Cecilia Fire Thunder usually visits Washington, D.C., to lobby federal officials and members of Congress on tribal issues. A talk with Republican Sen. John Thune or a meeting at the Bureau of Indian Affairs are often on her agenda.

But on Monday, she found herself in a different setting. No longer the president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, Fire Thunder received a hearty welcome at the American Civil Liberties Union's annual membership meeting in the nation's capital.

"It really is exciting being here," she said. "Never in my life, did I think I would be in such company."

The reason behind Fire Thunder's appearance is no secret. She became hated or loved -- depending on one's leanings -- for speaking out against South Dakota's highly restrict ban on abortion, a move that led to her ouster as the tribe's first female leader.

"What my tribal council didn't recognize when they removed me as their leader was that they made me more famous," Fire Thunder said.

Women's rights organizations urged people to send donations to help Fire Thunder create a women's clinic on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Conservative commentators accused her of committing genocide against her own people.

"I stood for the women on my reservation," Fire Thunder, a nurse by training, said in her defense. "Not only for the women on my reservation but for women of America," she added to applause.

Fire Thunder, who is turning 60 in a few days, was elected in November 2004. Within a few months, she was suspended on charges of financial mismanagement and other improprieties.

She survived the complaint, only to face an even bigger fight when she criticized the state abortion law earlier this year. The tribal council suspended her and effectively impeached her for allegedly abusing her position.

Fire Thunder makes no apologies for using her prominence to further her beliefs. "As a private citizen, as one Indian woman in South Dakota, my voice would not be heard," she said.

"But as the leader of a great nation, my voice was heard," she said. She criticized the state law for denying abortions to women or girls who are the victims of rape, incest and domestic violence.

Despite being kicked out of power, Fire Thunder ran for re-election. The results from the tribe's recent primary aren't official, due to a recount of some of the votes, so it's not known whether she will make it to the general election.

Even if she doesn't regain her seat, Fire Thunder is pushing to revise the tribe's constitution, which was adopted under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. She wants to ensure that "never again, a person will penalized in my tribe for believing in what they believe in and saying what they believe in."

Fire Thunder is also working to fulfill her dream of the women's clinic. To be called the Safer Choices Wellness Clinic, the facility will provide reproductive health information on the reservation.

"We want a place where women can come -- all ages," she said. "We want to provide information for choices, and better choices. We want to be able to provide a place where women can come free of criticism" to receive contraception," she said.

Fire Thunder spoke during a panel called "Abuse of Power -- Government Intrusion Into Private Matters." Video and audio webcasts of her remarks can be found at the ACLU web site.

Relevant Links:
Oglala Sioux Tribe - http://www.lakotamall.com/oglalasiouxtribe
American Civil Liberties Union, membership conference - http://action.aclu.org/conference