In our transition to a new season, we acknowledge the celestial shift that welcomes Fall. It’s at this time that we are invited into moments of self-reflection and deeper community care. These transitions remind us of our connectedness to all of our relatives and Mother Earth, inevitably strengthening our efforts to protect, uplift and honor all beings and our collective future.

In our September/October newsletter, we continue to uplift community action and advocacy efforts within our larger communities across Turtle Island. Whether we are coming together in moments of celebration and joy, or rallying against violence, we do so collectively, acknowledging that none of us are free until we’re all free.

Graphic Art by NDN Collective.

Following an attack by Hamas that resulted in what Representative Ilhan Omar called, “the brutal slaughter and hostage-taking of innocent civilians—including women, children and seniors,” Israel officially declared war on Hamas.

People across the United States – and the world – have been rising up and demanding an immediate end to the war. On Monday, over a dozen U.S. representatives introduced legislation calling for a ceasefire.

“We firmly believe that we all deserve to live and die in peace, whenever death comes for us. We mourn the lives already lost and feel dread knowing that many more will die. This is why we must rise up now and hold the U.S. government accountable in the funding of and profiteering from this war.”

On October 18th NDN Collective was LIVE at the City Hall Plaza in so-called Boston, MA at a rally hosted by @ifnotnowboston and @BostonWorkersCircle. We gathered to call upon @SenWarren to demand a ceasefire and stop the continued genocide of Palestinians.

On October 18th NDN Collective was also LIVE at the so-called MN State Capital (Dakota Territory, Mni Sota Makoce) at a rally hosted by American Muslims for Palestine, Anti-War Committee, SJP University of MN.  We are gathering in solidarity with the people of Palestine and challenging the narrative that Israel’s crimes are justified.

Participants in the IPD rally gather at the Memorial Park bandshell to kick off the march to Main Street Square. Photo by Angel White Eyes for NDN Collective.

“This event is to celebrate being Indigenous,” said Murray Lee, NDN Collective Director of Community Engagement. “South Dakota was the first state in the nation back in 1990 to change Columbus Day to Native American Days so it’s to recognize that and the community in which we live.”

Scores of people joined NDN Collective to march from the Bandshell at Memorial Park to Main Street Square, where the performances and festivities took place. Among the crowd were locals as well as families that drove from out-of-state to celebrate the day. NDN Collective spoke with attendees on what Indigenous Peoples’ Day meant to them, and asked fun questions ranging from which character from Reservation Dogs they felt represented them, and their ways of celebrating the day. 

On October 9th NDN Collective was LIVE at the Remembering the Children (Wakȟáŋyeža Wičhákiksuyapi) Memorial Walk at Sioux Park in Rapid City, South Dakota on this powerful Indigenous Peoples Day. 

Remembering the Children’s mission is to honor the lives, memories, and spirits of the children and relatives who lived and passed away at the Rapid City Indian Boarding School and the Sioux Sanatorium TB Clinic. A future memorial site is currently in the works.

Graphic design by NDN Collective.

Marking Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Indigenous groups and supporters are calling for unity and justice for Jacob Johns, an Indigenous activist from Spokane, WA. Jacob was shot and gravely wounded by a domestic terrorist during a peaceful prayer ceremony on September 28, 2023 in Española, New Mexico.

“If anyone doubts that Indigenous people aren’t safe in this country, this shooting should dispel those doubts. What happened to Jacob is part of the ongoing legacy of colonization and continued threat of white supremacist violence facing Indigenous Peoples across the country. The shooting is another reminder that Indigenous Peoples literally risk their lives simply by gathering in prayer,” said Janene Yazzie, Southwest Regional Director of NDN Collective.

Rio Arriba County in Northern New Mexico is spending more than $100,000 to move a statue of conquistador and colonizer, Juan de Oñate, out of storage to display it in front of their county offices.

This is not about a statue; this is about the settler colonial system that allows racist politicians like Rio Arriba County Commissioner Alex Naranjo to do as they please on stolen land.

The people of the Española valley have a long history of working in solidarity with each other to defend and care for the land, as seen with the Battle of Chimayo and the Taos rebellion, where Pueblos, Nuevomexicanos, and Genízaros resisted settler colonial violence from US occupiers and the ruling elites.

Supporters and allies line up alongside the fence of the White House with a banner, intended for the Biden Administration, that powerfully reads, “Enough is Enough. Free Leonard Peltier”. Photo by Willi White for NDN Collective.

Leonard Peltier, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (ND), activist, member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and elder, is the longest-serving Indigenous political prisoner in United States history. For nearly 50 years, Indigenous activists, organizers, and allies have spoken out about the flawed prosecution, trial, and conviction that led to Leonard’s unjust incarceration.

NDN Collective has consistently joined these efforts, and on September 8th embarked on a caravan to Piscataway lands, aka Washington D.C., to demand Leonard’s freedom and honor his 79th birthday.

On September 12, hundreds gathered on Piscataway lands in front of the White House to demand executive clemency for Leonard Peltier. A caravan of supporters, family, and loved ones departed after ceremony from Rapid City, South Dakota en route to Washington, D.C.– a 1,600 mile journey that arrived on Monday, September 11.

“Getting arrested today, I’m resisting. I’m dissenting against the 48 years that Leonard Peltier has been illegally incarcerated by the United States government,” said Nick Tilsen, CEO and President of NDN Collective. “I’m dissenting against the system, white supremacy, the police state and the system of incarceration and we’re doing it in solidarity with Leonard Peltier.”

Thirty-five Indigenous leaders and allies were arrested by U.S. Park Police outside the White House on the afternoon of September 12th as they joined hundreds of activists and allies in urging President Joe Biden to grant clemency for imprisoned Native American activist Leonard Peltier. Held on Peltier’s 79th birthday, many activists traveled to the D.C. rally in a caravan that started on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

Fawn Sharp, president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI); Dallas Goldtooth, organizer and actor; Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of NDN Collective; and Paul O’Brien, executive director of Amnesty International USA were among the 35 arrested at the White House by U.S. Park Police after U.S. Secret Service cleared activists from Pennsylvania Avenue. The rally was led by NDN Collective and Amnesty International USA.

Ahead of the #FreeLeonardPeltier 79th Birthday Action, Leonard shared a letter with his supporters:

“79 years old. Mother Earth has taken us on another journey around Grandfather Sun.  Babies have taken their first breath. People have lived, loved, and died. Seeds have been planted and sent their roots deep below red earth and their breath to the Stars and our Ancestors. I am still here.”

NDN Collective joined the community in embarking on a multi-day trip from Rapid City, SD to Washington, DC as part of the #FreeLeonardPeltier 79th Birthday Action Caravan. The journey started with a departure ceremony in MniLuzahan, and continued on to Minneapolis and Chicago until finally arriving on on Piscataway lands for the action.

For the first time in history, a bipartisan letter of support has been sent to President Joe Biden in support of  clemency or the compassionate release of Leonard Peltier.

“As Members of Congress, we sign this letter with a deep commitment to the crucial role we play in upholding justice for all Americans – and to also hold our government accountable when we see a case of injustice, as demonstrated by the long incarceration of Leonard Peltier.”

Associated Press | Supporters of Native activist Leonard Peltier hold White House rally, urging Biden to grant clemency

ICT | Rally for Release of Leonard Peltier

HuffPost | Joe Biden is Going To Have To Talk About Leonard Peltier 

AJ+ Social Post | Protestors Rallied at the White House demanding the release of Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier on his birthday, after 47 years in prison

The UN Climate Ambition Summit took place in New York City this year, drawing thousands of participants. NDN Collective was on the ground, taking part in the September 17th #MarchToEndFossilFuels and also announcing a groundbreaking climate fund.

On Sunday, September 17th, ahead of the UN Climate Ambition Summit, thousands of climate justice organizers took to the streets to demand President Biden take bold action to end fossil fuels.

“All climate proposals and solutions must be centered in traditional ecological knowledge and be led by Indigenous people if we are to restore right relationship with Mother Earth,” said Janene Yazzie, Southwest Regional Director for NDN Collective.

In the midst of Climate Week, NDN Collective launched the Indigenous Climate and Just Transition Fund – a major philanthropic endeavor to ensure that Indigenous-led frontline organizations are prioritized in federal investments such as the Inflation Reduction Act. NDN Collective will use the Fund for regranting, fund matching, technical assistance and capacity building to help frontline organizations apply for IRA grants, and more.

“By making a significant investment into getting federal dollars into the hands of Indigenous leaders, we will radically shift the trajectory of climate change on this planet,” said Jade Begay, Director of Policy and Advocacy at NDN Collective.

This Climate Week in New York City is particularly important and unique, because on the eve of this week of action, the climate and environmental justice movements aligned on one message to the President of the United States and leaders of this country: END FOSSIL FUELS. This is no longer a question of whether such a decision will be beneficial, but rather a certainty that fossil fuels will not carry us into the future safely or sustainably.

The following four fossil fuel projects are without a doubt, human rights atrocities and need to be stopped along with all new fossil fuel-related developments that will inevitably harm all peoples, the climate and biodiversity.

Student holds up their new LANDBACK gear at the 4th Annual Backpack Giveaway hosted by NDN Collective and its community partners. Photo by Angel White Eyes for NDN Collective.

On Saturday, August 23, hundreds of kids and families could be found at the Wambli Ska Teen Center in Rapid City, SD at the MiniLuzahan Oyate Strong Back-to-School Party. The event, hosted by NDN Collective and several other local organizations, provided backpacks, school supplies, clothing, and much more to students of the Rapid City area and beyond.

This year marked the fourth year NDN Collective has given backpacks to students of the Rapid City community. Though this year was a continuation of the giveaway, it brought additional support and excitement for students and families.

On August 26th, NDN Collective hosted the 4th Annual Backpack and School Supply Giveaway event in MniLuzahan. This year, we were joined by several partner organizations right here in MniLuzahan, including Wambli Ska, Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board, Oceti Sakowin Community Academy, Oaye Luta Okolakiciye, Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, HeSapa Otipi Center for People of the Black Hills, and Winyan Wicayuonihan Oyanke. 

The event occurred at the Wambli Ska Center in Rapid City, SD and included back-to-school supplies, backpacks, t-shirts, hoodies, basketball shorts, food trucks, music, basketball, speakers and activities for the kids.

Screen grabs from video: A Native American man with an NDN Collective t-shirt on, responding to demands from security to turn his shirt inside out in order to get inside the fairgrounds.

Over the August 26th weekend, security at the Central States Fair in Rapid City forced at least three Native American men to turn their T-shirts and clothing inside out before entering. One shirt read “NDN Collective,” another read “American Indian Movement,” and a third was a vest with patches reading “American Indian Movement,” “I am My Brother’s Keeper,” and “Remember Wounded Knee.”

“Discrimination is the effect of seeds of fear being perpetually planted – and incidents like this remind us that America was built on the villainization of Indigenous people,” said Sunny Red Bear, action organizer at NDN Collective.

Photo by Emre on Unsplash.

The Indian Arts and Crafts Act (“the IACA”) was first passed by Congress in 1935 and functions as a “truth-in-advertising” law. In the most general terms, the IACA makes it unlawful for anyone to falsely sell or market an “Indian product” as one that is Native-made.

The BIA recently announced that the agency would be revising the regulations carrying out the IACA. Among the many amendments proposed in BIA’s draft is a significant change in the way “Indian product” is defined, one that would bring regulation of agricultural products under the umbrella of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act for the first time in the Act’s 88-year history.

This proposed rule aims to enhance the administration of oil and gas-related activities on America’s public lands and reflects provisions in recently enacted laws that modify aspects of the Federal onshore oil and gas program.

Given that the regulatory framework for oil and gas leasing has not been updated since 1988, we have in this proposed rule a rare opportunity to steer Federal policy toward respecting Indigenous sovereignty and preserving treaty lands.

Puyallup Tribal members fight to retain the fish they caught as wildlife agents work to seize their catch. Tacoma News Tribune, Image TNT0054I, Tacoma Public Library Northwest Room.

Trigger Warning: This blog contains words, images and video displaying acts of police brutality/state violence against Indigenous Peoples. Please proceed with care.

In the early twentieth century, Native peoples protested Wasington state’s illegal fishing regulations by simply continuing to fish, thereby exercising their treaty fishing rights. Because the U.S. Constitution defines treaties as “the supreme law of the land,” tribal nations throughout Washington also filed lawsuits against state officials for violating their treaty fishing rights, but the state continued to violate the treaties.

Our connection to the water sustained our cultural ways, and we deeply revered and respected the life of the water for what it gave us, even viewing it as its own community with which we had a reciprocal relationship.

Staff and Families gathered on the beach for a closing ceremony and group picture. Photo by Angel White Eyes for NDN Collective.

In mid September, over one hundred staff along with their families gathered in Chumash homelands for the second time this year. Near the El Capitan State Beach, staff engaged in week-long activities of grounding themselves in NDN values, goals, and continued planning for the year 2024.

Benjamin Scott, 2023-2024 NDN Changemaker Fellow, is the Founding Project Director/Co-Lead of EntrepreNorth and a proud member of the Tłı̨chǫ Nation.

He was selected as Changemaker due to his strong-hearted work to build Indigenous power, supporting avenues for culturally grounded regenerative economy building and innovation.

Over the last five years, EntrepreNorth has worked with 150+ Indigenous entrepreneurs from across Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon, offering Indigenous-centered business education and mentorship, impact storytelling, ecosystem development, and facilitation training for alumni.

Benjamin has and continues to do so much, and we invite you to learn more about his efforts here.

LANDBACK For the People provides an up-close-and-personal experience that is bold, action-oriented, and solution-focused. Photo by Willi White for NDN Collective.

For nearly 50 years, Indigenous organizers, activists, and allies have dedicated themselves to fight against the unjust incarceration of Indigenous movement leader, Leonard Peltier. In Episode 6 of the LANDBACK For The People, Nick Tilsen delves into the complexities of the longest serving Indigenous political prisoner alongside trusted legal and government affairs partners fighting for Leonard Peltier’s freedom.

On this episode Nick sits down with Holly Cook Macarro, Red Lake Ojibwe, NDN Collective Government Affairs and Bruce Ellison, Criminal Defense Attorney, to discuss the fight to free Leonard.

On this episode Nick Tilsen sits with members of NDN Collective’s Creative Resistance,  including Cy Wagoner, Diné, Creative Resistance Director, Jaque Fragua, Pueblo of Jemez and Creative Resistance Coordinator, Tytianna Harris, Diné, Creative Resistance Action Coordinator, to unpack the significance of how art carries our movement forward.

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

The September 28th panel  provide an in-depth analysis of the case of #FreeLeonardPeltier from the perspective of three leaders: Judge Kevin H. Sharp, Former Federal Judge and Counsel to Leonard Peltier, Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective President and CEO and third-generation activist behind the fight to #FreeLeonardPeltier as well as Holly Macarro, nationally recognized Tribal advocate who leads the federal strategy and outreach related to Leonard Peltier’s executive clemency campaign.

On October 6th Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective President and CEO provided a keynote presentation on Building Movements, Taking Action at the 2nd Annual Lakota Media Summit hosted by Thunder Valley CDC. 

The Lakota Media Summit seeks to “build momentum to shift the narratives of our communities by centering Indigenous voices.”

On October 7th NDN Collective was LIVE at the Native American Day Parade hosted by Black Hills Pow Wow Committee, Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board, Rural American Initiatives, and Monument Health. Come find our #LANDBACK float and catch a t-shirt and some #KnowYourRights candy!

On October 13 NDN Collective was LIVE in front of the Rio Arriba County Courthouse where Judge Lidyard found probable cause during a sentencing hearing to charge Ryan Martinez with Attempted 1st Degree Murder and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon for the September 28th, 2023 shooting of Jacob Johns during a No Juan de Oñate statue peaceful prayer ceremony in Tewa territory (more commonly known as Española, New Mexico). 

In addition, the court found Martinez to be a potential risk to the community and will not be released on personal recognizance with minimal supervision prior to trial.

On September 15th, Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective President & CEO, participated on the Justice40 from the Frontlines Panel hosted by HBCU Green Fund, Donors of Color, Columbia World Projects, and Columbia University Climate School.

NDN Collective calls for a cease fire, an end of military aid to Israel, and Palestinian land rights and liberation. It’s a critical moment to stop repeating history, settler colonialism, and genocide.

“We firmly believe that we all deserve to live and die in peace, whenever death comes for us. We mourn the lives already lost and feel dread knowing that many more will die. This is why we must rise up now and hold the U.S. government accountable in the funding of and profiteering from this war.”

n celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we offer gratitude to our lineages, uplifting the resilience of our Ancestors and the paths of resistance they forged in preparation for us. Because of their sacrifices, we continue to exist, moving beyond an existence of surviving, but thriving.

We remain committed to resisting, ensuring the generations to come may continue to rise up in power and pride for who they are and where they come from.

🚨🚨Relatives, we have ONE MONTH to mobilize and submit as many comments as possible to #SHUTDOWNDAPL! ✋🏽🚫

On September 8, 2023, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the comment period on the recently published Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Dakota Access, LLC’s request for an easement under the Mineral Leasing Act for the Dakota Access Pipeline.🗳️

Leonard Peltier, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians (ND), activist, member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and elder, is the longest-serving Indigenous political prisoner in United States history. For nearly 50 years, Indigenous activists, organizers, and allies have spoken out about the flawed prosecution, trial, and conviction that led to Leonard’s unjust incarceration.

📱Call The White House at (202) 456-1111

 ✉️Email The White House at: https://whitehouse.gov/contact

✍🏽Write to your representative and Senator and ask them to urge President Joe Biden to release Leonard Peltier. Find your rep here: https://ndnco.cc/FindYourRep

🖊️Sign and Share The Native Organizers Alliance Petition: https://ndnco.cc/signtofreeleonard

LEONARD PELTIER #89637-132
USP COLEMAN I
P.O. BOX 1033
COLEMAN, FL 33521

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) runs through the homelands of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and,  despite the dismissal of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe et al. v. United States Army Corps of Engineers in June 2021, continues to operate illegally without proper permits and is a blatant suppression of treaty rights.

On September 8, 2023 the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers officially announced that they were seeking public comment on DAPL Draft Environmental Impact.

Attn: Brent Cossette
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
CENWO-ODT-N
1616 Capitol Avenue
Omaha, NE 68102

Comments can be emailed to: NWO-DAPL-EIS@usace.army.mil

🚨🚨Relatives, we have LESS THAN 20 DAYS to collectively mobilize and submit as many comments as possible to #SHUTDOWNDAPL!

The Dakota Access Pipeline is operating ILLEGALLY! It’s riddled with flawed engineering and construction and we must hold Environmental Protection Agency (@epagov) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (@usacehq) to their own laws. 🙄

It’s time for accountability and time to SHUT DOWN the Dakota Access Pipeline for the safety of all people and the planet ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽

The Director of Organizing will be responsible for providing support to the Managing Director of NDN Action and will directly manage the local NDN organizing core made up of 8 local organizers in the Rapid City Community.

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.

Reporting to and in partnership with the Director of Advancement, the Advancement Officer will lead the department’s grant and report writing and management. The Advancement Officer will also support the Director of Advancement on all donor management, donor-related projects, and developing grants management tools and processes that will be deployed across the organization.