TiWakan.org

10/16/2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
October 16, 2024
Sioux Falls, South Dakota –Local Org. TiWakan to host a voter engagement event with guests including tribal leadership and invited city officials, a day to encourage early voting, registration and community.

Thursday's event is an effort to register and mobilize Native voters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act, which extended the American franchise to Native people in the US in 1924. To showcase the native vote and its significant impact across South Dakota we invite members and the local community to join us for a day of civic engagement.

Renville helped orchestrate a demonstration during her campaign for Sioux Falls City Council At-Large in response to a police involved incident this past spring which got the attention of the US Department of Justice. With other events including a listening session, TiWakan has assisted in establishing a collaborative effort with the Sioux Falls Police Department to address the discrepancies in treatment towards Native Americans. A meeting between local agencies and tribal leadership is set to occur in the morning with a buffalo feed happening at noon.

With early voting in full swing since September 20th and the voter registration deadline approaching on October 21st this event is geared to get as many Native Voters to the polls even before Election Day on November 5th, 2024. Invite extends to the Mayors network of care who are welcome to table by signing up to be a vendor as Renville hopes for tribal leadership to see services offered to tribal membership here in Sioux Falls.

“ Over the last few years we've seen a consistent rise in attention paid to the prioritization of native issues and problems affecting our community. I'm hoping by bringing in our tribal leadership our members feel more connected and seen here in our homelands while increasing our involvement in building solutions for the city.” states TiWakan Executive Director Allison Renville, who is Sisseton, Hunkpapa and Omaha.

Thursday's event will be at the Multi-Cultural Center Coliseum located at 515 North Main Ave in Downtown Sioux Falls, doors will open at 9:30 for setup and event at 10am to 2pm. Visitors are encouraged to check on their Sioux Falls relatives.

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Vendor Sign Up
https://forms.gle/8o7ZyePfxEnV6H3C9

Contact: Allison Renville
Executive Director, TiWakan
[email protected]
(605) 419-1263


Contributions can be made out to the order of:
Allison Renville, TiWakan

Online options: (TiWakan contribution in memo)
V enmo:
P aypal:

08/19/2024

Mitakuyapi! We have partnered with National Voter Registration Day and are ready to defend our democracy by preparing to in the 2024 election!

It’s always crucial to keep your voting status up to date so you can easily find your polling place and map out your voting plan. Visit www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org or scan the barcode to find your local auditors office or check your status now! With 29 days until the registration deadline let’s get yours situated asap!

06/05/2024

Happy ! South Dakota has forever been medicine for our people, one of the best things to do here is appreciate the land and everything it has to offer. Whether you’re new or been here for generations, there’s no denying it’s worth fighting for. Let’s see your pics too!!

06/02/2024

Civic engagement is so important to our people, it’s become one of the most notable thing about us; we serve in the military at higher rates than any other demographic per capita and we VOTE!

Today marks only the 100th anniversary of this country granting us our American Citizenship. My grandmother was already 8 years old by the time she became American and lived long enough to vote for the first Black President. We are not at all far removed from our past; it’s so crucial to get involved and make our voices heard because we haven’t been able to for really all that long. We owe it to our ancestors!✨

Stay aware, stay engaged and be vigilant Mitakuyapi!

10/16/2023

🔥

Today at 10AM CST, over 30 members of the local NAACP Sioux Falls 4102-B and allies met at Denny's in Sioux Falls, SD for "Coffee and Critical Conversations," a gathering to help draw attention of Denny's corporate office and elicit a response to requests for engagement sent weeks ago.

In addition to this in-person gathering, an online petition has gathered hundreds of signatures from across the U.S., calling for the forced resignation of Denny's regional manager. Please continue to share this petition!
https://chng.it/rNwpZFntWz

Following the in-person event, we then held a press conference. See coverage from Dakota News Now: https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/10/15/naacp-holds-press-conference-wake-dennys-racial-profiling-incident/

Also, we've sent a follow-up message to Denny's, again requesting a response to collaboratively address the incident of August 16, 2023.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rNwNKobxh-7XTEnVPiy4QN42u0r3wpWf/view?usp=drivesdk

Our next General Body meeting is this Tuesday, October 17th, promptly starting at 7:30PM CST. Agenda items include a review of all activities related to "Coffee and Critical Conversations." Members and attendees, check your emails for a feedback survey.

Thanks everyone for your engagement and collaboration - We Thrive Together!