South Dakota Voices Community Forum

We’re facing a time of deep uncertainty and rising threats. Our mission is to offer hope, clarity, and practical tools to help our communities stay safe, navigate what’s ahead, and organize for meaningful resistance.

Overall Goals of the Forum

• Elevate community voices impacted by current federal and state policy.

• Foster public awareness on how this administration’s actions are affecting vulnerable populations.

• Create a platform for education, empowerment, and mobilization.

• Facilitate coalition-building among progressive leaders, organizations, and individuals.

• Collect feedback and stories from the community to guide future action.

Audience Engagement Guidelines

• Keep space safe, inclusive, and trauma-informed.

• Encourage respectful dialogue rooted in curiosity or concern, not hostility.

• Provide comment cards or a QR code for anonymous submissions.

• Invite attendees to share their own stories or testimonials in designated sections.

• Facilitate breakout moments (if possible) for deeper conversation.

What We Hope to Achieve

• Document personal stories and public testimony that can be used to advocate for change at the local, state, and federal level.

• Spark renewed political engagement and grassroots energy in the face of apathy or despair.

• Build and strengthen alliances with tribal leaders, educators, healthcare workers, LGBTQ advocates, immigrant families, and more.

• Equip community members with tangible tools and next steps (resources, voter info, protest dates, mutual aid, etc.).

• Pressure local officials and policymakers by showing unified concern and shared values across multiple communities

We are asking that each attendee bring a donation for the One Spirit Food Pantry.

One Spirit is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support for the Lakota people of Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. We strive to provide sustainable programs that promote self-sufficiency, economic development, and educational opportunities for the Lakota people. Our mission is to fulfill their vision of a self-sufficient and independent future. To help the Oglala Lakota tribe of Native Americans achieve happier, healthier lives within the context of their remarkable and unique history and culture.