His Jewish grandfather, Kenneth Tilsen, was a prominent civil rights attorney, who with his wife, Rachel (daughter of the celebrated socialist writer Meridel Le Sueur) defended draft resisters during the Vietnam War. It is, after all, deep in his family history. Still, Tilsen would never deny his connection to Leonard Peltier or the American Indian Movement. NDN Collective is on Main Street in Rapid City,” he said. “I was a speaker at the Chamber of Commerce a year and a half ago. (Peltier has always maintained his innocence.) Tilsen believes the police are trying “to coin me as a radical fringe activist.” He’s a father of four whose organization is currently running a nationwide emergency COVID-19 relief effort for Native communities. “I DON’T WANT TO BE the next Leonard Peltier,” Tilsen told me, referring to the legendary American Indian Movement activist, who has been imprisoned since 1977 for the murder of two FBI agents. “What South Dakota and the National Park Service call ‘a shrine to democracy’ is actually an international symbol of white supremacy.” Soon, deputies announced that the assembly was unlawful, and the Air National Guard moved in, dressed in riot gear, pushing the protesters back and firing pepper balls at the retreating crowd. Tilsen and others worked throughout the day to keep the protests organized, even speaking directly with park authorities to ensure that elderly activists and children were allowed to move away before any arrests were made. “It was to hold space and connect our issue to the world,” Tilsen explained. The activists blocked the road, using three disabled vans to bar the way. If convicted, he faces up to 16½ years in prison for four felonies and three misdemeanors.Īccording to Tilsen, the protesters had negotiated the blockade with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. He was among 20 arrested for protesting Trump’s visit. “What South Dakota and the National Park Service call ‘a shrine to democracy’ is actually an international symbol of white supremacy,” Tilsen said.
Many Lakota people, like Tilsen, view the national monument, which attracts 2 million visitors a year, as a desecration of a spiritual landscape. Tilsen is the president and CEO of NDN Collective, a Native-run nonprofit based in Rapid City, South Dakota, which launched a campaign on Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2020 to return He Sapa to Native people. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are carved into the side of the granite mountain that is the heart of the Lakota universe. That’s why President Donald Trump chose to hold his July 3 rally at Mount Rushmore, said Nick Tilsen, who is Oglala Lakota. They have become an international symbol of the call to return stolen land to Indigenous people. And they continue to be a crucial part of the strategic position that sustained Native resistance to white encroachment.
The Black Hills are also central to the political territory drawn by the 18 Fort Laramie treaties. The land’s most recent, and perhaps longest-serving, stewards - the Oceti Sakowin, the Dakota, Nakota and Lakota people - hold the mountains central to their cosmos. This is a place of origin for dozens of Native peoples and a revered landscape for more than 50 others. The Lakota name “He Sapa” - meaning “black ridge” - describes this visual phenomenon. We're eagar to help guide you in planning your vacation to South Dakota.From a distance, the green pines and the blue-gray haze that gently hug the valleys of the Black Hills merge into a deep black. Whether you're in the area to ski, enjoy nature, or hop on your motorcycle to take in the scenic beauty of the Black Hills, we have amenities that will suit your trip. Each property has it's own unique amenities and locations near the best spots to visit when traveling around the Black Hills. We're committed to giving our vacationers the personalized service they expect when traveling on a luxury vacation. We have the best properties in the area ranging from small, cozy cabins that encapsulate you and your guests deep in the woods - to luxurious properties with all your favorite amenities and sleep up to 20 or more, near bustling gambling towns. We're your local team for the best quality vacation lodging and planning near Deadwood, Sturgis, Spearfish, Rapid City, Hill City, and all around the Black Hills. Welcome to Black Hills Adventure Lodging. Your Best Choice for Lodging in the Black Hills of South Dakota
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