Sovereign Solutions for a Changing Climate with the Sicangu Lakota Oyate

Lark worked with the Sicangu Lakota Oyate (Rosebud Sioux Tribe), the Tribal Data Sovereignty Initiative, the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC), and South Dakota State University to develop the Climate Adaptation Plan for the Sicangu Lakota Oyate. The plan is a comprehensive, culturally grounded strategy designed to prepare the Sicangu Lakota Oyate for the impacts from climate change. A large part of the plan development was community engagement, which Lark led. Lark developed and implemented a communication plan that established a strong foundation for engaging the Sicangu community—gathering input on key concerns and impacts, while ensuring community members had access to clear, high-quality information about how climate change could affect their lives and livelihoods. The Plan emphasizes long-term intergenerational responsibility, environmental justice, and tribal sovereignty. It integrates science with Lakota wisdom to build a resilient, self-determined future for the Sicangu Lakota Oyate.

Charting the path forward would not have been possible without listening to the Sicangu Lakota Oyate—their experiences, concerns, and visions for the future. Equity was a guiding principle throughout the planning process. To ensure all community members could participate, Lark and the team designed a comprehensive education and communication strategy that addressed barriers such as limited internet access, transportation, housing stability, language, and literacy. Community engagement was prioritized through meetings held in each community, a reservation-wide survey, and interviews with elders and tribal department leaders. These efforts created space for a wide range of voices to be heard and respected. Traditional knowledge was interwoven with climate science, ensuring the plan reflected the full spectrum of community priorities. This inclusive, community-driven approach helped shape an adaptation plan grounded in the realities, values, and strengths of the Sicangu Oyate.

Building upon the completion and approval of the Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the Sicangu Lakota Oyate, the Sicangu Lakota Oyate were awarded a tribal resiliency grant to assist with implementing many of the Plan’s actions.

Additional Highlights