FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2025
Rapid City, SD – Today, after two days of evidentiary hearings around a case involving NDN Collective founder and CEO Nick Tilsen, the hearing was continued to August 1st.
A timeline outlining legal targeting of Nick Tilsen and NDN Collective can be found here.
“Today was a beautiful day of community support and representation of those dedicated to justice – for Nick and for all of us,” said Joci Tilsen, Nick’s aunt. “This fight is bigger than just Nick. It’s about protecting movement leaders and organizations, and our collective right to free speech. We will continue fighting for justice and freedom – for Nick and for all Indigenous people targeted by the powers at play.”
“Nick has been targeted as a movement leader for years – a continuation of the American legacy of vilifying Indigenous people,” said Norma Rendon, elder and community leader. “Local law enforcement and prosecutors are willing to waste years of resources to criminalize Nick – this case is just a continuation of that pattern. Doing work like this is a risk – but it’s one I know Nick will continue taking to protect his people, our land, and the collective future.”
The charges brought against him stem from an incident in 2022 in downtown Rapid City, when Tilsen saw a police officer interacting with an unhoused relative. Concerned for the relative’s wellbeing, Tilsen stopped his car nearby to observe the situation and ensure he was safe. Later that evening, officers escalated the situation by publicly humiliating the unhoused relative – with disturbing footage of their actions captured on their body cameras.
Despite no immediate action being taken at the time, more than a year later the officer involved accused Tilsen of attempting to run him over, leading to a complaint and warrant for Tilsen’s arrest being filed on June 30, 2023 – the same day NDN Collective announced they would host a July 4th March Towards Justice.
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NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change, we are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms.