RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Lakota Nations Educational Conference has announced the expansion of the “Lakota Voices of the Land” Book Festival, scheduled for Dec. 18 and Dec. 19, 2026, at the Ramkota Conference Center in Rapid City.

Building on last year’s inaugural gathering, the event is held in the Washington Room of the conference center. The Indigenous-led festival stands as the only authors event of its kind in the greater Northwestern United States and is free to the public.

Centering on Lakota storytelling, cultural preservation, and relationships to the land, the 2026 event will feature special presentations from Olympic Gold Medalist and author Billy Mills, alongside cultural advocate and television actor Moe Brings Plenty.

The confirmed roster of authors includes Dr. Don Montileaux, Tracy Hauf, Robert Bordeaux, Donovan Sprague, Mary Tobacco, Lisa Hare, and Rebecca Clarren, with additional regional writers anticipated to join. Festival programming includes author presentations, readings, book signings, and writer outreach led by the South Dakota State Poetry Society and the Oceti Sakowin Writers Society.

Organizers are welcoming participation from poets, photographers, and non-Indigenous authors whose work touches on Native cultures, including topics such as cookbooks, quilting, music, histories, treaties, dance, and the pre-history of the Americas.

Authors wishing to present their work at the festival can register online at https://www.lakotanationsconference.com/authors-form.html

. Additional schedule details for Rapid City attendees are available at lakotanationsbookfestival.org and through local cultural event listings.

The Lakota Nations Education Conference works to support regional educational initiatives and cultural programming designed to strengthen language, history, and community across South Dakota. Further conference information is available at http://www.lakotanationsconference.com

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