Veteran entertainer Bette Midler has thanked fans for helping Native American tribes reach their fundraising goal to buy sacred lands in South Dakota.

The singer/actress and rap mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs were among the big names who voiced their support for the tribes of the Great Sioux Nation last month (Nov12) as they campaigned online to raise the final $1 million (£625,000) needed to hit their $9 million (£5.63 million) target for the purchase of almost 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of land in the Black Hills.

The Indiegogo.com bid was a success, allowing elders to buy the area - known to the tribes as Pe' Sla (Old Baldy) - from property owners Leonard and Margaret Reynolds, and now Midler is celebrating the good news with followers on Twitter.com.

In a post on Tuesday (04Dec12), she writes, "Once again, the Great Sioux Nation has successfully raised the needed funds to save their Sacred Lands. God bless everyone who helped..."