Lakota People's Law Project (program of Sacred Defense Fund)

What happened

The Lakota People's Law Project (Lakota Law) says its work began in 2004. Its About page says that on December 1, 2024, the project separated from its original nonprofit home, the Romero Institute, and became a program of the Sacred Defense Fund (EIN 99-2707481). It calls the new organization "Indigenous-led from the top down." ProPublica lists Sacred Defense Fund in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with tax exemption issued in June 2024. Older gifts and receipts may name the Romero Institute.

The About page says the project started when grandmothers in Lakota Country asked it to investigate South Dakota's removal of children from their families. Its first program, the Lakota Child Rescue Project, launched in 2005. It says a 2011 NPR series that followed its investigation reported violations of the Indian Child Welfare Act.

On land, the About page says the project supported tribal members' resistance to pipelines and mining on traditional homelands in Nevada and the Black Hills. It says it undertook a defense of its director, Chase Iron Eyes, who had been arrested during the #NoDAPL movement. Its home page lists a campaign called Return the Sacred and says it has filed or is preparing federal lawsuits over a mining permit.

These are the organization's own accounts.

Good to know. Since December 1, 2024 the project belongs to the Sacred Defense Fund; older gifts and receipts may name the Romero Institute, so check the payee name on any donation form.

Summarized with AI assistance from 5 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error