Chance Weston is a seventh generation Land steward in the homelands of the Oglala Lakota. He is personally, and professionally, discovering innovative ways to reclaim our relationship with the land for the next seven generations.He started doing this work because he always felt a connection to restoring the environment that raised him. His many years of regenerative agriculture experience in regenerative farming and ranching with local producers has created new models to be utilized within current federal systems for farm and range leases while showcasing the origination of regenerative principles within Lakota/Indigenous frameworks and communities. He is the Lakota Land Systems Director at Thunder Valley CDC.
Pineridge Reservation, SD
Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation is at the forefront of climate justice and Indigenous empowerment, offering a holistic model of community-driven solutions. Rooted in the liberation and healing of the Lakota people, their work spans five interconnected initiatives, all guided by Lakota worldview, lifeways and values. From building sustainable, eco-friendly homes powered by solar and geothermal energy to ensuring food sovereignty through the restoration of a 40,000-acre buffalo range, Thunder Valley is creating resilient systems that heal people, the land, and the relationality and mutuality amongst all living beings. Indigenous communities like theirs protect over 80% of the planet’s remaining biodiversity. By bringing buffalo back, they are restoring the balance between the people and the land, showcasing a path forward for sustainable, climate-adaptable futures. This is a powerful example of how Indigenous leadership and whole-community approaches can drive climate justice and lasting change for generations to come.
Learn More https://thundervalley.org