"We often hear mainstream stories where poverty and the Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Nation, the Oceti Sakowin, are used interchangeably. Yet, the story most often overlooked embodies the great spiritual power of the Oceti Sakowin, the people of the Seven Council Fires. It’s a power that thrived in yesteryear and lives today.

Unlike many of the world’s religions, Native people don’t need a brick and mortar cathedral to pray in. Nature is our church. Our candles are fire pits. Our altars are made of sage and buffalo skulls. Our prayers are made with faces to the sun. Some of our most significant ceremonies are done at certain times of the year in special sacred places.

Pe’ Sla is one of those sites that been used during ceremony for uncounted millennia. To the shock of many, it’s up for sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25 at the Ramkota Inn in Rapid City, S.D. The looming auction has ignited a firestorm of social media activity to raise upwards of $10 million. An indiegogo campaign spearheaded by the Last Real Indians, a grassroots group of writers, has inspired more than 4,000 funders to donate $186,146 as of Wednesday morning, Aug. 22. Meanwhile, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe has secured more than $1 million."

Get the Story:
Jodi Rave: Black Hills auction still on for Aug. 25 but indiegogo Pe’ Sla campaign extended 17 days (Buffalo's Fire 8/22)

Related Stories:
Johnny Flynn: Lakota people look to buy stolen sacred lands (8/22)
Winona LaDuke: Sacred site in Black Hills on the auction block (8/17)
Native Sun News: Rosebud Sioux Tribe leads fight on sacred site (8/16)
Ruth Hopkins: Saving a sacred Black Hills site from auction block (8/15)
Blog: Activists need help to prevent sacred site from being sold (8/15)
Native Sun News: Venerated Lakota site put up on auction block (7/11)