Standing Elk Collective exists because there is a noticeable lack of visibility for professional native actors here in South Dakota, and particularly in the Black Hills. Our long-term goal is to create professional pathways for Lakota storytellers, bridging the distance between urban and reservation talent and regional stages. Through language revitalization, employment, and the art of survivance, we amplify the voices that have always been here so that we can build the stories that impact us here.