spirituality

A very happy New Year from all of us at Lakota Law! Our team thanks you from the bottom of our hearts for your good spirit and support throughout 2025. This year’s theme seemed to be great change amidst new leadership. Heads of state here and abroad instituted violent policies and practices which caused great upheaval and disrupted too many lives. But, with your help, Lakota Law modeled a different way of doing things. Together with you, in our own first year of full Indigenous leadership, we fought back.

Your friendship supported our relentless battle against human and constitutional rights violations and helped grow our Sacred Defense legal team, work, and programming. Your good will helped build increased solidarity with Indigenous people and movements with sovereign Native nations. A big wopila to you for making these things possible! Now, if you can donate one more time before the end of the tax year, you’ll help empower our communities and campaigns in 2026 and the years to come!

As the sun sets on 2025, let’s rise again together in 2026!

In 2025, you helped us make a difference by supporting sovereignty in Hawaii and amplifying the need for disaster relief in Alaska. You empowered our creation of the “Original Homegrowns” series of videos, detailing attacks on Indigenous people — not just those crossing borders, but those born right here. And you sent thousands of messages to state leaders to stop construction of new detention camps for migrants.

You helped us provide valuable media support to Elaine Miles, a respected Native actor harassed by ICE agents near her homelands in the Pacific Northwest. And — in the wake of a horrific family tragedy resulting from the negligence of the state’s foster care system — supporters like you sent thousands of emails to the Arizona State Senate, inspiring its unanimous vote to create Emily’s Law. Arizona’s new “turquoise alert” system will now help keep Indigenous people, particularly vulnerable young ones, safer.

Additionally, you helped us increase our programming under the wider Sacred Defense umbrella, particularly with the rebrand and relaunch of our Last Real Indians Native News Desk. With a limited staff, we’ve already become a go-to Indian Country news outlet, with several stories republished in major media. In 2026, we’ll expand our staff, coverage, media partnerships, and reach.

A special thanks to all who joined Lakota Law’s membership circle this year and attended our membership events, including our Sacred Summer series. Lakota Law membership is now at an all-time high of more than 2,500 people! We can’t wait to engage further with you in the year to come, continue to demonstrate the power of Indigenous leadership, and take our work together to new heights.

Wopila tanka — thank you for making good things happen with us!
Chase Iron Eyes
Executive Director
Lakota People’s Law Project
Sacred Defense Fund

Over the past months, we’ve shared with you about our exciting partnership with the Muwekma Ohlone people of California’s Bay Area. We’ve helped the tribe create media and, together, we designed a call to action to assist the Muwekma — proud descendants of some of California’s original inhabitants — as they seek to restore their rightful status as a federally recognized tribe.

This week, we met with the Muwekma again to discuss and help amplify another of their important initiatives: namely, returning the Presidio to their caring hands. Giving this sacred and historic land back to its original stewards would be a huge win for Indigenous justice — and it’s a real possibility in this moment of change and opportunity. Please watch the new video from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, in which they lay out the reasons why it should happen.

Watch: The Muwekma Ohlone have the original right to the Presidio.

You may recall that, years ago, I helped to organize the #landback movement by calling to return the Black Hills to the Lakota. I was present at the protest action near Mount Rushmore when President Trump visited for American Independence Day during his first term. Today, we remain dedicated to the return of our own sacred lands — and we stand in strong solidarity with other Indigenous groups seeking the same.

Perhaps ironically, Trump’s return to office could present a new opportunity to achieve those goals. His administration’s efforts to gut the federal workforce, eliminate programs, and lessen the financial burden for the federal government could create openings for tribes to step into voids created around stewardship of federal lands. And while Lakota Law stands with needed federal workers who keep our society running smoothly, we also recognize Indigenous ownership and stewardship as the ultimate outcome for stolen, sacred lands.

As with many things these days, this is a rapidly evolving issue, and we’ll have more to say on it soon, including action opportunities and more messages directly from our friends at the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. As always, I’m grateful for your solidarity with us and with Indigenous landback efforts across Turtle Island.

Wopila tanka — thank you for standing for the sacred.
Tokata Iron Eyes
Spokesperson & Organizer
Lakota People’s Law Project
Sacred Defense Fund