Updated April, 2026
Prepared by our Lakota Advocacy Center Initiative, Native Notes is a monthly newsletter on new and proposed policies impacting Indian Country. Sign up for our newsletter to have these updates delivered direct to your inbox!
Check out the policies we’ve already covered!
House & Senate Commemorations, honoring groups and individuals who contribute to our communities
We applaud the legislature's resolutions to honor those who contribute to the communities within the borders of the colonial state of South Dakota. We want to highlight some of the honorees of this year’s session, from those working tirelessly to return bison to their traditional homelands to grandmothers across the state to athletes and scholars.
Honorees
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![Ashlan Carlow-Blount]()
Ashlan Carlow Blount
Carlow-Blount spent four years as team captain at Mahpiya Luta, leading her team to win at the Lakota Nations Invitational each of those years. A top ranked student and National Honor Society member, she plans to study Environmental Sustainability at University of South Dakota.
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![Elizabeth Cook-Lynn]()
Elizabeth Cook-Lynn
A writer and activist, Cook-Lynn dedicated her life and work to advancing tribal sovereignty. She wrote and published numerous books, including Politics of Hallowed Ground : Wounded Knee and the Struggle for Indian Sovereignty, and the poetry collection I Remember the Fallen Trees.
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![Tiny DeCory]()
Tiny DeCory
Co-founder of the BEAR (Be Excited About Reading) Project, Tiny DeCory’s lifelong dedication to caring for relatives struggling with mental health saved countless lives. Helping youth with prom suits and dresses, acting as a one-person crisis helpline, and doing so much more for youth in our community, she will be remembered for generations.
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![Barbara Dull Knife]()
Barbara Dull Knife
Another youth advocate, Barbara Dull Knife founded Wakanyeja Gluwitayan Otipi (Gathering Our Children Home) in 2017, an essential facility serving children ages 0-12. This facility teaches our Lakota language and connects the children in their care to our spiritual teachings.
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![Josie Hill]()
Josie Hill
A graduate of Rapid City Central, Josie Hill took her talent to Chicago State, where her prowess as a defender was able to shine, setting records for single-season and single-game blocks. She transferred to USD at the start of the current school year. A member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe, Hill is proud to be a role model for Reservation youth.
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![Joseph Marshall III]()
Joseph Marshall III
A writer and scholar from the Rosebud Reservation, Joseph Marshall III wrote several books covering topics from The Journey of Crazy Horse to the Battle at Little Bighorn and more. His knowledge will continue to guide our communities through his books and public talks. He was a featured presenter for several of our Ohunkankan Storytelling sessions in 2022.
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![Marvin Richard III]()
Marvin Richard III
From Pine Ridge, Marvin Richard III broke the state record for boys basketball points scored in a single game with 73 points. He will play for the University of South Dakota starting in the fall.
House Bill 1007 and House Concurrent resolution 6001: The future of tribal law enforcement in south dakota
House Bill 1007, to amend the definition of law enforcement officer to include tribal law enforcement officers, and House Concurrent Resolution 6001, urging the United States Department of Homeland Security to establish a tribal law enforcement training academy in South Dakota, are two measures impacting tribal law enforcement. Like other tribal nations, the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s sovereignty is often disregarded and violated by colonial governments at the local, state, and federal levels.
Signed into law in March, HB 1007 makes it so that South Dakota recognizes tribal officers as officers, extending them the same protections as those in non-Reservation communities. This recognition is long overdue, and hopefully signals a shift to prioritizing Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.
HCR 6001 calls on the Department of Homeland Security to establish a tribal law enforcement training academy in South Dakota. Currently, law enforcement officers have to travel over 850 miles to Artesia, New Mexico for mandatory training. This burden deters potential applicants from the 9 recognized tribes in the colonial state of South Dakota.
We hope to see a tribal law enforcement training academy closer to home that will enhance community-connectedness of and to our agents. Not only would this enhance recruitment and morale, it will give our tribes a greater say in how we approach community safety.
House Concurrent Resolution 6001, urging the Department of Homeland security to establish a tribal law enforcement academy in south dakota
House Bill 1293 make an appropriation for increasing the benefit amounts of the temporary assistance for needy families program, and to declare an emergency
what to know
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a program that helps families pay for food, fuel, and rent. In 2025, South Dakota began cutting payments to recipients by 10% with the eventual target of cutting 35% of payments. These cuts mean that families receiving funds through the program are getting on average $51 fewer each month, more than $600 per year. As grocery and fuel prices continue to rise, these cuts hurt children across our state.
In January of this year, the state’s Department of Social Services made payments to care for 4,664 children in nearly every county of the state (data from their website). More than 2,500 of these children live in counties with Reservations, where relatives already face higher costs and limited options at the few grocery stores available. In our part of the Pine Ridge Reservation, many of us drive more than an hour to buy groceries in Rapid City, spending more time and money getting our groceries than wealthier border towns.
This year, House Bill 1293 was introduced to immediately restore TANF funding through 2027. The bill was tabled in committee, never getting a proper vote. Cuts like these make children and families go hungry in every corner of the state.
Among those voting to table this bill was Senator Red Dawn Foster, who sponsored this bill in the first place. At time of writing, the Senator’s office has not responded to our request for comments.
get involved & stay engaged
Your voice matters. Every action - whether voting, attending a meeting, or speaking up - strengthens our community and honors the generations before us.
Stay informed, stay engaged, and make your impact today!
Native Notes is a project from our Lakota Advocacy Center. We want to empower our relatives to better understand legislation impacting our communities. We believe these newsletters will help new and established community organizers identify and pursue policy change based on our shared values and our traditional teachings.
Wopila ṫaŋk̄a uŋk̄enic̄iyap̄i kṡt̄o (we thank each of you) for reading this!
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