"Far from Manhattan, in a corner of South Dakota, Cecelia Fire Thunder is the first woman elected president of the 40,000-member Oglala Sioux tribe.
Regardless of whether state voters overturn a legislative ban on abortions, she says she will open a clinic to teach young women, on and off the rez, about choices.
"We have failed to provide options to these women," she says, many impregnated too young by older men under the influence of drugs or alcohol. "We have been negligent in training them about contraception, because the best solution to abortion is to not get pregnant.
"I made my first choice for my body when I was 22 and decided I wanted no more children," she tells me. She had two sons and an unhappy marriage but was too busy and poor to end it.
"I used an IUD, a Lippes loop," says Fire Thunder, a former nurse, "and it worked. I've been making decisions for my body ever since."
Finally, I ask about her name, which one woman on the Web vowed to give to her firstborn daughter. She laughs with gusto and admits, "Fire Thunder was my ex-husband's name. I liked it, so I kept it."
Another smart, powerful choice."
Get the Story:
SUSAN AGER: Strong women, in the city and on the plains
(The Detroit Free Press 4/6)
Relevant Links:
Oglala Sioux Tribe - http://www.lakotamall.com/oglalasiouxtribe
Related Stories:
Fire Thunder plans women's clinic on reservation
(3/31)
Opinion: Oglala Sioux
to massacre their children (3/29)
Fire
Thunder vows fight for women's health rights (3/28)
Fire Thunder joins fight against state abortion law
(3/27)
Fire Thunder creates stir with
abortion law comments (3/24)
Giago:
Oglala Sioux president on state abortion law (03/21)
Fire Thunder reinstated as Oglala Sioux
president (01/09)
Fire Thunder removal
hearing delayed a second time (12/20)
Opinion: The life story of Cecilia Fire Thunder
(12/19)
Fire Thunder removal hearing
delayed a week (12/13)
Oglala Sioux
president confident of future (10/31)
Pine Ridge president suspended by council
(10/26)
Fire Thunder: 'At times I feel
like George Bush' (10/21)
Pine Ridge
president disputes latest complaint (10/18)
Pine Ridge president faces another complaint
(10/17)
Oglala Lakota College assumes
control of Head Start (09/20)
Cecelia
Fire Thunder survives suspension complaint (07/01)
Oglala Sioux Tribe secures $38M loan from tribe
(06/20)
Hearing into Fire Thunder suspension
delayed (6/14)
Fire Thunder defends
record in advance of hearing (6/10)
Hearing set on suspension of Oglala Sioux president
(6/8)
Oglala Sioux Tribe president has
not been suspended (6/3)
Means loses
lawsuit against Oglala Sioux election (03/09)
Oglala Sioux Tribe inaugurates Cecilia Fire
Thunder (12/13)
Russell Means sues after
losing Pine Ridge election (12/03)
Pressure is on Fire Thunder as Pine Ridge
president (11/15)
Fire Thunder credits
women for Pine Ridge victory (11/08)
Fire Thunder calls election at Pine Ridge symbolic
(11/4)
Cecilia Fire Thunder declared
winner at Pine Ridge (11/3)
Harjo: Pine
Ridge election about character (10/29)
Russell Means arrested for missing court date
(10/25)
Pine Ridge Election: Profile of
Russell Means (10/22)
Pine Ridge
Election: Profile of Cecilia Fire Thunder (10/21)
Russell Means, Fire Thunder to debate in Pine Ridge
(10/18)
AIM leader, nurse face off in
Pine Ridge election (10/8)
Russell Means
top vote-getter in Pine Ridge primary (10/7)
Means says South Dakota GOP needs to do more
(8/9)
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