Feel Good Friday - NDN Collective

Monday is Indigenous Peoples' Day in the United States and a perfect time to learn about today’s Feel Good Friday organization, NDN Collective.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota on Oceti Sakowin Territory, NDN Collective is “an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power.” Their mission is to “build the collective power of Indigenous Peoples, communities, and Nations to exercise our inherent right to self-determination, while fostering a world that is built on a foundation of justice and equity for all people and Mother Earth.” 

The actions they take to create sustainable solutions include “organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building and narrative change.” This one-minute video manifesto encourages people to come not from a place of fear, but from a place of power to do this work.

Grants are awarded to Indigenous-led organizations, Tribes, groups, projects and individuals whose work, goals and intentions align with the NDN mission, values, core principles and strategies. Examples include the Radical Imagination Arts Grant which provides resources to visual and performance artists, filmmakers, writers and storytellers; the Community Action Fund which supports direct actions and organizing efforts; and the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities grant which will deploy $600 Million to disadvantaged communities across the country.

NDN Collective also has a lending an impact investing arm called NDN Fund which works to increase Indigenous Peoples’ access to capital by providing loans to Native Nations, Tribal Enterprises, Native nonprofits, and Native-owned businesses.

Other work being done by NDN includes leading campaigns such as stopping mining in the Black Hills, returning public lands back to the Lakota, and freeing Native American activist Leonard Peltier, and community development projects to build affordable housing and share know your rights information.

If you’d like to help NDN Collective achieve their mission, there are many ways to do so. Take an action like joining a campaign, or getting involved in creative resistance. You can also show your support by shopping for merch, making a donation and spreading the word on social media. Follow NDN Collective on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.