Directors Report
Ptanyetu (fall) Greetings; Faith Spotted Eagle, Director of Brave Heart
Summer has sped past us and our heads are spinning. The Brave Heart circle just had a Matriarch Celebration for 2 amazing elders, Mary Louise Defender-Wilson (95) and Sharon Drapeau (83.) on Oct 18, 2025. The inspiring circle doubled with our annual fall harvest meal as we had Indigenous foods cooked by the new generation of Isnati moms and daughters. Both Kunsi also were honored in the “Winyan Opic'a H'c'a Sawicayapi” Painting of the Soles of Their Feet, to symbolize they could now sit and rest but continue to teach in a loved manner, as old Society structures emulated for older beloved warrior women; a very high honor.
Team member Kip Spotted Eagle continues to grow our farm project (Woju Society) by completing purchase of a full set of farm machinery, including two tractors) to bail our own hay on leased Brave Heart grasslands. He and Cedar Frederick bailed the first 40 acres on our own. The other 3 plots still continue to be sharecropped by our farm contractor. Due to a wet summer, we had an unheard of 3 cuts of the alfalfa that we planted four years ago. We are the only Natives leasing tribal land on the Yankton reservation. A dream became real.
With our hosting of the 28 th Annual Awica Dowanpi (Coming of Age Ceremony) we now have had 200 girls participate in this resurgence. The longitudinal study being conducted shows that these girls are doing amazing things and the ceremony is restored to a power space of cultural strength for girls, in a world surrounded by danger, violence and trauma.
Brave Heart continues to work closely with the Ihanktonwan Treaty Committee in defending the sacred site of the Pipestone Quarry (original Yankton Treaty Territory) and obtaining land back and acquisition of three specific quarries for Yankton use , not having to obtain federal permits. Truly a victory striven for since 1858.
Tipi pole harvesting coming up in the Black Hills for our men’s circle. We have a permit and are planning for a men’s circle , emphasizing young adult men to be part of this exciting trip. We will provide equipment, lodging, equipment, mentors and crew leaders. Contact us if you are very serious about culture, working hard and building strong safe community for men and families. Drug and alcohol free of course.
The Brave Heart team had a strategic planning retreat in September in Lead, SD in the He Sapa and updated the 50-year plan and began short to mid term goals, to be revisited in a follow up retreat in January 2026. An exciting 4x4 trip was the exciting event of the trip, through thunder, lightning, hail , wind, the team prevailed somewhat dusty, drenched but tough.
Team member Janessa Picotte will be initiating 2 circles: the first a book club on Indigenous cultural power and identity once a week and a weekly Mom/child group in Dakota Language immersion . Watch for dates. We also have an upcoming fall /winter Dakota language schedule being updated.
We continue to be ever so thankful for funders who have made all of this possible and more.
Dr. Alexis Archambault
Bhs Hydrologist
Both water resource and geographic information system (GIS) expertise is essential to our team at BHS. We are actively pursuing crucial funding opportunities to advance water data sovereignty for the Ihanktonwan Oyate. I have already acquired existing datasets and begun building a hydrological model to simulate the movement of water within the Ihanktonwan bioregion watersheds. Developing this model is essential to understanding and managing water resources in treaty territory and serves as a vital tool in exercising tribal sovereignty in water governance. In the Northern Great Plains (NGP) region, where the climate is highly variable, these models help predict streamflow estimates and long-term trends, offering critical insights into the impacts of climate change. My goal at BHS is to integrate hydrological models with Indigenous knowledge systems to enhance both the accuracy and cultural relevance of future water management strategies. This work centers the Ihanktonwan Oyate’s inherent authority to govern their lands and waters in the pursuit of environmental justice. As data centers continue to expand across the United States, I recognize the challenges they pose to tribal sovereignty and environmental stewardship. Large-scale data center infrastructure on or near tribal lands can have profound impacts on local water and energy resources. For that reason, I am closely monitoring proposed projects and developments within the Missouri River Basin to assess their risks to tribal communities.
When BHS isn't hosting an event we are still hard at work. Below are some highlights throughout the summer.
Kip Spotted Eagle running our, new to us, farm equipment for land that we lease, as part of our farm program.
Derrick Marks, our Media Director, interviewing one of our Elders as part of our history and language preservation. We regularly interview our Elders to preserve their stories for future generations to come.
Director Faith Spotted Eagle leads a team building exercise with Minnesota Indian Affairs Council. During this time we strengthened our cultural competency with cultural training, team building, language immersion, and much more!
WOJU OKODAKICIYE with Kip Spotted Eagle (Planter’s Society Farm Project).
Kip, as the land, water, and cultural director of BHS, has long worked to protect the resources our ancestors fought so hard to preserve. Kip is currently leading the efforts to restore native grasses and revitalize the ecosystem through sustainable land use and agriculture.
Under this initiative, the Brave Heart Society is developing a community farming program that utilizes Tribally leased lands and trains Tribal citizen in hay production and equipment operation.
The goal is to convert non-Native hay fields back to Native grasslands, healing the land and helping restore traditional plant and animal species, such as the prairie grouse.
Our relatives, native organizers alliance (NOA)
Native Organizers Alliance (NOA) has been dedicated to empowering Indigenous communities that weaves traditional knowledge and values since 2010. By offering a holistic approach to community organizing, NOA equips Native leaders and individuals with essential skills to mobilize their communities around pressing issues affecting Indian Country. This training emphasizes the importance of effective communication, critical thinking, and collaboration, ensuring that organizers can lead with integrity and purpose while fostering strong partnerships that resonate across tribal nations and beyond.
At the heart of NOA’s training is the application of cultural values and storytelling, which honor the wisdom of elders and traditional knowledge holders. Organizers learn to weave these elements into grassroots efforts, enhancing their ability to identify community issues and develop impactful campaign strategies, with tools for planning, messaging, and media engagement, participants are prepared to create transformational change that reflects indigenous priorities and strengthens their communities for the next seven generations.
NOA holds two national trainings a year, in the spring and fall, and is held in Seattle, WA. The next training will be held on November 17-22, 2025, and applications are closed for this training. Look on NOA’s website at nativeorganizing.org next spring when applications for this training will be open to apply.
Pictured: Portion of Brave Heart Team and Director of NOA Judith Lablanc on a team retreat, which included UTV offroading (we were a bit dusty)
Field School 2025
Every summer on the Yankton Sioux Reservation, a quiet revolution has been happening: Native people gather to reclaim a role nearly erased by settler colonialism, the stewardship and healing of the land. Each year, 50 to 80 people from across Turtle Island come together to learn, teach, and reconnect at the Brave Heart Society's Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK) Field School.
Field school draws participants as young as two and as old as ninety-three, a living circle where knowledge flows across generations. Camp is set against the rolling hills, river bends, and prairie grass of Ihanktonwan territory. Here, Western science meets Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge, and students learn from Native scientists, elders, and cultural leaders alike.
Mornings are spent in the field: mapping prairie landscapes, studying fire ecology, practicing buffalo management, and learning how to see the land as our ancestors once did, not as property, but as a living relative. After lunch, camp shifts into teaching circles and storytelling, weaving lessons about water, fire, buffalo, forestry, and the stars into a living fabric of science and culture.
Throughout the week, ceremony grounds the learning. Offerings are made to the river, prayers are sent for the buffalo, and gratitude is spoken to the ancestors. These moments are not side notes to the curriculum; they are the curriculum, reminding every participant that knowledge is relational, not transactional. Healing the land is inseparable from healing ourselves.
Field school is part of a larger vision called Mni Wizipan Wakan, the Sacred Water Bundle, a commitment to heal not only the land and rivers but also the people and spirit of the Yankton Sioux. Every lesson taught and every story shared ties back to this greater journey of restoring balance, sovereignty, and connection.
For generations, tending fire, water, land, and life has been woven into Indigenous culture. Fields like ecology, fire management, archeology, and stewardship are not new to Native people; they are ancestral practices. Brave Heart’s field school is a bold answer to the rupture of colonization, opening pathways for Native people to return as caretakers and healers.
The curriculum doesn’t just teach the how of land management. It teaches the why, grounded in traditional teachings, ceremony, and community. Every piece of data gathered and every story shared is part of a larger restoration of land and people. Field school is a place where Native people can begin or continue the journey of reclaiming their role as protectors, guided by both ancestral knowledge and modern tools.
Field school reminds participants that Native people have always been scientists, long before Western institutions gave out degrees. It’s not about learning something new; it’s about remembering who we have always been and reclaiming our rightful place as caretakers of creation.
Elijah Small, Brave Heart Society Biologist
Heart Day
Also known as Elder’s Day was a beautiful celebration dedicated to honoring our elders, the Heart of our communities. This day was about showing our appreciation for everything our Elders do and all that they are. We came together to show gratitude to recognize their wisdom, strength, and love our Elders continue to share with us. We gathered to continue our connection and to share a meal with each other. Butch Felix preformed his music, brought laughter through his stories and reminded us of the importance of love, respect, and community. We would like to say Wopida Tanka to all the elders who joined us and to everyone who helped make this day possible. We want to remind our Elder’s we honor you everyday and thank you for the love and respect you show us.
Administrative Assistant: Iktomi Waste Winyan Favel
UPCOMING EVENTS
Dakota Iapi Mother na Wakan Yeja Circle: Inivitation to Dakota Mothers of Wakan yeja from ages 2 to 6 years old. Saturday Nov 8, 2025. 10am- 12pm. Brave Heart Lodge (300 Main Lake Andes). Teachers/Speakers/Facilitators are welcome to come and share methodology. Purpose of Session: Learn methods and apply for weekly mother/child Dakota immersion. Small Group will start Mid-Nov. Lunch will be served. Facilitators: Kunsi Faith Spotted Eagle, Dusty Nelson, Floris Whitebull
Dakota Iapi Circle (Open to Public) Every Friday 11am – 1pm. Brave Heart Lodge (300 Main Lake Andes). Light Snacks and Drinks served). All levels welcome and encouraged. Facilitators: Jerome Kills Small and Faith Spotted Eagle. Also, The Brave Heart Society Team has made Dakota Iapi Wogdaka commitments and are learning and working hard together to speak more Dakota every day.
Brave Heart Society Po Box 667 Lake Andes, SD 57356
Contacts: Faith Spotted Eagle (Executive Director) eagletrax@hotmail.com 605-481-0416
Iktomi Waste Wiyan Favel (Director of Operations) iktomi@braveheartsociety.com 801-231-6171