Great Plains Action Society

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Great Plains Action Society Prior to GPAS, there was not an active frontline Indigenous environmental community presence in Iowa.

Great Plains Action Society addresses the trauma that Indigenous Peoples and the Earth face through community engagement, civic engagment, mutual aid, rematriation, and healing justice 🌱♥️🔥 Great Plains Action Society addresses the trauma that Indigenous Peoples and the Earth face as we work to prevent further colonial-capitalist violence through mutual aid, culture & tradition, direct action, education, and political engagement. We are 100% Indigenous-led and were founded out of concern for the land and future generations due to the catastrophic effects from the climate emergency and environmental degradation. Our work is unique and has since garnered support from thousands across the US, Eastern Nebraska and Iowa (where we do the bulk of our work), as well as our many partner organizations and coalitions. However, as Indigenous folks, we know all too well that violence to the land is inextricably linked with violence to our people, which is why we also address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives crisis (aka, Missing and Murderd Indigenous Women). Erasure and misrepresentation are colonial tactics used to hold on to and abuse stolen land and perpetuate violence to Indigenous Peoples and so we also work on correcting the representation of our culture and our image. These three areas, our Land Defense, Protect the Sacred, and Representation Initiatives, are all rooted deeply in our communities whose voices we empower and uplift. Even our name is indicative of our dedication to an Indigenous community tradition wherein small groups, called societies, work together on daily tasks and to solve problems as they arise. We strongly believe that by working in this manner, we are building a future where white supremacist, colonial-capitalist structures no longer dominate the ecological and social landscapes. This can be achieved through revitalizing Indigenous ideologies, the antitheses to colonial-capitalism, which is the most impactful way to attain lasting climate and social justice.

We are honored that Sikowis Nobiss, ED of Great Plains Action Society, will give the Keynote for the QEW Fall Gathering ...
10/16/2026

We are honored that Sikowis Nobiss, ED of Great Plains Action Society, will give the Keynote for the QEW Fall Gathering this coming Friday at Prairiewoods Franciscan Retreat Center, in Hiawatha, Iowa and online!

We're hoping you can join us as she shares on the topic of rematriation, landback, and decolonization as we reflect on our theme "The Fires that Renew."

To register go to: https://secure.quakerearthcare.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=212
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Inside a canvas tent pitched on 14 acres of land in Williamsburg, Iowa, Sikowis Nobiss sat before a camera, the ambient sounds of goats, roosters, and a stiff Midwestern breeze bleeding through the fabric walls.

It was April 2017, and deep in the nearby woods, a sacred fire had been burning continuously since late February. She had founded Little Creek Camp as a sanctuary for water protectors recovering from the freezing, militarized evictions at Standing Rock, but also as a new frontline against the Dakota Access Pipeline's march across her home state. Running the camp was a massive, all-consuming undertaking that kept her separated from her two children—a sacrifice she made to ensure they would have a living planet to inherit. Looking into the lens of a visiting journalist, her exhaustion was visible, but so was her ironclad resolve: "This is more than a cause to me," she stated plainly. "This is a lifestyle that I will never give up. I will never change what I'm doing. This is what I will be doing for the rest of my life."

For Sikowis (Plains Cree-Saulteaux of the George Gordon First Nation), those words spoken in the damp chill of an Iowa spring were to echo through her life in the years ahead. At Little Creek, she founded the Great Plains Action Society, transforming frontline trauma into a lifelong crusade to dismantle colonial-capitalist systems and rematriate the earth.

10/15/2026

A mother and five kids are facing homelessness due to a fire that destroyed their home and all their belongings. We are requesting community support to help them secure housing and replace some of what they lost!

Please donate in you can, and stay tuned for material donation requests in the future!

https://www.our-future-iowa.org/donate

*This post was NOT created using AI

🔥 HELL ON EARTH HIGHLIGHT! 🔥An Indigenous Hallo-Queen THRILL-AHH for Mama Earth -- Slaying capitalism one snatched wig a...
10/14/2026

🔥 HELL ON EARTH HIGHLIGHT! 🔥
An Indigenous Hallo-Queen THRILL-AHH for Mama Earth -- Slaying capitalism one snatched wig at a time

Join Great Plains Action Society, Winnebago Two-Spirit Corps, and Sacred Collective for a Halloween Cheer, glamour, and unapologetic resistance.

This isn't just a show — it's a celebration of 2SLGBTQ brilliance, Indigenous power, and the joy that fuels every movement that's ever changed the world.

Come for the looks. Stay for the revolution.

More info at: bit.ly/hellonourearth
Email [email protected] for questions

While many of us in our community are abolitionists, we are not there and our community members should have a sanitary f...
10/14/2026

While many of us in our community are abolitionists, we are not there and our community members should have a sanitary facility. This one proposal is not the holy grail, and we should have better choices. Join us tomorrow and tell us what you would like to see as part of the proposal or as alternative systems. We welcome expertise, including life experience. Which is some of the most vital expertise in the community. Children are always welcome. We will have snacks. If you can’t make it, feel free to drop your comments and questions below. I've included what was brought up at the last round of Community Conversations.

What the community wanted to see in this proposal:

Green Space for people detained
More rehabilitation services
A group of experts develop alternative solutions. We have plenty in the community. Can we pay them?
Family support/visitations
Staff trained so people don’t die from alcohol withdrawal
No increase in incarceration
Not ~130 million dollars to the unhelpful carceral system

Alternative options to caging people brought up by community members:

Public transportation to reduce DUI/OWI’s
Detox centers
Mobile Crisis/Comm responses
Cultural Response teams/patrols
Permanent supportive housing
Mental health beds/Placement
Affordable housing

No one should be freezing, starving, unsheltered on Indigenous land. We keep each other safe.
10/13/2026

No one should be freezing, starving, unsheltered on Indigenous land. We keep each other safe.

What an incredible Indigenous Peoples Day celebration! We are so grateful to everyone who came out, showed up, and celeb...
10/12/2026

What an incredible Indigenous Peoples Day celebration! We are so grateful to everyone who came out, showed up, and celebrated with us.

A heartfelt thank you to the speakers and dancers:

- Eagle Feather Singers and Dancers -- your demonstrations filled the day with song, dance, and beauty alongside the beat of the drum
- Quite Soules -- for sharing your incredible words with us
- Egan Greenwalt from the University of Iowa Native American Student Association for representing the next generation of Indigenous leaders
- Our own Representation Director at Great Plains Action Society, Jessica Engelking, for hosting.

And a very special thank you to Iowa City Parks and Recreation — Malory Smysor and crew — for making this event possible and welcoming our community so warmly. You really showed up with the bounce houses, kids activities and sensory tent.

Shout out to all the amazing organizations that tabled! IC Parks and Recreation, IC Human Rights and Equity Dept, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, League of women Voters, Ul Office of the State Archaeology, CommUnity, Quiet Soul, UI NASA, and lowa City Mutual Aid! You are making a difference!

To every volunteer who lent a hand, every performer who shared their gift, every speaker who shared their voice, and every community member who showed up in solidarity — we are sensing you lot's of love! Days like today showcase our thriving and powerful culture and traditions and also push back at harmful colonial constructs like columbus day.

We can't wait to see you again next year! 🖤💛❤💙

10/11/2026

Join us at Terry Trueblood until 5pm. Free food and fun for the kids. Big thank you to the Eagle Feather drummers, dancers, and singers. 💕

This is one of our GPAS member’s home from today. Did the TPUSA event get the white supremacists riled up or is it a coi...
10/09/2026

This is one of our GPAS member’s home from today. Did the TPUSA event get the white supremacists riled up or is it a coincidence the Native Land sign got ripped up along with our plant relatives? The irony of a colonizer tearing up the land…..

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810 Maiden Lane
Iowa City, IA
52240

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