Dakota, and will be fighting for his freedom. Watch the full episode here!

“Between the future past” by Layqa Nuna Yawar, layqa.info Photographed by Nicholas Knight, courtesy Public Art Fund, NY

How do we advance land justice in our work? This question was put to five representatives from four nonprofits. In their responses, these community leaders touch both on land justice writ large and housing justice specifically … Continue reading

Indigenous leader Nick Tilsen is set to face trial in Pennington County, South Dakota, starting Jan. 26, as he maintains that the case against him is politically motivated and aimed at suppressing Indigenous organizing … Continue reading

 Buffalo—stewards of the land—are figuratively, if not literally, creating a path to survival for those in need. One of the most important aspects in achieving self-determination for Indigenous peoples is providing access to nutritious food … Continue reading

Nick Tilsen of NDN Collective, along with Rachel Dionne-Thunder and Vin Dionne of Indigenous Protectors Movement, on the live update from Minneapolis on January 17, 2026.

To support our relations in Minneapolis, NDN Collective deployed a team to support the ongoing organizing efforts by our local staff and community partners on the ground of Mni Sota Makoce. We helped organize prayer circles, art builds, Know Your Rights trainings, and supported local community organizers and rapid response teams with resources and skill shares. On January 17, we hosted a live update with our relatives from the Indigenous Protectors Movement to share what it is like on the ground in Minneapolis and how the community is responding.

In the sacred Ȟe Sápa, known in English as the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Lakota sacred site Pe’ Sla (“pay-SHLAH”) is currently under attack by mining activity. This land has been used for ceremonial purposes since time immemorial. The U.S. Forest Service is doing everything it can to force through a graphite drilling project, proposed by Pete Lien & Sons, a mining company. This project is a massive risk to a critical drinking water source for Rapid City, Ellsworth Air Force Base, and multiple Indian Reservations. If this project is approved, this tactic will be used across sacred sites and protected waterways everywhere.

We ask for your support as we continue to fight against the unjust treatment of Indigenous Peoples in Rapid City. From the charges facing our CEO and Founder to the Grand Gateway Trial, the NDN Legal Fund helps protect our people through both offensive and defensive legal representation in the courts. Learn more about the NDN Legal Fund and our work to provide care for individuals and partners who engage in actions, protests, and cultural activities.

Graphic Art by JayCee Beyale.

For generations, Indigenous Peoples have been preparing for this moment. NDN Collective has built power through grantmaking, storytelling, frontline action, and sustainable investing.

The For The People Campaign is designed to provide critical resources directly to Indigenous communities through our existing grantmaking programs and organizing work to strengthen our movement, enhance the resiliency of frontline actions, and continue making transformative change under this authoritarian administration.