Cecelia Fire Thunder and the supremes
Read it all here. And for some more background on the whole issue, I'd recommend you read this column by Jodi Rave also in Saturday's RCJ:Battling for her day in tribal court, former Oglala Sioux Tribe president Cecelia Fire Thunder will take her case to the OST Supreme Court, she said Friday.
On the day that Fire Thunder, 59, had been scheduled to appear in tribal court to challenge her removal as president, she announced that her lawyers will file suit next week in the tribe’s Supreme Court.
“This is about constitutional violations, procedural violations and strengthening our tribal courts,” said Fire Thunder, who believes that she is being denied due process in the lower court.
When tribal judge Lisa Adams recused herself from Fire Thunder’s case on July 17, proceedings were delayed to allow the OST Council to appoint a new judge. A new judge and court date has yet to be assigned, and Fire Thunder believes the delay has been too long.
“We’re aware that this is a stall tactic,” Fire Thunder said.
Valeria Apple, OST court administrator, said that a judge and hearing date had not been assigned as of Friday, but it might happen soon.
But Fire Thunder was apparently out of sync with many Lakota.Read all of it here.
When her proposal made national headlines, the OST president hit a brick wall at home. Many Lakota believe a child's spirit chooses its parents. Babies are considered "wakan yeja," or holy children.
Criticism came hard and fast.
Fire Thunder started to backtrack. She then said she had a right to free speech as a private citizen. But the argument appeared weak since people had been asked to send donations for a Planned Parenthood clinic to: Oglala Sioux Tribe, ATTN: President Fire Thunder.
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