PINE RIDGE, S.D. – For the first time in the history of the Oglala Sioux
Tribe a woman will lead the nation. The new leader is Cecilia Fire Thunder
– nurse, grandmother, organizer, lobbyist, non-profit director, advocate
for women and their families and facilitator of a nation.
“It’s an honor. It is more the affirmation of the value of Lakota women. In
our culture women were valued and what we’ve seen is a deterioration of the
value of women.
“This is not about electing a Lakota woman it was to value us as women, as
caregivers bringing generations forth, to value our contribution to society
as teachers, mothers, grandmothers, nurses for going to work every day to
provide for a family and to validate hard work,” Fire Thunder said.
Fire Thunder defeated actor and activist Russell Means by 622 votes,
according to the unofficial count. Means pushed hard for youth education
and promised that an emersion school where students started at an early age
would create pride and self esteem and would eventually create jobs and an
economy. He also promised that a bank would be on the reservation within
two years.
Fire Thunder said during her campaign that she was a coordinator and knew
how to get people together. She emphasized the election was not about her,
but about everyone that needed to come together to find solutions to the
large and vast number of problems on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Her message to the Oglala people was that trust had to be returned to the
administration and council and respectability brought back to the tribe on
a national level.
One of the first directives from the new president was to challenge the
tribal program directors and incoming tribal council to bring ideas to the
table that would set a direction for the future of the tribe, “so we can
sit down and have a clear understanding of what needs to be done.”
The first thing she said the morning after the election was that she needed
some sleep. After at least 24 hours of sleep, she would be able to look at
things a little more clearly. However, she was clear on a number of issues.
“The people spoke last night. This is not about winning or losing the key
is values. To win the trust and confidence of people is important to me.
“Any time you step up to the plate for the Lakota you ask the ancestors and
spirits for guidance. The challenges are quite huge,” she said.
She said the Oglala voters gave her and a new council two mandates: One to
create financial accountability. She said there was some $65 to $70 million
in tribal program resources and the tribe needs to come up with a budget
and pay off the debts.
The second mandate from the people, she said, was to stop the council from
micro-managing the programs.
The next steps will be to work for a transition of power. Fire Thunder
replaces John Yellow Bird Steele who was defeated in the primary election.
Steele was one of only two presidents of the Oglala Sioux Tribe that was
re-elected to a consecutive term two years ago. He served four terms as the
tribe’s president.
“We need a clear agenda and an immediate programmatic overview of all
programs.
“We need to sit down with President Steele to determine what is already in
the works, some legislative – we need to pick up on the ongoing items.”
She said all the outgoing people are working on reports.
Fire Thunder will have an inauguration ceremony, which has not yet been
scheduled.