If you’ve been with us for more than a year, you know we’ve been incubating a teen center at Standing Rock. A separate nonprofit managing this effort uses the building we own in McLaughlin, South Dakota (Bear Soldier District) to run operations. Many of you sent us positive feedback about the teen center when it launched, so I’m happy to report that the project’s doing well! It’s now a reliable space for the reservation’s youth to learn, play, and enjoy — so much so that we’ve decided to donate our building to our nonprofit allies, providing a stable foundation for their ongoing work to lift up the next generations. 

Because we’re assuming substantial administrative, logistical, and legal costs as we transfer the title to the building, today we ask for your financial support. Help gift this important building to the people by donating today! Your contribution to Lakota Law will also help offset other housing-related costs we accrue each month. These include operating our kinship care home (also in McLaughlin) and paying for lodging while we’re traveling to Thacker Pass in Nevada to fight the lithium mine that endangers frontline Native communities, a sacred massacre site, and a delicate ecosystem. As you know, we do whatever it takes and go wherever we’re needed to provide for the people and win Native justice — and your generosity makes it possible!

Photos of Standing Rock’s teen center. We’re gifting it to the people of Standing Rock!

At Lakota Law, we straddle universes: while we recognize that radical social justice work can’t happen if institutional concerns become too dominant, we also know that without structure — buildings, equipment, and regular travel to the frontlines — progressive intentions often won’t hit their targets. So we strive to strike the right balance, doing our very best to put your resources to ideal uses. Thank you from the center of our hearts for all your assistance!

Once the transfer of title for the teen center is complete, we’ll be in touch again with more updates about the ongoing work to serve children at Standing Rock. 

Wopila tanka — thank you, always, for your support!
Chase Iron Eyes
Co-Director and Lead Counsel
The Lakota People’s Law Project

P.S. Please give to help transfer Standing Rock’s teen center to our nonprofit allies and the youth of Standing Rock. Your gift today will help solidify the present and provide a future for Standing Rock’s next generations!