A November 2004 edition of Indian Country Today said, “There are too many places, in and out of Indian country, where the lot of women has fallen tragically to the brawn and will of men and the ravishes of an alcohol-infested existence. Such has happened in too many communities on too many reservations and in Pine Ridge, S.D., it has become as well a pitiful and traumatic fact of life…. A practical nurse, Fire Thunder established an organization, Sacred Circle, to address domestic violence. Her career stands as testimony of the effort to help rebuild the self-esteem of women in her community and nationally. She is just the kind of courageous and outgoing woman leader that a people wanting to re-strengthen their nation from the ground up, family by family and tiospaye by tiospaye, could appeal to for understanding and assistance. Thus we hail the decisive election victory of Cecilia Fire Thunder as the new president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.”

Sounds good. But those who hoped her election would serve as a bellwether for the power and rights of Indian women were perhaps naïve. Her strength and determination was and is profound yet she lives in the real world of a white male dominated state of South Dakota. Her supporters and those believers sharing her dream of an enlightened world for Indian women, found those hopes sorely threatened in March of this year when S.D. Governor Mike Rounds “made history” by signing House Bill 1215 into law. The measure was designed to be a direct challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v Wade and to ban most all abortions in the state. This law targets doctors in South Dakota making it a felony to perform an abortion. Doctors could face up to five years in prison. The only exception is for women who need abortions to save their lives. Not in cases of rape or incest. State Senator Bill Napoli of Rapid City, SD, suggested that if it was a case of “simple rape,” there should be no thoughts of ending a pregnancy. (The Indianz.com website told of hundreds of letters appearing in local newspapers, mostly written by women, challenging Napoli’s description of rape as “simple” and said he has yet to explain satisfactorily what he meant by “simple rape.”) This comes at a time when sexual assault against Indian women is more than double that among blacks and three times that of whites in the general population.

An incensed President Cecilia Fire Thunder stood up and declared, “I will personally establish a Planned Parenthood clinic on my own land which is within the boundaries of the Pine Ridge Reservation where the State of South Dakota has absolutely no jurisdiction.” Her hope was to provide a wide range of family planning and health services including counseling for victims of domestic violence, abortions and contraceptives. Again from Indianz, “Strong words from a very strong lady. I hope Ms. Fire Thunder challenges Gov. Rounds and the state legislators on this law that is an affront to all independent women."

Thus began the end of her political career as she knew it. She fought the law and the law won…for now. On May 31 of this year she was suspended from her duties as President by the Oglala Sioux tribal Council and the Council immediately issued a ban on all (no exceptions at all) abortions on tribal land. This recalls the state of this issue in El Salvador these days when a woman suffering the pain of an etopic pregnancy cannot be helped until her fallopian tubes burst. Not until then may her physician help her. Cecelia Fire Thunder was impeached two months ago on June 29, 2006 for her efforts to protect and empower women to determine their own healthcare rights.

Last evening at the Roadwomen dinner, I had the privilege of hearing Cecelia Fire Thunder speak of her experiences and of talking with her afterward. She was tearful, emotional as one is who has weathered the hate of thrown stones for so long and suddenly finds herself in a room in a far away city surrounded by men and women who respect and support her.

Back home today, Cecelia Fire Thunder will continue spreading petitions to get her name back on the ballot for the next election. She hopes for the future of the women and children of the Oglala Sioux Oyate. I want to know so many more women like her…