Indigenous led
We are a small society of Indigenous Folks living in the Great Plains region,
resisting colonization and re-Indigenizing the land and the world around us.
Building Power in the Great Plains
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We address the trauma that Indigenous Peoples and the Earth face and work to prevent further colonial capitalist violence by fighting for and building power in Indigenous communities through reMatriation, healing justice and a regenerative economy. We believe that Indigenous ideologies and practices are the antithesis of colonial capitalism, and we deploy these tools to fight and build on our vision–tools that are deeply embedded in a culture of resistance.
Our Initiatives & Theory of Change
Our mission is at the center of our work and is
built upon community engagement and
grassroots initiatives. Being true to our
mission has helped us define our
work into four initiatives:
1) Protect the Sacred
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Ending the MMIR Crisis
2) Land Defense
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Climate & Environment
3) Representation
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Overcoming Whitewashing
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4) Civic Engagement
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Changing legislation &
Getting out the vote
We do this work through a variety
of tactics:
1) Utilizing Culture & Tradition
2) Mutual Aid Efforts
3) Art in many forms
4) Education Through a Variety of Methods
5) Non-Violent Direct Actions
6) Increasing Solidarity Across the Midwest
7) Media on Socials, Mini-Docs, Writing, etc
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Sikowis Nobiss presenting her intervention on man-camps and violence at the
United Nation Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in 2019.
The Need for Indigenizing Spaces
Great Plains Action Society (GPAS) was born out of the fight again the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016, which started and is still ongoing in Iowa. We saw a lack of Indigenous representation in the fight in Iowa and so we showed up and spoke up. We also spent a lot of time at the Standing Rock resistance camps representing for Iowa and standing with our relatives. After nearly a decade, GPAS has built a strong platform to advocate and fight for Indigenous land, rights, and sovereignty. We are a 100% Indigenous-led grassroots, 501(c)3, non-profit primarily focused on the Great Plains region which includes but not limited to Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota.
