{"id":40076,"date":"2026-05-02T16:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T21:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/hunkpati-dakota-oyate-reaffirm-lengkeeks-leadership\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T16:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T21:30:11","slug":"hunkpati-dakota-oyate-reaffirm-lengkeeks-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/hunkpati-dakota-oyate-reaffirm-lengkeeks-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"Hunkpati Dakota Oyate reaffirm Lengkeek\u2019s leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Peter<\/a><\/p>\n

Peter Lengkeek, Wan\u00e1.ca N\u00fa.pa. (Two Arrows), Chairman of Crow Creek Sioux Tribe<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

FORT THOMPSON \u2014 Peter Lengkeek, Wan\u00e1.ca N\u00fa.pa. (Two Arrows) has secured another two-year term as chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, extending a tenure that has reshaped the tribe\u2019s role in regional and national Native governance. Lengkeek was re-elected April 16 with 545 votes to challenger Albert \u201cBuc\u201d Fallis Sr.\u2019s 349, the first tribal election of the 2026 cycle in South Dakota.<\/p>\n

The Crow Creek Reservation in central South Dakota is home to the Hunkpati Dakota Oyate, who descend from Mdewakantonwan families driven from Minnesota after the U.S.\u2013Dakota War of 1862 and forced marched to the Missouri River, where the community remains today.<\/p>\n

Lengkeek, who served in the U.S. Army before returning home to Crow Creek, has led the tribe since 2020. His military background has informed his approach to leadership, emphasizing discipline, preparation and long-range planning. \u201cWe\u2019re developing things for our future generations,\u201d Lengkeek said in an earlier interview, describing his focus on long-term stability rather than short-term politics.<\/p>\n

His leadership role also reflects his Dakota name, Wan\u00e1.ca N\u00fa.pa, a role in the ak\u00edchita warrior societies for the man who took the two arrows and accepted the duty to lead the charge.<\/p>\n

During his first terms, he guided the tribe through the COVID 19 pandemic and a period of strained relations with former Gov. Kristi Noem, whose public comments linking tribal communities to cartel activity drew condemnation from tribal governments across the state. Crow Creek was among the nine tribal nations that barred Noem from their lands during her tenure. \u201cYou have to rebuild the trust, but it\u2019s happening,\u201d Lengkeek said. \u201cWhoever is still standing when the dust clears, I\u2019ll be there to shake their hand and welcome them to Crow Creek.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even as statewide tensions escalated in recent years, Lengkeek pursued selective cooperation with state and federal agencies. Under his leadership, Crow Creek entered the only memorandum of understanding in South Dakota allowing the South Dakota Highway Patrol to assist tribal law enforcement, a unique agreement among the state\u2019s tribal nations. \u201cI\u2019ve always believed the state and the tribes need each other,\u201d he said. \u201cThe closer we can come together, the better off we\u2019re going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also supported the tribe\u2019s participation in federal co stewardship initiatives, including memorandums of understanding with the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service involving the Black Hills and the Black Elk Wilderness.<\/p>\n

Those agreements, signed by the Great Sioux Nation and federal agencies, recognize the cultural and spiritual significance of the region and expand tribal involvement in land management and decision-making.<\/p>\n

Beyond Crow Creek, Lengkeek has become a steady presence in regional and national policy circles. He is an active member of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen\u2019s Association, where he has joined other tribal leaders in advocating for stronger federal support for law enforcement, health care and tribal sovereignty. His work with the National Indian Health Board has focused on improving Indian Health Service delivery and strengthening tribal public health systems, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Lengkeek also participates in the National Congress of American Indians, contributing to policy discussions on economic development, sovereignty and federal trust obligations. \u201cThe further away we get from the federal government, the better off we\u2019re going to be,\u201d he said, echoing a theme he has repeated in national forums.<\/p>\n

Regionally, he has pushed for greater collaboration among tribes on renewable energy, buffalo restoration and cultural revitalization. Lengkeek has said tribes can increase their political and economic leverage by working together, a message that has resonated across the Missouri River and throughout the Great Plains.<\/p>\n

His re-election signals continued support for that approach on Crow Creek, where he has emphasized economic sovereignty, cultural strength and building internal capacity. With another term ahead, Lengkeek enters the next cycle as one of the more visible and experienced tribal leaders in the region, carrying Crow Creek\u2019s voice into state, regional and national forums where tribal policy is shaped.<\/p>\n

(Contact Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa at editor@nativesunnews.today)<\/span><\/p>\n

The post Hunkpati Dakota Oyate reaffirm Lengkeek\u2019s leadership<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Visit Original Source<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span><\/div>

Peter Lengkeek, Wan\u00e1.ca N\u00fa.pa. (Two Arrows), Chairman of Crow Creek Sioux Tribe FORT THOMPSON \u2014 Peter Lengkeek, Wan\u00e1.ca N\u00fa.pa. (Two Arrows) has secured another two-year term as chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, extending a tenure that has reshaped the tribe\u2019s role in regional and national Native governance. Lengkeek <\/p>\n

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Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> May 2, 2026<\/p>\n

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