Rising Up: 2nd Annual Indigenous People’s Day In MniLuzahan

This year, Indigenous People’s Day in MniLuzahan brought together more than a thousand people to march for Indigenous rights and jam to beautiful Indigenous artists. The event was the second annual Indigenous People’s Day celebration hosted by NDN Collective.

“Happy Indigenous People’s Day, everyone!” Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective President & CEO, said. “I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for being here, tuning in, standing with NDN Collective, LANDBACK and a free Palestine. We have to continue fighting but we also have to radically imagine what the future looks like for Indigenous People when we win and when there’s peace and justice in the world.”

Photo by Angel White Eyes for NDN Collective.

The event started off with the Investing in Community March, which called together organizers, community builders, relatives and allies to join in the call for Indigenous visibility and remember the movement that brought this day to us. About a hundred people gathered to march down 5th Street toward Main Street Square in Rapid City, calling for a free Palestine and LANDBACK. Tribal flags, eagle staffs, NDN Collective President & CEO and rapper, Macklemore, led the march, veterans, elders and children followed behind.

“This is different from a lot of our other protests and actions because this is about celebrating our people,” said Sunny Red Bear, Director of Organizing at NDN Collective. “Today, we want to help give people a platform to share their voice, uplift their music and their art, and to bring together our community around those things.”

As marchers entered Main Street Square, they were greeted by singing from the Blackstone singers who provided a round dance song for folks to join in front of the stage. They also provided an honor song and were followed shortly after by a prayer song from students of Oceti Sakowin Community Academy.

From there, a full afternoon of music, poetry, community voices and cultural demonstrations began. People visited, laughed, wandered through the square looking at vendors, listening to music and enjoying the variety of activities available to relatives of all ages.

Mic Jordan and DJ Twin City Tone opened up the show, welcoming everyone to the event under a bright, sunny sky. Audience members heard the strong voices of local poets Autumn White Eyes and Pte Se Win, who voiced emotional truths and solidarity with global Indigenous communities. Later on listeners swayed to the gentle sounds of Keith Secola, Santee Witt and the Bearhead Sisters. Stella Standing Bear, Sebastian Gaskin, and Miracle Spotted Bear rocked the stage with their sultry sounds and vibrant performances. As day slowly turned to night, local rappers North$ide Baby and Nevada Brave hyped up the crowd as people flooded toward the stage, phones held high.

Tia Wood, one of the final performers of the night and the first ever Indigenous woman signed to Sony Records, took the stage and filled Main Street Square with her vocal talents. She sang songs from her forthcoming album, including her new single Dirt Roads. In addition to her original work, she sang a cover of the iconic Indigenous anthem Neon Moon originally by Brooks & Dunn, which many in the crowd sang along to.

The night ended with the surprise special guest, an accomplice who’s followed and supported the work of NDN Collective for more than a year.

Macklemore.

A singer, producer, and rapper of hits like Thrift Shop and grammy award winning artist, took the stage in the heart of MniLuzahan for Indigenous People’s Day.

“I feel incredibly honored to be on this stage – out of all the stages I’ve been on this year, this is the most important one,” said Macklemore.

He reflected on the first time he met Nick Tilsen at a protest for Palestine last year which included an invitation to MniLuzahan. Macklemore came out, met with our collective and joined Nick on the LANDBACK for the People Podcast. It was his first trip to Rapid City and he remembered being so moved by the community and the work of our people.

“What I saw and what I felt out here was community. I saw and felt a movement of people rooted in love, rooted in support, rooted in tradition,” he said on stage. “Our collective liberation is at stake here at this moment and we are being called as people to rise up against systems of oppression. I’ve seen that here and I’ve felt that here.”

Macklemore rounded out the night with one of his hit songs, Can’t Hold Us, as members of NDN Collective joined him on stage holding flags with LANDBACK, Palestine, and FTP on them and the crowd jumped in unison to the music.

After hours of celebration, rallying, poetry, and music, the 2nd Annual Indigenous People’s Day celebration in MniLuzahan came to an end.