Starting in 2009, OWO has made monthly donations to the Oyate Nipi Kte Land Project—an effort to acquire a land base on which Native Dakota people can establish and sustain a traditional community. The project offers Dakota people the ability to resume ancient practices of wild-ricing, sugar-bushing, hunting, foraging, growing gardens, reconstituting traditional forms of governance, practices of spirituality, education, and the revival of Dakota language. Dakota people consider Minisota Makoce (Land Where the Waters Reflect the Skies) to be their ancient homeland. Over the last 200 years, Dakota people have been systematically dispossessed of their land and currently reside on approximately .01% of their original land base within the borders of what is now the State of Minnesota. As a consequence, the vast majority of Dakota people are living in exile on state-controlled reservations. The Land Project seeks to secure the ongoing existence of Native Dakota communities by re-establishing their spiritual and physical connection to the land.
We believe that pursuing reparative land return should not be up to Native Dakota people alone, and that it is crucial for non-native allies to contribute to this cause. We are currently raising money to donate to the project by selling used books online, and ending the profits as surplus donations along with our personal monthly contributions. We invite you to consider offering your used books to us to support the Dakota Land Project. If you are a college or university faculty member, please consider donating any old course books or desk copies for the same goal. We also would like to encourage direct monetary donations to Oyate Nipi Kte.
Please email us if you have books to donate in order to arrange a pick-up in the Twin Cities area at oppositiontowarandoccupation@gmail.com. If you would like to make a direct monetary donation to the Dakota Land Project, make all checks out to “Oyate Nipi Kte” and mail them to 4052 Hwy 212 SE, Granite Falls, MN 56241 or paypal your donation to oppositiontowarandoccupation@gmail.com.
