South Dakota Rep. Kevin Killer (D), second from left, speaks with Oglala Sioux Tribe President John Yellow Bird Steele at the State Capitol. Photo by South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations / Facebook

Oglala Lakota County Rep reflects on legislative session
By Brandon Ecoffey Lakota Country Times Editor
www.lakotacountrytimes.com

PINE RIDGE—The 2016 South Dakota legislative session produced some highs and lows for Lakota Country according to State Representative and Oglala Lakota Citizen Kevin Killer.

Kevin Killer has grown in to an experienced statesman during his multiple term run as the representative of Oglala Lakota County in the South Dakota state legislature.

According to Killer there were a number of bills presented that would have potentially benefited South Dakota’s Native population but that there has been progress made in bringing many important issues to light.

One specific bill that would have eliminated the use of Native American themed mascots in South Dakota failed to pass but according to Killer the discussion on the floor of the legislature was important.

“The mascot bill got the conversation on this issue to the house floor. Although the bill did not pass it was a huge success in getting others to understand the importance of this issue,” said Killer.

At multiple high schools across the state elaborate and essentially racist depictions of both fictional and real Native people are played each year. These ceremonies held at schools like Watertown and Sisseton have been exposed nationally by the Native media and led the South Dakota High School Athletic Association to create its own resolution to address the issue.

“Half of our (Native) population are under the age of 18,” said Killer. “These students rely on the state to make sure that they do not have to sit through some these ceremonies,” said Killer.

During one homecoming ceremony students reenact a fictional narrative about a non-existent tribe while dressed in full red-face. The act includes a fake indigenous language as well as songs that make a mockery of the traditions of tribal-nations. Several of these high schools have refused to end the practices despite the public outcry against them.

Some of successes of this year’s session was the passage of three Native American Student Achievement measures that have already been signed in to law by Governor Daugaard.

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The three measures will create a paraprofessional tuition assistance program to assist in bringing more teachers to reservation schools. The grant requires that recipients of the scholarship be working at a school with at least a 50% population of Native students. Additionally, the Department of Education will award three grants to schools aimed at improving academic outcomes for Native students.

“We want all of our young people to achieve,” said Gov. Daugaard. “I’m hopeful these programs will provide more teachers in Indian Country and find the memes to better achievement and graduation rates among South Dakota’s Native American students.”

Killer also added that he hopes that a special session will occur on Medicaid expansion at some point this year.

(Contact Brandon Ecoffey at editor@lakotacountrytimes.com)

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