I thank you for always standing with the Lakota people. Your attention to the work my father, Chase Iron Eyes, does on behalf of our tribal nations means more than I can say. Recently, I joined my dad, my auntie Madonna Thunder Hawk, and Lakota Law’s chief counsel Daniel Sheehan for an amazing Zoom session with The Nation Magazine. We’ve produced a short video with key outtakes. Please take a look!

Our friendship with The Nation has translated not only to excellent press coverage and great online events like this Zoom conference, but, in addition, the magazine has become sort of a sponsor for Lakota Law’s Native-run foster home on Standing Rock Nation. The home currently houses five children in need and has already provided shelter and safety for many more since the beginning of the year. Now that summer has arrived, the team has been busy devising ways to get the kids out into nature where they can be active and engaged while remaining safe during the pandemic.

I count myself fortunate not to rely on such assistance, and we must continue to work together on making sure all our vulnerable populations stay out of harm’s way. Much of our video focuses on our two recent wins against the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines, wonderful for our frontline communities at Standing Rock, Cheyenne River, and here at Pine Ridge. Those victories show me that what we do together works. But as Auntie Madonna says, we also know these battles are ongoing.

To her point, on Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an administrative stay temporarily preventing the DAPL shutdown from taking effect. So the oil will keep flowing after all — for the moment — and Standing Rock has until Monday to file new briefs.

We have to stay strong, and we mustn’t get complacent. Just last week, we got two pieces of great news. Now, we see again how hard it is to win this fight. That’s why we need to continue to stand together — across generational, racial, and all artificially constructed boundaries — and, if we do, I have faith that there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.

Wopila tanka — my gratitude for your attention and care!

Tokata Iron Eyes
Via the Lakota People’s Law Project

Lakota People’s Law Project
547 South 7th Street #149
Bismarck, ND 58504-5859

The Lakota People’s Law Project is part of the Romero Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) law and policy center. All donations are tax-deductible.