Historian

Oglala Sioux Tribal Council Suspends Fire Thunder
The Associated Press - 26 Oct 2005

KYLE, SD (AP) — The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council suspended President Cecelia Fire Thunder on Tuesday while a hearing is scheduled to look into complaints against her.

The council voted to accept two complaints against Fire Thunder, and, according to a tribal ordinance, that results in her immediate suspension, Lydia Bear Killer, a council representative from Pass Creek, said.

A hearing will be set within 20 days. A judge will hear all sides of the case and decide whether to dismiss or accept the complaints.

Fire Thunder said the suspension is part of the process and that she is confident that there are no grounds to impeach her.

“I’m ready, and I just want people to send me their prayers, that’s all,” she told KELO-TV of Sioux Falls.

William Birdnecklace Tate, who served as the tribe’s utilities manager from 2001-2003, filed a complaint in August that said Fire Thunder was not legally enrolled in the tribe when she ran for president last fall.

He also criticized her negotiation of a $38 million loan with Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota. He said it should have been submitted to a public vote.

Juanita Scherich, a council representative from the Medicine Root district, filed the other complaint, saying Fire Thunder started a project without the council’s approval.

Bear Killer said tribal government will continue as normal during the process.

Earlier this year, another compliant against Fire Thunder was dismissed. The tribe’s former Head Start director, Alberta Iron Cloud Miller, had accused Fire Thunder of negligence and misconduct and said she didn’t work hard enough to keep the Head Start program open.

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"Be good, be kind, help each other. Respect the ground, respect the drum, respect each other."
--Abe Conklin, Ponca/Osage (1926-1995)

Mato Winyan

This is good news! Thanks for posting it. I hope she gets out and someone with a heart for the people finally gets in!

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"We see it as a desecration not only of a mountain but of our way of life. This is a genocidal issue to us. If they kill this mountain, they kill our way of life." ~Debra White Plume