2020 Media
Riverland Native Voter Project
Iowa is a strategic political state because it is host to the first contest of the presidential primaries. It’s why, when given the opportunity to encourage Indigenous voting in this state we saw a great opportunity to empower our people’s voice. However, we believe in abolishing border imperialism and so instead of focusing on the colonial settler imposed state of Iowa we decided to base our voting initiative on an Ioway made map that depicts their own history between the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. We lead from an Indigenous perspective but we are working hard to build solidarity in the BIPOC communities in Iowa and solve our common issues.
Mass PPE Distribution
Great Plains Action Society and the Urban Native Center teamed up together to help raise money for the Urban Native Emergency COVID-19 Fundraiser to provide some of the basic hygiene necessities and PPE to the Indigenous population that resides in the Tri-State area of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. We were able to help over 100 families and 80 students with duffle bags filled with various items.
Climate Crisis Unity Parade
Along with 70 other organizations in Iowa, Great Plains Action Society organized and co-sponsored the Climate Crisis Unity Parade days before the Iowa Caucus in an effort to raise awareness of the climate crisis. We also helped First Seven Gen Labs create the amazing art which led the parade. Click here to read more about it.
Bernie Sanders Rally
Trisha Etringer, Operations Organizer, attended a Bernie Sanders Rally in Boone, IA and spoke briefly with Portugal. The Man., Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez about Indigenous issues in Iowa.
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Photo taken by Trisha Etringer
#NoKXL #MMIW #Justice4Ashlea
Great Plains Action Society traveled to Lincoln, NE to support local voices in raising awareness about the new proposed TC Energy project, Keystone XL pipeline, and the ongoing #MMIW (#MMIR) epidemic.
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Video correction: Days later after this event, a young Umonhon (Omaha Nation) woman, Ashlea Aldrich, went missing and murdered on the Omaha Reservation.