Lakota Nation Disaster Resiliency

06/09/2026

Lakota Nation Disaster Resiliency proudly celebrates Jesse Big Crow ** Jesse Kangi Tanka ** on being selected as a **Bush Fellow**.

This fellowship recognizes leaders who are committed to strengthening their communities through vision, service, and meaningful impact. Jesse’s work reflects that commitment through years of dedication to disaster resiliency, emergency preparedness, food sovereignty, cultural preservation, youth and elder engagement, and Indigenous-led community solutions.

Through Lakota Nation Disaster Resiliency, Jesse has helped build spaces where preparedness is connected to culture, where resilience is rooted in traditional knowledge, and where community safety includes food, land, language, healing, and self-determination.

This opportunity is not only a recognition of Jesse’s leadership, but also a reflection of the strength, knowledge, and resilience of the communities that shape this work.

We are proud, grateful, and excited for what this next chapter will bring.

Please join us in congratulating **Jesse Big Crow, Bush Fellow**.

https://www.bushfoundation.org/fellows/jessica-jesse-big-crow/

Emergency management leader

Jesse Big Crow (Oglála Lakota) centers Indigenous culture and leadership in her efforts to transform disaster preparedness and response in Tribal communities. When Tribal communities risked losing access to emergency preparedness training, she stepped forward to organize a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Train-the-Trainer course and later became a Master CERT Trainer herself. She also played a key role in securing statewide approval for a Hybrid CERT model, expanding access to training across South Dakota’s rural and reservation communities. Through her work with Oglála Sioux Tribe Emergency Management and Lakota Nation Disaster Resiliency, she designs and delivers trainings that integrate Lakota language, traditions and values.

Jesse wants to cultivate a new generation of Indigenous leaders able to shape disaster preparedness and resilience efforts across Tribal nations. The Bush Fellowship will help her pursue leadership coaching, advanced training in program design and policy workshops that will equip her to develop practical, replicable models.

Emergency management leader Jesse Big Crow (Oglála Lakota) centers Indigenous culture and leadership in her efforts to transform disaster preparedness and response in Tribal communities.…

05/24/2026

Lakota Nation Disaster Resiliency would like to acknowledge and celebrate Jesse Kangi Tanka, who is featured as a speaker with Native Nation Events.

Jesse’s work reflects the heart of what community-based disaster resiliency should look like: Tribal preparedness, food sovereignty, cultural preservation, emergency management, and recovery rooted in Lakota values and Indigenous knowledge. Her leadership as a Planning & Coordination Specialist, Master CERT Trainer, and community advocate continues to strengthen preparedness efforts across Tribal, rural, county, and reservation-based communities.

At LNDR, we are proud to be connected to this work and to continue building pathways where our communities are not just included in disaster planning, but are leading it. This recognition is not just about one accomplishment; it reflects years of organizing, training, advocating, and showing up for the people.

Congratulations, Jesse. Your work continues to open doors, strengthen community capacity, and carry forward a vision of resilience grounded in who we are.

Read more here:
https://nativenationevents.org/speakers/jessica-big-crow/

Jessica “Jesse” Big Crow is a Lakota emergency management leader, trainer, and community advocate from the Pine Ridge Reservation. She serves as a Planning and Coordination Specialist in emergency management and is a Master Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Trainer.

03/07/2025

Lakota Nation Disaster Resiliency Update

Our Waunkablapi Kte workshop was a great success!!! Revitalizing traditional knowledge and blending it with modern technology to build a more resilient community.

Resiliency Through Self Reliance

We’ve been actively collaborating with various partners to expand our training opportunities, and we have some exciting developments ahead! From launching a teaching garden to acquiring new CPR and first aid training equipment, we’re continuing to strengthen community preparedness and resilience. Stay tuned for more updates as we roll out these initiatives!

01/08/2025

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a program that trains community members in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT empowers individuals to assist their neighbors and support first responders during emergencies, enhancing community resilience. By joining CERT, you can gain valuable skills, help prepare your community for disasters, and make a difference when it matters most.

We are seeking to gauge community interest in the CERT program. Please take a moment to fill out this questionnaire. Your input will help us better understand the needs and interest within our community.

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a program that trains community members in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT empowers individuals to assist their neighbors and support first responders dur...

01/01/2025

🎉✨ Happy New Year from Lakota Nation Disaster Resiliency! ✨🎉

As we welcome 2024, we reflect on the strength, resilience, and unity that define our community. This new year brings new opportunities to honor our traditions, grow together, and continue building a sustainable and thriving future.

Wishing you and your families peace, health, and prosperity in the year ahead. Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to our shared vision.

Here’s to a resilient 2024! 🌟

lndresiliency.org

12/28/2024

We are excited to host the Waunkablapi Kte workshop and can't wait to share this incredible experience with you! This hands on event blends traditional and modern food preservation techniques, offering a unique opportunity to connect with cultural practices, gain valuable skills and take home meaningful knowledge. Coming together to honor tradition, build community, and create something lasting. We have sent out an email reminder to everyone who registered! Look forward to seeing you tomorrow!
Lndresiliency.org

12/23/2024

Turkey, Turkey Turkeys!!!
Helping our Friendly Wakpmani Service Center, passing out Vouchers for Turkeys!!
!!

12/09/2024

🌟 Sign Up Now: Limited Spots Available! 🌟
https://forms.gle/rufHeNuNarjEjUDZA
Don’t miss our Waunkablapi Kte-We will cut up meat to dry. We will blend traditional and modern food preservation practices in a hands-on learning environment. Gain practical skills, connect with tradition, and take home lasting knowledge.
✨ What’s Included?
• All tools and meat necessary for the workshop
• Participants will take home their own drying racks and meat
• Incentives for attendees and those who participate in follow-up activities
📢 Important Reminder:
All participants must complete a Food Handler Certificate prior to attending. The certification involves a 1-hour 15-minute video and 20 questions. Please register at the link provided and complete registration and training.
https://www.ihs.gov/foodhandler/registration/
Please ensure this is completed before the workshop, and send a copy of your certificate to [email protected]
Spots are limited, so secure your spot today! This is an incredible opportunity to learn, preserve tradition, and take something meaningful home with you.

This hands-on workshop will teach participants the traditional and practical skills of meat preservation. Participants will learn about the tools, techniques, and cultural practices involved, with an emphasis on safety, and utilizing modern methods to preserve one of our traditional staples. This wo...

11/15/2024

🌱 Lakota Nation Disaster Resiliency: A Look Back at Our Efforts During COVID-19 🌱

Reflecting on our response to the challenges of COVID-19, we are proud of the work we did together to promote food sovereignty and sustainability across our communities. Despite the hardships, we took action by:

🌾 Distributing Starter Plants: Partnering with families and elders to provide starter plants, ensuring access to nutritious, culturally significant foods during a time of uncertainty. Also providing Chokecherry trees. Families complete training on resilience and disaster preparedness

🥦 Sustainable Food Boxes: Delivering produce and meat boxes, focusing on healthy, Fresh foods that support immune health and community well-being.

💪🏽 Building Resilience: We leaned on our Lakota ways, sharing traditional knowledge and practices, showing that together, we can endure and thrive, no matter the circumstances.

Let’s continue this journey toward self-sufficiency and resilience, guided by our ancestral wisdom. Together, we plant seeds for a stronger, healthier future. 🌻