History

COUP Council began as One Rapid City in 2018 with the goals of fighting discrimination and empowering marginalized communities in the He Sapa region. Early activities included Community Talking Circles, and the issues that arose during these discussions informed our program development.  As our work expanded, our Board found that the best means of fulfilling these goals was to shift to a Native, women-led and focused model of intervention that allows us to maximize our impact. 

Mission

In the Fall of 2022, we changed our name to Community Organizing for Unified Power (COUP) Council and mission statement:

To retain Lakota culture and build our collective power to bring justice and healing in the heart of Oceti Sakowin territory.

COUP Council focuses on empowering our Native relatives in the Mni Luzahan (Rapid City, SD) and He Sapa (Black Hills) region to fight back against systemic racism, discrimination, and other forms of oppression. Mni Luzahan, and the state of South Dakota at large, has a long history of racial discrimination and violent policing against Native community members. Our strategy is direct intervention through supportive programming in areas our community has shown need, as well as targeted nonviolent actions to fight discrimination, racism, and other prejudice.