“With social ills and new age addictions plaguing Indigenous homelands and communities, and incarceration numbers reaching alarming rates; Iron House Nation was created to shed light and to bring a voice to the table of humanity.”

Robert A. Horse

Founder , Maza Tipi Oyate

Our goal

The direction of Maza Tipi Oyate is to create prevention initiatives for youth: our children are sacred. We have forgotten the teachings of our ancestors and this is not only the teachings of Native American ancestors but of all people.

Together we want to motivate the youth, use our experiences to prevent them from being incarcerated and connect them with the positive influence of community leaders, educators, musicians, artists, lawyers and speakers to empower the future generations.

View Our Plan of Action

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We need your help

To further this journey I am seeking people of true compassion and interest to help me advance my efforts.

I need people to be a part of this voice, to educate the public, use social media to start a discussion, develop an organizing strategy, fund raise for outreach projects, and pressure politicians and decision makers to create change.

Regardless of who you are, or where you come from, you can make a huge difference for the Indigenous Peoples that have been forgotten.

Get in touch with us if you’re willing to help change the present into a better future.

Mission Statement

With incarceration numbers reaching alarming rates, we know the Iron House will be the end result of many of our Indigenous youth. Those of us at Maza Tipi Oyate, hope by walking in the footsteps of our ancestors and reaching out to the world for help and unifying with the spirit of compassion, we can begin to mend our sacred hoop of life. The futures of Indigenous peoples and youth should not be as prisoners, and our homes should not be Prison Cells!

Total Native American Population in South Dakota 7%
Native Americans Incarcerated in South Dakota 21%

Write to us

Robert A. Horse #13466
Mike Durfee State Prison
1412 Wood Street
Springfield, SD 57062-2238

Work Together

Recent Updates

Greetings world! Somedays are better than the last but one thing is for certain, we are still here on mother earth. This means we have to stand up and smile.07.09.2018 at 01:52 pmLike

As indigenous men, we are needing male role models when we are youth. In the indigenous thought process after the age of 8 years old, we leave the affection and love of our mothers and grand mother's and join our father's and the men in learning the skills of manhood. For friendly advice to all, we need your strength to raise awareness about this important journey. Maybe, we could starting solving our struggles.17.08.2018 at 10:56 pmLike

Each day should be considered a good day and blessings. There is knowledge in every step you take, and with so much struggle in life, we could always stand back up. Nomatter the storm. We cry then we could smile. Sending you positive vibes for your day10.08.2018 at 01:53 pmLike

35 years and counting

By Richie Richards Native Sun News Staff Writer SIOUX FALLS –– The law does not forgive a person who is in a blackout during the commitment of a crime in South Dakota, especially when the victim is viciously beaten to death. In 1983, George Blue Bird, an enrolled...

South Dakota State Penitentiary Denies Native American Powwow Ceremonies

The South Dakota State Penitentiary is denying Native American inmates religious accommodations for their quarterly pow wow ceremonies. That after a U.S. District Court ruled that the state Department of Corrections had violated those inmates’ religious freedoms by banning their use of tobacco in prayer.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor, With the much needed attention in the media on how the State of South Dakota violates the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), I would to remind readers how vital this struggle is to our tribes and future generations. Recently, a summit took place in Rapid...