Issue #6 / 2026

Graphic Art by JayCee Beyale.

Dear Relatives,

In this past month, we were reminded why it is important to honor our history even as we chart new paths ahead. Remembering isn’t just about the lessons of the past, it’s about reconnecting with the fierce love our ancestors had for us before we were even born. Though they no longer walk this earth, that love still gives us strength to face oppression and pain, and to continue the work started many generations ago. Their love gives us a vision for our liberation.

That ancestral love was on full display at the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Greasy Grass. Watching hundreds of horses and their riders charge up the hill, it was easy to see what we have accomplished as Indigenous peoples even in the face of fear or overwhelming odds. The spirit of warrior women, past and present,  was at the forefront of our minds throughout this event. Perhaps it was because our latest episode of the LANDBACK For The People Podcast features a warrior woman of our time: Norma Rendon, the Executive Director of the organization Where All Women Are Honored. 

We carried these lessons from our ancestors with us as we watched the propaganda surrounding America’s 250th “birthday” unfold. We used the opportunity to call out 250 years of lies and reflect on what we want to build together because we know the future is LANDBACK and Black Reparations. So we invite you to join us in fighting for a future where all people and Mother Earth are respected. Ask yourself: What is my role in this resurgence? How long am I going to let other people decide the future for my children? Are we not warriors?

In Solidarity,
The NDN Collective Team

Mt Rushmore Protest July 2020. Photo by Arlo Iron Cloud

250 Years of Lies, 500 Years of Uprising: NDN Collective Statement on the 250th

The so-called “United States” is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 2026. We, the first people of this land, do not have to look far to spot the hypocrisy of celebrating a document that calls our ancestors “Merciless Indian Savages.”

Roots of Resistance in the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of the Greasy Grass Victory

June 25-26, 2026, marks the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Greasy Grass – an important anniversary for the long lineage of Indigenous resistance on Turtle Island. Also known as the Battle of the Little Bighorn or Custer’s Last Stand, the Battle of Greasy Grass is a day of commemoration to honor when our ancestors and their allies gathered in unity to stand against a common enemy.

 A Liberation Story

Resistance has always been required for Black and Indigenous People since the colonization of Turtle Island. Both our past struggles and victories remind us that liberation is always worth fighting for, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. It is in this spirit that we are debuting our new Liberation Video to uplift this strong legacy of resistance.

All Nine South Dakota Tribes Pass Resolutions Supporting Sacred He Sapa Restoration Act

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…Continue Reading

NDN Collective at Reclamation Day hosted by BLIS Collective

We know that collective liberation requires Indigenous & Black solidarity; this is why we were excited to join our comrades at BLIS Collective as they hosted the first-ever Reclamation Day in New York City on June 20. Described as a Reunion of Hope, this event was grounded in Black and Indigenous narratives of joy and resilience, blending art, performance, and movement-building. NDN Collective Executive Producer Willi White served on a panel of filmmakers after screening the film GIIWE: Bringing Leonard Peltier Home.

Photo credit: LANDBACK For The People Podcast, NDN Collective.

Season 4 Episode #7: Where All Women Are Honored

Nick sits down with Norma Rendon, Executive Director of Where All Women Are Honored. Indigenous women and two-spirit relatives are some of the most marginalized people in all of society. There is a direct relationship to the stealing of Indigenous Peoples land and the wrongful, violent mistreatment of Indigenous women. The LANDBACK Movement is only possible because of the matriarchs and in fact “LandBack” is one in the same as “Rematriation”.

All LANDBACK For the People Podcasts episodes are available on YouTube and most streaming platforms. Check out our Linktree for where to listen.

Be sure to like and subscribe to get alerts for when new episodes drop!

150th Anniversary of the Battle of Greasy Grass. Photo credit: Christina Chavez.

150th Anniversary of the Victory at Greasy Grass Livestream

NDN Collective was live on June 25, 2026, at the 150th anniversary of the Victory at the Battle of the Greasy Grass in Crow Agency, Montana. We joined hundreds of horses and their riders, along with thousands of others, to view the event to commemorate Indigenous resistance and resilience!

World Peace and Prayer Day Livestream

World Peace & Prayer Day had speakers joining in person at Mato Paha (Bear Butte, SD) and virtually to share about things that are happening to Mother Earth in their territories and the work that’s being done to protect sacred sites and all life.

Comment to help protect Pipestone Monument!

Pipestone Monument is a sacred site for many Tribes. Often called the blood of our people, it is home to the sacred red stone used to create the canunpa, the sacred pipe. For generations, Tribal people who have been on this land for time immemorial have held this place in deep reverence. “This specific pipestone (catlinite) is found nowhere else in the world. It took over a billion years for this unique geologic formation and sacred landscape to form,” shared Dr. Alexis Archambault, Hydrologist with the Brave Heart Society. This sacred site is now being threatened by the development of a pipeline by the Magellan Pipeline Company.

Help by submitting your comment in opposition to this pipeline at the link below. Comment period closes August 21. 

Line 5 Week of Resistance: July 20-26 in Ashland, WI

The Bad River Band has fought to kick Enbridge’s toxic Line 5 pipeline off their lands, only to be surrounded by more pipe and hazardous construction in their watershed. In solidarity, neighbors in the Chequamegon Bay are hosting a Week of Resistance from July 20–26 in Ashland, Wisconsin. 

Water protectors and friends from near and far are invited to challenge Enbridge’s violence against the land and water. They insist that gathering to reject the destruction is their responsibility, and no one will resist alone. Join water protectors in monitoring construction, making art, sharing stories, and learning from each other. There will be a rally to bring awareness to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives crisis: more details coming soon.

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.

The movement is ready—help fund it now: http://ndnco.cc/ftpcdonate