Ota Au Films

05/19/2026

We are the land. The land is us. Mitákuye Oyásʼiŋ.⚡️
(Video narrated by Unči Vivian High Elk🦋)

05/02/2026

⚡️PEŠLA IS NOT FORGOTTEN: THE LAKOTA ARE RISING⚡️

A collective action to protect sacred land, led by Lakota youth, is unfolding right now in the heart of the Black Hills.

Our youth didn’t wait for the IRA tribal government to act—they took the lead. They are currently locked to drilling equipment at Pešla, their arms taped to the steel, successfully halting all drilling operations. A statement from the Oglala Lakota Nation Youth Council proclaimed, “As youth we have nothing to lose and everything to win. We will put our bodies on the line. This is the Lakota way of life. We do this so our people can live. This is not a protest, it is the protection of our spiritual center.”

The Background:
On February 27, 2026, the U.S. Forest Service gave Pete Lien & Sons the green light to drill for graphite at Pešla. This isn't just "land" to be used in the name of profit and greed—it is a sacred site within Ȟe Sápa, used for ceremony for thousands of years. It has the right to exist and is tended to by its original caretakers who understand the grave and irreversible consequences of the proposed drilling.

Despite a two-mile buffer zone promised to the tribes, at least ten drill pads are tearing into the earth right now. No environmental review. No respect for the land. Total disregard for public opposition.

The Law:
While nine tribes have filed a joint lawsuit, frontline organizers aren't waiting for the slow wheels of the court. Law enforcement is out in force, trying to frame these land defenders as "illegal."
But let’s be clear: The drill is what’s illegal.

The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 is the supreme law of the land under the U.S. Constitution. The Forest Service violated that law the second they signed that permit.
The people are standing at Pešla right now to defend what is the heartbeat of our people and integral to the entire Earth’s ecosystem.

Follow the land defenders and reporters on the ground for real-time updates.

Pešla is sacred. The treaties are law. The Lakota are not asking anymore. ✊🏽⛰️

04/23/2026

04/21/2026

‼️JUST IN: Lakota elder Joe Lafferty will not face prison time.

Joe has faced political targeting since April 2025 — when tribal council representatives physically confronted him and executive leadership did nothing. Charges came after he spoke publicly about corruption, land misuse, and the suppression of civil rights.

His family confirmed the news in a brief post: no prison time.

Continued prayers for the family. 🦬