Volunteers from Sacred Storm Buffalo handing out boxes of bison meat at the Feed the People bison meat distribution organized by NDN Collective. Photo by Angel White Eyes for NDN Collective

This past month, we greeted colder air and longer nights as we inch closer to the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Many of us watched the trees drop their leaves so they can focus on preserving energy for the winter. These plant relatives teach us about the importance of preparing ourselves for the times ahead.

An important part of preparing for winter is ensuring our communities are fed. This is one reason NDN Collective organized our Feed the People campaign this past month. Many Indigenous families were affected by the SNAP funding lapse caused by the government shutdown. NDN Collective responded by mobilizing and raising the funds to distribute 5,400 lbs of bison meat to relatives in Rapid City.

At NDN Collective, we have also been preparing by continuing to build relationships in different spaces with new partners. Our team has been busy both attending and facilitating training in different tactics to resist the rising threat of authoritarianism facing our communities. We know that with these tactics, we can continue to do good work, take care of our communities, and generate LANDBACK wins like the one we highlight below from our grantee partner TERA in California. So as we face these longer nights, we hold these lessons and messages of hope to share with others and carry us through these frosty days.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day March in Mni Luzahan, 2025. Photo by Angel White Eyes for NDN Collective

Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2025 served as a reminder for our people and the world that Indigenous communities have always and will continue to stand tall and proud in the face of great challenges. This was the third year NDN Collective hosted an Indigenous Peoples’ Day event in Main Street Square of Mni Luzahan, AKA Rapid City, consisting of a rally, march and free community concert. The afternoon of Monday, October 13 started off with a rally of community organizers, Tribal leaders, Indigenous people of all ages, allies, accomplices and Rapid City-based organizations…. continue reading

On November 7, NDN Collective released the LANDBACK wool blanket on the NDN Store. This blanket is NDN’s second collaboration with Eighth Generation, an Indigenous-owned lifestyle brand that uplifts Indigenous artists across Turtle Island. The LANDBACK blanket was designed by multidisciplinary artist JayCee Beyale (Diné) and Willi White (Oglala Lakota) designed the original LANDBACK lettering back in 2020…continue reading

Image Source: Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance

The Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance (TERA) is a community-based intertribal nonprofit organization and an NDN Collective Community Self Determination grantee. Based in California, they work to revitalize ecology, economy, and culture through Indigenous-led stewardship, including ecocultural fire. TERA recently purchased a 140-acre land base for TERA’s Native-led Ecocultural Stewardship Demonstration Center. This land was acquired using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, demonstrating a creative approach to securing resources for LANDBACK efforts. While the land was ultimately purchased using those block grant funds, NDN’s grant provided resources for TERA to strategically pursue this acquisition.

This LANDBACK victory has had several positive impacts, including TERA finalizing its 501(c)(3) independence and establishing important administrative capacity. TERA also completed renovations to the property infrastructure, allowing its team to move into the training headquarters. They are now ready to begin planning and hosting community gatherings, focus groups, and forums specifically for Tribal Elders and youth to provide strategic direction on the use of this land.

While the Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance acknowledges there’s still work to be done, this LANDBACK win demonstrates a strong commitment to their mission of building Indigenous collective power and furthering self-determination through regenerative practices.

Many of our NDN Collective team members have been on the road this past month connecting with organizers, artists, funders, and allies. Staff from our LANDBACK Action Network team spoke on two panels and installed NDN art at the Just Narratives for Multiracial Solidarity Convening in St Paul, MO. Much further south, Senior International Policy Strategist Janene Yazzie attended COP 30 in Belém, Brazil. There, she built relationships and advocated alongside others to ensure Indigenous people were represented at global climate talks. Finally, a group of NDN Collective staff joined the Freedom Trainers in northern Minnesota to co-host a Train the Trainers for Non-Cooperation Strategies. The training was a big success with over 80 people in attendance from a broad multi-racial coalition.

In November, the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Lower Brule Sioux Tribe unanimously passed resolutions in support of the He Sapa Restoration Act. This bill includes a formal declaration from the Oyate (nation) and the tribal governments demanding that the United States return federal land in the Black Hills to the Oceti Sakowin people. Six sovereign Nations have now passed official tribal resolutions of support for the act, including the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Yankton Sioux Tribe, and Crow Creek Sioux Tribe.

Foster Cournoyer Hogan speaking on the Feed the People episode of the LANDBACK For the People Podcast

In this episode, Nick Tilsen is joined by Foster Cournoyer Hogan, NDN Collective Bison Coordinator, and Wizipan Little Elk Garriott, NDN Collective President, to announce the launch of a critical mutual aid campaign in response to the SNAP benefits crisis. They discuss how this moment calls us into action and share about upcoming work for the Bison Homelands Initiative at NDN Collective.

LEARN MORE: ndncollective.org/feed-the-people/

Photo by Michael Descharles on Unsplash

Almost 10% of people in South Dakota are indigenous, with only two other states in the US with a Nonprofit leaders rarely publicly discuss layoffs at their own organizations. But a recent podcast episode from NDN Collective, titled “Brah…We Aren’t Going Anywhere,” is a refreshing exception. In that podcast, Nick Tilsen, CEO of NDN Collective, in conversation with two other NDN Collective leaders—Vice President Gaby Strong and President Wizipan Little Elk Garriott—kicked off the conversation by pledging “to dive in full transparency…. Continue Reading

Kim Pate, NDN Fund Managing Director, is featured in this conversation about how Tribal officials are among those pushing back against President Donald Trump’s plan to cut off some $500 million dollars in federal funds used for tribal housing, business development, and infrastructure projects. The National Congress of American Indians calls the action by Trump related to the federal government shutdown “a critical threat to our communities’ economic future.” … Continue Reading

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 upcoming 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 how to support our work to provide care for individuals and partners who engage in actions, protests, and cultural activities.

Pete Lien & Sons recently proposed a project that would involve exploratory drilling for graphite within the protected boundaries of Pe’sla, a sacred site which has been used for ceremonial gatherings of Lakota, Dakota, and other nations for thousands of years. This project will also threaten the Rapid Creek Watershed and the underground water sources in the area. Reach out to South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden and ask him to intervene and put a stop to the Rochford Mineral Exploratory Drilling project for the sake of the public good.

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.