LANDBACK For The People

Latest Episodes:

He Sapa LANDBACK Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, we talk about LANDBACK in the Black Hills. The battle for the Black Hills is the longest legal battle over land in the American judicial system. In 1980, the Supreme Court ruled that the stealing of the Black Hills was one of the most gross violations of the Constitution in US history. Nick is joined by revered Lakota elders and spiritual leaders Richard Moves Camp and Robert Two Crow, as well as NDN Collective President Wizipan Little Elk Garriott and HeSapa LANDBACK organizer Anissa Martin to reflect and discuss He Sapa LANDBACK efforts.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

Reflections on the spiritual significance of the He Sapa
Political history of the Black Hills
The Black HIlls Restoration Act strategy

LEARN MORE: Support the He Sapa Restoration Action and return the Black Hills to the Oceti Sakowin: https://ndnco.cc/bhrestoration

SUPPORT OUR WORK: Support the For the People Campaign today! Your donation to NDN Collective directly supports Indigenous organizers, Nations, Tribes, and communities leading the fight for justice and liberation. Donate now to fund the frontlines, fuel the movement, and rematriate wealth. https://ndnco.cc/ftpcdonate

NDN COLLECTIVE'S IMPACT: To learn about our big wins and hear stories from our grantees and loan relative across Turtle Island, read our 2024 Impact Report on our website at: https://ndncollective.org/impact-reports EPISODE CREDITS: Guests: Richard Moves Camp, Robert Two Crow, Wizipan Little Elk Garriott, Anissa Martin Host: Nick Tilsen Executive Producer: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi Editor: Willi White Digital Engagement: Angie Solloa Production Support: Layne L. LeBeaux

PRESS & MEDIA: press@ndncollective.org

FOLLOW PODCAST: https://www.instagram.com/landbackforthepeople https://www.tiktok.com/@landbackforthepeople

FOLLOW NDN COLLECTIVE: https://ndncollective.org https://www.instagram.com/ndncollective https://www.linkedin.com/company/ndncollective/ https://www.facebook.com/ndncol https://www.threads.net/@ndncollective https://bsky.app/profile/ndncollective.bsky.social https://www.tiktok.com/@ndncollective https://x.com/ndncollective

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leonard Peltier Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

When Nick was 13-years-old he wrote Leonard Peltier a letter. In that letter he said he would fight for his freedom until the day he is free. In this profoundly personal episode, Nick sits down with Leonard to talk about his journey, his struggle, and what he means to the people.

LEARN MORE: Support Leonard by buying his artwork: https://www.lphawkmanii.org/ Read about NDN Collective's effort to bring Leonard Peltier home: https://ndnco.cc/LpHome Watch the short film GIIWE about bring Leonard home: https://ndnco.cc/giiwe Follow the Free Leonard Peltier film: https://freeleonardfilm.com/

SUPPORT OUR WORK Support the For the People Campaign today! Your donation to NDN Collective directly supports Indigenous organizers, Nations, Tribes, and communities leading the fight for justice and liberation. Donate now to fund the frontlines, fuel the movement, and rematriate wealth. https://ndnco.cc/ftpcdonate

NDN COLLECTIVE'S IMPACT: To learn about our big wins and hear stories from our grantees and loan relative across Turtle Island, read our 2024 Impact Report on our website at: https://ndncollective.org/impact-reports EPISODE CREDITS: Guest: Leonard Peltier Host: Nick Tilsen Executive Producer: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi Editor: Willi White Digital Engagement: Angie Solloa Production Support: Layne L. LeBeaux

PRESS & MEDIA: press@ndncollective.org

FOLLOW PODCAST: https://www.instagram.com/landbackforthepeople https://www.tiktok.com/@landbackforthepeople

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The POW!-er of Storytelling Nov 21, 2025

Show notes

Storytelling is the backbone of our movement. In this episode, Nick Tilsen sits down with writer and comedian Joey Clift to talk about how important it is to use narrative and storytelling as a mechanism to catalyse the LANDBACK movement, the power of modern-day representation, and Joey's upcoming short animation film, "Pow!."

LEARN MORE: Pow! premieres 11/24 on FNX, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOTuVqdwu8Y

Pow! is an animated short film about Jake, a young Native American kid scrambling to charge his dying video game console at a bustling Coastal Salish intertribal powwow, where he learns that loving video games and loving your culture aren't mutually exclusive. Written and Directed by Joey Clift (Cowlitz), made by a largely Indigenous team and with an all-Native voice cast. Pow! is a comedic love letter to the communities that raised us.

Joey Clift is a Los Angeles-based comedian, Emmy and Peabody-nominated writer, and an enrolled member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. Growing up, Joey aspired to become a local TV weatherperson because he didn't see Native American comedians on screen and thought a career in comedy was off-limits to him. He has since proven otherwise, writing for acclaimed series like Spirit Rangers (Netflix), Molly of Denali (PBS), and Paw Patrol (Nickelodeon).

Joey is the creator of Gone Native, a Comedy Central Digital series about microaggressions Native folks often experience, and his comedy has been featured everywhere from Dropout to The Smithsonian Museum.

Follow Joey on Instagram: @joeycliiiiiift https://joeyclift.com/ https://gonenative.tv/

NDN COLLECTIVE'S IMPACT: To learn about our big wins and hear stories from our grantees and loan relative across Turtle Island, read our 2024 Impact Report on our website at: https://ndncollective.org/impact-reports EPISODE CREDITS: Guest: Joey Clift Host: Nick Tilsen Executive Producer: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi Editor: Willi White Digital Engagement: Angie Solloa Production Support: Layne L. LeBeaux

PRESS & MEDIA: press@ndncollective.org

FOLLOW THE PODCAST: https://www.instagram.com/landbackforthepeople https://www.tiktok.com/@landbackforthepeople

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Protecting Mother Earth Takes All of Us Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

In this episode Nick Tilsen is joined by Dr. Lilias Jarding, Executive Director of Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, and Taylor Gunhammer, Lead Organizer for the Protect the He Sapa campaign at NDN Collective, to talk about past and current efforts to protect the land and water in the Black Hills of South Dakota, updates on the Protect the He Sapa campaign, and how important intergenerational organizing is to building bridges among people.

PRODUCTION DISCLAIMER: This episode contains a 7 minute audio disruption at the 44 minute and 27 second mark. Basically, the audio recorder stopped recording. But we have the scratch audio! What was shared in this 7 minutes is important, so we made sure to keep it in.

GUESTS: Dr. Lilias Jarding Taylor Gunhammer

LEARN MORE: Visit https://bhcleanwateralliance.org/ and donate to their work. Donate to the Protect the He Sapa campaign by visiting https://ndncollective.org/

Support the For the People Campaign today! Your donation to NDN Collective directly supports Indigenous organizers, Nations, Tribes, and communities leading the fight for justice and liberation. Donate now to fund the frontlines, fuel the movement, and rematriate wealth. ndnco.cc/ftpcdonate

NDN COLLECTIVE'S IMPACT: To learn about our big wins and hear stories from our grantees and loan relative across Turtle Island, read our 2024 Impact Report on our website at: https://ndncollective.org/impact-reports EPISODE CREDITS: Host: Nick Tilsen Executive Producer: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi Editor: Willi White Digital Engagement: Angie Solloa Production Support: Layne L. LeBeaux

PRESS & MEDIA: press@ndncollective.org

FOLLOW PODCAST: https://www.instagram.com/landbackforthepeople https://www.tiktok.com/@landbackforthepeople

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feed the People Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

In this episode Nick Tilsen is joined by Foster Cournoyer Hogan, NDN Collective Bison Coordinator, and Wizipan Little Elk Garriott, NDN Collective President, to announce the launch of a critical mutual aid campaign in response to the SNAP benefits crisis, discuss how this moment calls us into action, and to share about the upcoming work for the Bison Homelands Initiative at NDN Collective.

GUESTS: Foster Cournoyer Hogan Wizipan Little Elk Garriott

LEARN MORE: https://ndnco.cc/feedthepeople NDN Collective is launching the "Feed The People" campaign in response to the SNAP benefits crisis. The U.S. Government shutdown is disrupting SNAP, deepening food insecurity in many Native and rural communities.

The crisis is not just about hunger — it reflects the erosion of systems that once ensured community health and sovereignty of food sources.

The "Feed the People" campaign is a call to action for funding mutual aid support in response to the disruption of SNAP in the Oceti Sakowin. While responding to the urgent needs of our community, we are also strengthening traditional food systems and collaborating with Indigenous-led projects focused on food sovereignty.

NDN is seeking immediate funding to purchase and distribute bison meat boxes from Sacred Storm Buffalo to families affected in Rapid City and the surrounding communities.

➡️If you live in Rapid City and are looking for food assistance, we will have our first distribution on November 21. Stay tuned for updates on location and time.

ℹ️Learn more about the campaign: https://ndnco.cc/feedthepeople

💌 Contribute today: https://ndnco.cc/donatebison

NDN COLLECTIVE'S IMPACT: To learn about our big wins and hear stories from our grantees and loan relative across Turtle Island, read our 2024 Impact Report on our website at: https://ndncollective.org/impact-reports EPISODE CREDITS: Host: Nick Tilsen Executive Producer: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi Editor: Willi White Copywriter: Jordynn Paz Digital Engagement: Angie Solloa Production Support: Layne L. LeBeaux

PRESS & MEDIA: press@ndncollective.org

FOLLOW PODCAST: https://www.instagram.com/landbackforthepeople https://www.tiktok.com/@landbackforthepeople

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who knew nuns were riding for LandBack! Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

In Season 3, Episode 6 Nick Tilsen is joined by Brittany Koteles, Executive Director of Land Justice Futures. This organization helps religious land owners pursue land justice – shifting the narrative of land as a commodity to one of repair, restoration, and reciprocity. Land Justice Futures works closely with Christian communities and Catholic sisters to move toward repair.

According to Land Justice Future, the Catholic Church is the world's largest private landowner, with land on every continent, in every country across the globe. In this conversation, Nick and Brittany talk about what LANDBACK means to the Catholic church, what organizing nuns is like, and the very first Catholic land return in history. The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration will return two acres of lakefront property to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa on October 31, 2025. Listen to the episode to hear just how this work is being done and how sisters of the Catholic Church are digging in and riding for LANDBACK.

GUESTS: Brittany Koteles, Executive Director of Land Justice Futures

LEARN MORE: https://www.landjusticefutures.org

To learn about our big wins and hear stories from our grantees and loan relative across Turtle Island, read our 2024 Impact Report on our website at: https://ndncollective.org/impact-reports

For more ways to support, read our For the People Campaign blog: ndnco.cc/25ftpcbb1

EPISODE CREDITS: Host: Nick Tilsen Executive Producer: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi Editor: Willi White Copywriter: Jordynn Paz Digital Engagement: Angie Solloa Production Support: Layne L. LeBeaux

PRESS & MEDIA: press@ndncollective.org

FOLLOW NDN COLLECTIVE:https://ndncollective.org https://www.instagram.com/ndncollective https://www.linkedin.com/company/ndncollective/ https://www.facebook.com/ndncol https://www.threads.net/@ndncollective https://bsky.app/profile/ndncollective.bsky.social https://www.tiktok.com/@ndncollective https://x.com/ndncollective

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Truth, Reconciliation, Healing & Boarding Schools Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Nick sits down with three amazing leaders of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS). NABS is conducting an oral history project documenting the stories of boarding school survivors for the Library of Congress.

The work of NABS includes development and implementation of a national strategy to increase public awareness and cultivate healing for the traumas experienced by those who attended these schools, their families and communities.

At the heart of this work is healing. Join us as we dive into the cross-intersections of LANDBACK, truth, reconciliation, healing and boarding schools.

GUESTS: Charlee Brissette, Sault St. Marie Tribe of Ojibwe Lacey Kinnart, Sault St. Marie Tribe of Ojibwe Jason Packineau, MHA Nation/Jemez/Laguna Pueblo

LEARN MORE: boardingschoolhealing.org

To learn about our big wins and hear stories from our grantees and loan relative across Turtle Island, read our 2024 Impact Report on our website at: https://ndncollective.org/impact-reports

For more ways to support, read our For the People Campaign blog: ndnco.cc/25ftpcbb1

EPISODE CREDITS: Host: Nick Tilsen Producer: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi Editor: Willi White Copywriter: Jordynn Paz Digital Engagement: Angie Solloa Production Support: Layne L. LeBeaux

PRESS & MEDIA: press@ndncollective.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Remembering the Children Sep 19, 2025

Show notes

In Season 3, Episode 4: Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective CEO and Founder, sits down with Amy Sauze, Remembering the Children's Executive Director, and Dr. Valeriah Big Eagle, Director of He Sapa Initiatives for NDN Collective, to talk about LANDBACK's relationship to healing intergenerational trauma.

GUESTS: Amy Sazue Dr. Valeriah Big Eagle

LEARN MORE: https://www.rememberingthechildren.org/

NDN COLLECTIVE: To learn about our big wins and hear stories from our grantees and loan relative across Turtle Island, read our 2024 Impact Report on our website at: https://ndncollective.org/impact-reports

Support the For the People Campaign today! Your donation to NDN Collective directly supports Indigenous organizers, Nations, Tribes, and communities leading the fight for justice and liberation. Donate now to fund the frontlines, fuel the movement, and rematriate wealth. ndnco.cc/ftpcdonate

For more ways to support, read our For the People Campaign blog: ndnco.cc/25ftpcbb1

EPISODE CREDITS: Host: Nick Tilsen Producer: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi Editor: Willi White Copywriter: Jordynn Paz Digital Engagement: Angie Solloa Production Support: Layne L. LeBeaux

PRESS & MEDIA: press@ndncollective.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brah… We Aren't Going Anywhere Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

In Season 3, Episode 3: Nick Tilsen, NDN Collective CEO and Founder, joins NDN Collective President Wizipan Little Elk Garriott and Vice President Gaby Strong to talk about the current political moment, changes to the movement building landscape and the future of our organization.

NDN Collective was founded seven years ago and has created significant impact for Indigenous People across Turtle Island through grants, grassroots organizing, loans, narrative change, and political education. Our organization was created for moments like the one we are in now, where human and civil rights are under attack and authoritarianism is on the rise. Democratic backsliding is real. The political and financial landscape has shifted. This has caused our organization to pivot, evolve, and rise up to ensure we can continue building Indigenous power for years to come.

FEATURING: Wizipan Little Elk Garriott Gaby Strong

EPISODE CREDITS: Host: Nick Tilsen Producer: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi Editor: Willi White Copywriter: Jordynn Paz Digital Engagement: Angie Solloa Production Support: Layne L. LeBeaux

PRESS & MEDIA: Cabot Petoia, press@ndncollective.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sacred Storm Buffalo Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

Nick Tilsen sits down with the guys of Sacred Storm Buffalo to talk about their work, the importance of investing into community-led enterprises, and how the restoration of buffalo back into community is LANDBACK.

Sacred Storm Buffalo, a community-rooted and culturally grounded workforce development enterprise of the nonprofit Wambli Ska Okolakiciye, is dedicated to restoring strength, purpose, and connection for Native people and families through the art and discipline of Indigenous meat processing. The training and production center—opened last year with support from a $1.6 million investment through NDN Collective's Indigenous-designed power-building loans—serves as a living blueprint for food sovereignty and self-determined economic renewal.

GUESTS: Chris White Eagle Will Brave Bird Jose Arguello Franky Frazier Chance White Eagle

WANT TO LEARN MORE? • Visit their website: https://sacredstormbuffalo.org/ • Read: Sacred Storm Buffalo to Open Retail Shop in Rapid City, South Dakota • Read: Patagonia Blog About Sacred Storm Buffalo

Support the For the People Campaign today! Your donation to NDN Collective directly supports Indigenous organizers, Nations, Tribes, and communities leading the fight for justice and liberation. Donate now to support those doing the work. Fund the frontlines, empower the movement, and rematriate the wealth. ndnco.cc/ftpcdonate

To learn more ways to support, read our For the People Campaign blog: ndnco.cc/25ftpcbb1

EPISODE CREDITS: Host: Nick Tilsen Producer: Willi White Co-Producer: Steph VieraEditor: Willi White Music: Mato Wayuhi

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected