NDN Collective Stories

NDN Collective Director of Tactical Media, Lorenzo Serna, provides live-stream coverage of a rally in Minnesota in honor of Joye Braun where local organizers handed off letters to the Department of Natural Resources and demanded President Biden declare a climate emergency.

"We mourn Tyre’s death and honor his spirit by calling for real accountability. Charges against officers who have already killed someone are never enough — we need to abolish the whole damn system."

In this Q & A interview, Nick shares some of his reflections and big picture takeaways from the past two and a half years. Nick faced up to 17 years behind bars after a #LANDBACK protest in the Black Hills on July 3, 2020.

“NDN Collective is honored to invest in the self-determination and leadership of these organizations, collectives, organizers, and cultural practitioners. They are on the frontlines defending our communities from resource extraction, combating the polluters fueling climate change, and standing up for the human rights of Indigenous peoples."

“While this financial commitment is unprecedented and significant, funding alone won’t solve the racial equity gap. Movement building must continue. Policy and advocacy work must continue to disrupt, dismantle, and shift the economic systems that don’t work for us. We can all play a part in that.”

"Esta generación de socios beneficiarios representa algunos de los trabajos más impactantes que ocurren en la Isla de la Tortuga: defender el aire, la tierra y el agua; desarrollar economías indígenas basadas en principios regenerativos; y revitalizar nuestros idiomas, culturas y ceremonias de manera que iluminen el camino para las próximas generaciones"

“My case held a mirror up to the so-called legal system, where prosecutors – fueled by white fragility and fear of Indigenous power – wasted years of state resources to intimidate, criminalize, and violate me. The fact that I’ve gone from facing 17 years in prison to all charges dismissed is not a coincidence or an act of justice – it’s evidence that the charges were bogus from the start."

“This cohort of grantee partners represents some of the most impactful work happening across Turtle Island—defending the air, land and water; developing Indigenous economies based on regenerative principles; and revitalizing our languages, cultures and ceremonies in ways that illuminate the path for the next generations.”

Households could save $140,000 on energy bills over 25 years with efficient energy infrastructure – which would both help build Indigenous wealth, and help families divest from the volatile oil and gas markets. 

"We call on nation states to sever their relationships to the fossil fuels industry, fully commit to phasing out of fossil fuels, and utilize the core tenets of a Just Transition. Anything less is a failure to all of humanity.”