In addressing the challenges facing the Lakota people on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the Oglala Sioux Tribe embraces Akicita; a community-based approach to public safety that has been a part of the Lakota people for centuries. For the Lakota people there is hope for the future in remembering the past.
The Akicita are the guardians.
Akicita is a shared responsibility among all community members.
Akicita is community policing.
In partnership with the USDOJ, COPS Office, NCPI developed a seven-minute film, called Mitakuye Oyasin, which depicts the historical context of Akicita and its application to both modern day life on the reservation and the forward-thinking public safety vision.
The intention of the film is to evoke a sense of pride and public responsibility in both the community and the tribal law enforcement personnel. In addition, the film explores the intersection with community policing.
The film was utilized in community gatherings and posted on the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety (OSTDPS) website where it was viewed thousands of times in the months following its release.
Target Audience
Mitakuye Oyasin has the potential to be used in a multitude of ways by tribal communities—including as a recruitment tool, in community mobilization, and in youth programs— to instill a sense of community policing, responsibility, and pride.