Restoration Magazine

Tillie Black Bear, a Sicangu Lakota woman, dedicated her life to fighting for the safety of Native women and the sovereignty of Indian Nations. Her unwavering commitment stemmed from a deep-rooted Indigenous worldview shaped by her Lakota beliefs and the challenges she faced growing up on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation.

Tillie’s childhood was marked by the strength of Lakota beliefs and the harsh realities of forced assimilation. The St. Francis Mission School, where she was sent as a 5-year-old girl, attempted to erase her language, spiritual practices, and culture. This experience, while painful, ignited a spark of resistance within her, fueling her lifelong activism for social change.

“It wasn’t until 1974, with the Indian Religious Freedom Act, that we were able to practice these ways without having to get permission. These ways are all attached to us as people as we make this human journey. There is a belief among our people that we live in this world not as humans on a spiritual journey but as spirits on a human journey. As Lakota, we believe that you are a spirit until birth. When you are born into this world, that first human touch is when you become a human being, and so when we leave this world, we go back into the spirit world as a spirit again.”—Tillie Black Bear

The Tillie Black Bear Story on Screen

A new documentary, “Tillie Black Bear: A Legacy of Resistance That Lives On,” chronicles her remarkable journey. The film weaves together Tillie’s words, archival footage, and personal photographs to paint a vivid portrait of her life and activism. Traditional Lakota background music by Connie Black Bear Brushbreaker and Lester Kills The Enemy underscore the power of Tillie’s heritage.

The footage provides snapshots of history-making moments Tillie helped to shape. It opens on the steps of the US Supreme Court with a Lakota support song during the NIWRC response to the 2015 Dollar General case that threatened the civil jurisdiction of Indian Nations. It then takes viewers on a journey to a 2004 historic walk from Eagle Butte to Green Grass, South Dakota, to witness a traditional ceremony in collective prayer for the ending of sexual violence against Native women. It opens the door for viewers to listen to the words of Tillie Black Bear to Tribal Coalitions on the intersections of organizing to restore the safety of Native women, identifying the fundamental social changes required, and the foundational role the beliefs of Tribal people provide for the movement. From her home in St. Francis, on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, in 2003, Tillie shared how traditional spirituality can support the healing of survivors of sexual abuse over their lifetimes. The video concludes in 2012 at a historic walk honoring Tillie and raising awareness about sexual assault on the La Jolla Indian Reservation in California.

The documentary examines several pivotal themes, including the profound effects of colonization, Tillie’s spiritual evolution, and her lasting legacy and leadership. It chronicles her early life, explores her thoughts on the foundations of organizing, highlights the significance of traditional healing, and examines her enduring impact and influence.

The 30-minute documentary, directed by Jax Agtuca and produced by NIWRC in collaboration with Tillie’s daughter, Connie Black Bear Brushbreaker, will be released on Oct. 1, a day annually dedicated to Tillie Black Bear, recognizing her 10-year memorial and the launch of the national October Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

As one of the founding mothers of the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC), Tillie Black Bear holds a special place in our hearts. It is an honor for us to preserve this significant documentary of her life story, captured through archival footage from 2003 to 2012. We hope that viewers will gain a deeper understanding of the profound linkages she drew between Lakota beliefs, the lasting effects of colonization, and the inseparable connection between the safety of Native women and the sovereignty of their Tribal Nations, which are essential for safeguarding their lives.

“I met Tillie at a meeting she requested in 1995. We had just opened the new federal office created by the passage of the Violence Against Women Act. Tillie and a group of Native women advocates wanted to discuss the implementation of the Act. After introducing herself, Tillie said, ‘We are Tribal women of sovereign nations, and implementation of the Act must be designed for and by Tribal women.’ Tillie’s words shaped the foundational development of tribal programs and technical assistance from the very start. I am so thankful for Tillie’s guidance over the years.”—Jax Agtuca, former Editor of Restoration Magazine.

Building of a Movement of Resistance “Even in Thought, Women Are To Be Respected”

As a survivor of abuse, Tillie channeled her pain into advocacy. She organized at the Tribal, state, and national levels, uniting communities and advocating for legal and policy changes. 

In January 1978, Tillie advocated at a historic consultation of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission on the conditions and needs of Native women. Over the following decades, Tillie advocated for the passage and reauthorization of landmark legislation, including the Violence Against Women Act, Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, and the Tribal Law and Order Act, which provided funding for life-saving services and affirmed the jurisdiction of Indian Nations to protect their women and citizens. Her organizing supported the recognition and development of Tribally-based services for Native women in their struggle to end abuse.

Tillie’s activism was not confined to meeting rooms and legislative halls. She led powerful walks, ceremonies, and demonstrations, drawing attention to the extreme violence committed against Native women and the need for social change. On Feb. 24, 2004, Tillie led a “Wiping of the Tears Ceremony” at the U.S. Senate Building to launch the organizing to include a Tribal Title in the Violence Against Women Act. This event also launched Restoration Magazine. Her leadership was grounded in Lakota spirituality, incorporating traditional ceremonies and teachings of the White Buffalo Calf Woman.

“One of the first things that happened at Rosebud was that we asked to name our organization after the White Buffalo Calf Woman, a sacred legend that was brought to the people. We had to ask the family who takes care of the sacred pipe brought to the people if we could use the sacred name in our work. I know that at the time of asking, around 1977, we certainly didn’t know the impact that it would have on our work and the whole issue of violence against women. When we talk about the work addressing the violence that women experience in our communities, for me, the work has always been based on the legend because there are two teachings that came out of that story. The first teaching was that even in thought, women are to be respected.” —Tillie Black Bear

The Power of Traditional Healing “We Are Spiritual Beings on a Human Journey”

Tillie Black Bear’s activism was deeply rooted in her Lakota spirituality. She believed that traditional ceremonies and practices could offer healing and strength to survivors of abuse. Traditional ceremonies were a constant thread of her movement building. The teachings of the White Buffalo Calf Woman anchored her leadership.

Tillie understood that healing from abuse required more than just legal protection. She championed Indigenous-based programs that offered opportunities to understand and practice traditional ceremonies. These programs recognized that healing is a lifelong journey and that Indigenous spirituality can play a vital role in recovery. Her fundamental approach was driven by the central question, “How can I be a better relative?”

“There have been many times that we have taken women into the purification lodge, and it lays the foundation for the woman for healing. That’s where I think it is really important for women who certainly believe in traditional spirituality—are reclaimed by that. There are other women there who have gone through a similar type of experience. And there are women there who are willing to support them whether they pursue it legally or not.

Women don’t come in just once; they keep coming back for additional purification lodge ceremonies. I think that spiritual connection then becomes a foundation and framework for how they take care of themselves in other situations. It’s not just about this one time, but it is about other periods of their lives where they might be experiencing childbirth, they might be experiencing their daughter dating for the first time. Instances when they experience something pivotal in their own lives, and so they want that to be spiritually connected and to have that strong spiritual foundation. It’s about believing in Tunkashila or Wakan Tanka, having a belief in something greater. The belief in that makes them stronger.

Bringing women into the purification lodge, we talk about the tools. The tools that women can leave those ceremonies with. And those tools can vary from culture to culture. For us, for Lakota women, the tools I talk about is (sic) giving women the opportunity to use the sage, the cedar, and the sweet grass. The opportunity to use the water in a sacred way.”—Tillie Black Bear

A Legacy of Resistance That Lives On

For nearly four decades, Tillie provided leadership in building organizations dedicated to addressing violence against women and promoting Tribal sovereignty. In 1977, she was a founding member of the White Buffalo Calf Woman Society Shelter, the first Native shelter in the United States that continues to provide direct services to women on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation. In 1978, she founded the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence to offer training, education, and advocate for policy changes. In 2011, Tillie once again provided national leadership in founding the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.

Tillie Black Bear’s work continues to inspire future generations. Her legacy is unwavering strength, resilience, and dedication to Native women and Indian Nations. The grassroots movement she built laid the foundation for ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of Native women and the sovereignty of Indian Nations. Tillie understood such organizations were essential in the long-term struggle to reestablish the safety of Native women and the sovereignty of Indian Nations diminished by the systematic colonization of Indigenous Nations. This oppression is deeply ingrained in the legal framework of the United States.

Tillie Black Bear’s advocacy from 1978 - 2013 was pivotal in reshaping federal policy and legislation to increase women’s safety and Indian Nations’ sovereignty. Her tireless efforts helped bring about historic legal reforms that have a foundational impact on Native women’s lives and the ability of Tribal governments to protect their people. “The work we do is about social change. It’s about making those connections beyond the shelter door. We have to do that social change work. We can’t just give a woman services and then let her go back out. We have to be that conduit to make that world change out there. So that she can go back out there and have a better place.”—Tillie Black Bear

Continuing the Fight for Justice

Tillie Black Bear was a master of grassroots organizing. She understood the power of building coalitions and mobilizing communities to effect change. Her work extended far beyond policy reform and legislative advocacy, encompassing a wide range of activities aimed at raising awareness and restoring the safety of Native women by strengthening the sovereignty of their Tribal Nations.

“Tillie Black Bear: A Legacy of Resistance That Lives On” is a call to action. It invites viewers to join the ongoing fight for the safety of Native women and the sovereignty of Indian Nations. Tillie’s story is a reminder that one person can make a difference and that her legacy lives on in the work of countless activists and advocates.

By sharing Tillie Black Bear’s extraordinary story, we honor her enduring legacy and welcome viewers to continue her struggle for justice and equality.

To view the video, please go to NIWRC's YouTube channel www.youtube.com/niwrc