Great Plains Action Society

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, edu

cation, 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.

https://www.greatplainsaction.org/single-post/the-anti-ice-movement-has-always-been-about-people?utm_campaign=6543cfb6-a...
03/18/2026

https://www.greatplainsaction.org/single-post/the-anti-ice-movement-has-always-been-about-people?utm_campaign=6543cfb6-a168-4d9d-ba03-5a211fc7079a&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&utm_content=5d9c14e7-783b-4bd1-b7f3-3849303e8c54&configurationId=e1033e26-1605-40e4-9a0c-afbd3c4364cf&actionId=bf0ca450-0af3-4ef2-80fe-3a960d956bd4&cid=3e616f11-a5ee-4458-acdb-d7f69e55a66b

I’ve been working on this piece for over a month now, namely because I’ve undergone a change in the way I think about the way we talk about and frame social movements and civic rights.

Read the op-ed on our blog! https://www.greatplainsaction.org/single-post/the-anti-ice-movement-has-always-been-about-pe...
03/18/2026

Read the op-ed on our blog! https://www.greatplainsaction.org/single-post/the-anti-ice-movement-has-always-been-about-people

Words and photo by Tobias Soudaly-Espinosa

"If it's the aim of a journalist to spotlight the movement or capture the story of a community like ours, it becomes that journalist’s duty to respect the communities and people whose stories they’re sharing, otherwise they are extractive at worst, or misguided at best. It would be an assumption to say which best fits this author, but his piece angered me because it centered white joy, and that’s not revolutionary. And yet, his point still stands: the community care here must become the new norm, because this collective work has enacted the most change I’ve ever seen in person. But, to omit BIPOC and immigrant folks from the story is to gentrify the joy of our revolution."

Please continue to share Abi's fight as we work towards her goal!
03/16/2026

Please continue to share Abi's fight as we work towards her goal!

On February 9, 2026, my dear friend Abi Escatel stood up to speak at the Iowa St… Marie Krebs needs your support for Support Abi's Fight for Truth and Justice

This has gone on for for too long. This is not a culturally relevant piece of art! It’s colonizer bu****it and it needs ...
03/15/2026

This has gone on for for too long. This is not a culturally relevant piece of art! It’s colonizer bu****it and it needs to go.

Link in comments

Gentle, beginner yoga, Tuesday! White allies, please join us in some self care. We appreciate your hard work and dedicat...
03/15/2026

Gentle, beginner yoga, Tuesday! White allies, please join us in some self care. We appreciate your hard work and dedication. đź’•

Please consider donating what you can to help our unhoused relatives stay safe during this upcoming cold snap. This org ...
03/13/2026

Please consider donating what you can to help our unhoused relatives stay safe during this upcoming cold snap. This org has run completely out of funds for propane.

Donations support homeless and housing insecure people in Iowa City and q***r incarcerated people in Iowa.

Our Healing Justice Director will be on this panel! Come on out!
03/12/2026

Our Healing Justice Director will be on this panel! Come on out!

Join us for an evening of learning from and lifting up women leaders in Iowa who have resisted authoritarianism and oppression. Tickets are $25 and includes a swag bag and light snacks with refreshments. PPF Publishing will donate $5 of every ticket to the Young Women's Resource Center. Opening rema...

It was our honor to host wonderful folks from the Ioway tribe in collaboration and friendship. Thank you so much, Shelb...
03/11/2026

It was our honor to host wonderful folks from the Ioway tribe in collaboration and friendship. Thank you so much, Shelby and Brett, for sharing your gifts with us!

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810 Maiden Lane
Iowa City, IA
52240

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