KILI Radio History
KILI Radio is a 100,000-watt noncommercial, public, community radio station located at Porcupine Butte on Pine Ridge Reservation and broadcasting across 12,000 square miles that includes the Pine Ridge Reservation, the panhandle of Nebraska, the southern Black Hills, and in Rapid City, the second largest city in South Dakota. The listening area for KILI Radio includes over 150,000 people.
In 1980, a group of Dakota AIM members met with community members to discuss future projects. From the discussion arose the conclusion that the most important need of the reservation community was communications. Initially the discussions centered around the need for both radio and television stations, the focus settled on a public, community radio station. By early 1982, a group formed an initial board to look for resources to fund a building and equipment. This initial working group initiated the legal processes to secure a radio broadcast license. Originally the Oglala Sioux Tribal Housing Authority was going to donate a house near Porcupine Butte, but when that commitment fell through, the group came together in the spring of 1982 to build a 40X60 concrete block building on the highest place on the reservation, the slopes below Porcupine Butte. The station went on the air February 25, 1983, the building has been the station’s home for the past 40 years.
Originally, KILI Radio’s broadcast area included the Pine Ridge Reservation, the panhandle of Nebraska and the southern Black Hills. The station has since expanded to include Rapid City South Dakota (the second largest city in South Dakota), and in 2016, the KILI began live streaming the radio broadcast over the internet to listeners across the US and abroad.
Mission Statement
"Empowering voices, connecting communities, and fostering cultural enrichment, KILI Radio is dedicated to serving the Lakota people and beyond with authentic, diverse, and informative programming. Through our commitment to integrity, inclusivity, and amplifying indigenous perspectives, we strive to inspire positive change, preserve heritage, and cultivate unity, making a meaningful impact on airwaves and in the hearts of our listeners."
First Air Date
KILI Radio went on the air February 25, 1983.
Qualifications/Certifications
As per FCC regulations, a station must control its broadcast site and conduct a needs survey to determine its feasibility. The Oglala Sioux Tribe agreed to grant the station a 99-year lease on their selected property. In turn, the station was given the right to build a broadcast facility on the property. However, for this arrangement to be approved, it had to meet the FCC's criteria and receive no opposition from the community.
The chosen location for the station and broadcast tower was Porcupine Butte. According to an engineering study, this site had been identified as one of the best places on the reservation for a transmitter.
In times of natural disasters like the tornado that hit Oglala, floods that impacted the reservation or winter snowstorms and blizzards that shut down parts of the reservation, KILI Radio was there to get the most current information out to the community.
When KILI Radio first went on the air on February 25, 1983, the first DJ, Calvin Two Lance, spoke both English and Lakota. Despite years of dealing with many attempts from the government, schools and churches to wipe out the Lakota language and culture, KILI Radio’s first broadcast was in both Lakota and English in 1983.
At the heart, KILI Radio is a community radio station, working each day to get information, news and a celebration of Lakota culture out over the airwaves. KILI Radio broadcasts live, every tribal council meeting throughout the year, broadcasts live cultural celebrations like Oglala Nation in Pine Ridge and He Sapa Wacipi in Rapid City annually and has broadcast Pow wows from Denver, Albuquerque, Shakopee in Minnesota and in Massachusetts.
Since the mid 80’s, the station has broadcast local boys football, girls volleyball and boys and girls basketball games live along with junior and pee wee baseball and basketball games. The station made a commitment early on the cover tribal elections, getting as many candidates on the air as possible and broadcasting election results as they came in on election night.
As the station entered a new century, a commitment was made to work towards renewable energy sources to power the station, a partnership with Honor the Earth out of Minnesota helped with the station’s first venture, a refurbished 65KW wind turbine. That initial project proved problematic at best but since that first venture, the station added a 2KW solar array, a 3KW solar array, a 10KW wind turbine and most recently a 20KW solar array.
At the present time, the station has three full time employees and 11 part time workers. The station broadcasts live from 6:00am to 2:00am each day with music playlists airing 2-6am daily. In addition to airing an eclectic array of music including traditional Lakota, other tribes, rock, country, blues and jazz, the station’s programming includes a variety of regular shows from tribal programs, nonprofits and local schools.