(Washington, D.C., March 19, 2026) – Today the U.S. Forest Service Chief, Tom Schultz and the Great Sioux Nation tribal representatives signed a Memorandum of Understanding for co-stewardship of the Black Elk Wilderness on the Black Hills National Forest in Mystic, South Dakota.
“Establishing this agreement will enhance consultation, collaboration and co-stewardship of the Black Elk Wilderness with the Great Sioux Nation Tribes,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. “This agreement focuses on active management for recreation, habitat improvement, wildlife benefit, invasive species mitigation and wilderness management.”
The agreement enhances opportunities for tribal guidance, knowledge, and consultation regarding wilderness management, resource protection, recreation, and cultural interpretation, at the discretion of the tribe and as applicable and permitted under federal law. It also ensures tribal interests of preservation, site protection, wilderness integrity, and cultural practice and access are heeded.
“These MOUs are important because our Lakota children are our most important resource for the future of our Nation, and we want our kids to have a chance to visit our sacred lands, plant trees and enjoy Mother Earth, where our ancestors once roamed free,” said Boyd Gourneau, chairman of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe.
“Our most sacred lands are the Black Hills, and Black Elk Peak is tied to Black Elk, our Holy Man and it is an honor for us to care for these lands at Black Elk Wilderness,” said Wayne Boyd, treasurer for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. “We welcome the jobs and opportunity for our kids and the chance to teach our culture and history to our neighbors.”
Tribes represented in the agreement include: Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, and Yankton Sioux Tribe.
The Black Elk Wilderness was congressionally designated in 1980 and spans 13,534 acres in the center of the Black Hills National Forest in western South Dakota. This historic partnership serves as a model for future co-stewardship agreements. The U.S. Forest Service and the Great Sioux Nation will continue to work closely together to implement the agreement, with upcoming joint initiatives.
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