Director
Anita Afraid of Bear (Wakinyala Wiŋ) is a proud wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was born on Pine Ridge Reservation, and she is a first language Lakota speaker. She learned her traditions, language and cultural practices from her mother, Beatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance, and her paternal grandmother, Annie Kills Crow. She is a knowledge keeper specifically in the fields of food science and the protocols surrounding sacred food cultivation, as well as the protection of women and family structures. Her prayer and life’s work are dedicated to the health and balance of Unči Maka and the sustainability of the Lakota Oyate, culture and traditions.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Director
Barbara Dull Knife (Mapiya Ki Yake Wiŋ) is a mother, grandmother and great grandmother to many. She was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and is an elder knowledge keeper dedicated to the preservation of Lakota lifeways, traditions and language. She focuses on the protection of children and the traditional knowledge surrounding their care, as well as cultural and kinship knowledge surrounding healthy family structures. She is the Founder and Manager of Wakanyeja Gluwitayan Otipi (Gathering our Children Home), the only Emergency Safe House for children ages 0-12 years on Pine Ridge Reservation. She dedicates her prayer and life’s work to the next seven generations of Lakota Peoples and all life.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Secretary and Treasurer
Dr. Antonia Loretta Afraid-of-Bear-Cook (Anpetu Luta Wiŋ) is the faith-keeper and holder of the Afraid of Bear/American Horse Sundance pipe. Trained by both her maternal and paternal grandparents, Anpetu Luta Wiŋ is a first language Lakota speaker, ceremonial practitioner and knowledge keeper. She and her husband Tom also support food sovereignty, and they have helped to put in hundreds of gardens across Pine Ridge Reservation and the Mohawk Reserve in Akwesasne. Loretta's late mother (Beatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance) and her aunt (Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance) both held seats on the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. Serving as her mother’s translator and helper, Loretta accompanied her around the world for many years to share her People's traditions. She is committed to creating elder-to-youth traditional knowledge transfer opportunities, and continues to teach and share her culture with people around the globe. She is a committed wife, mother, sister and grandmother. She dedicates her prayer and life’s work to her ancestors and decedents for the next seven generations.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Yvette Running Horse Collin
Executive Director & Principal Science Officer
Dr. Yvette Running Horse Collin (Tašunke Iyanke Wiŋ) strives for Wo Wa Čanlkiye in her life (to honor her elders, honor the youth, and honor the People.) She is dedicated to following in the footsteps of her ancestors and protecting the balance of all life. She considers herself a life-long learner, and is grateful for the instruction and training she has received from her elder leaders, scientists, medicine people and Šungwakaŋ (the Horse Nation). Dr. Running Horse Collin received her BA from The Johns Hopkins University, her MA from New York University, her PhD from University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Marie Skłodoska Curie (MSCA) post-doctoral fellowship through the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Paul Sabatier University at the Centre for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse (CAGT). She follows the scientific systems and ceremonial ways set forth by Ptesáŋwiŋ. Tašunke Iyanke Wiŋ is a dedicated daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt and grandmother, and she strives to be a good relative to all her relations.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Mario Gonzales
Director
Mario Gonzalez, Esq. (Nantan Hinapan) has dedicated his life’s work to defending the rights of Lakota and other Native Peoples. He has been a lawyer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe for more than 50 years, and he has handled numerous landmark cases such as the following: Oglala Sioux Tribe v. United States (1981), which stopped the distribution of federal government payments for the sacred Black Hills; and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe v. United States (1986), which reversed a $39.7 million US Claims Court judgement award for 34 million acres of non-treaty lands east of the Missouri River. He drafted two major Congressional Acts, as well as a number of major Congressional Bills. He also represented the Pine Ridge Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Wounded Knee Survivors Association in the first successful international repatriation of a Sioux cultural item. Mario is admitted to practice in numerous courts of law, including the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Federal Claims, and he has received numerous honors and awards for his work. First and foremost, Nantan Hinapan strives to continue to uphold the requests of his elders and community by standing for the Oyate, Lakota history and culture. He is a dedicated father and grandfather.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Wendell Yellow Bull
Vice-President
Wendell Yellow Bull (Mažasu) was born and raised on Pine Ridge Reservation. He has dedicated his life to protecting the Oyate and working together with Šungwakaŋ (the Horse nation) and youth. He is a knowledge keeper specifically with regard to Šungwakaŋ and our leadership and warrior societies. He has served in political positions both tribally and county-wide, and he formally served as the Executive Director of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Department of Public Safety and Chief of Police. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corp and a dedicated father. His prayer is dedicated to the safety and protection of the Oyate and Lakota lifeways for the next seven generations.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Bill Means
Director
Bill Means is from the Wicahpi Koyaka tiospaye. He has dedicated his life to supporting the Lakota Oyate, unifying the Očeti Sakowin, and protecting sacred sites. In 1974 he founded the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), an organization of Indigenous peoples from North, Central South America, the Caribbean and the Pacific that stands for Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination, treaties and the protection of the environment. Through IITC, Bill has worked with international bodies such as the Commission on Human Rights, UNESCO, the Commission on Sustainable Development and other United Nations fora. He has extensive experience negotiating at the tribal, city, state, federal and international level. He has lectured inter-tribally, nationally and internationally on the issues of human rights, history and culture of Indigenous peoples. Bill is a dedicated husband, father and grandfather.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Milo Yellow Hair
President
When asked to speak about himself, Robert Milo Yellow Hair (Tanka Omniya) responds that he is Ikče Wičasa, a common man. Born on Pine Ridge Reservation, his family is from the Wounded Knee area. As he explains, he is indebted to his family’s sacrifices, the prayers and teachings of medicine people and other elder leaders, and the Sundance celebration of creation. Tanka Omniya has spent his life fighting for the rights of Unči Maka, the human rights of Indigenous Peoples and the protection of He’Sapa, the sacred Black Hills. He began advocating for the Lakota and other Indigenous Peoples around the world in the 1970s, and has been instrumental in the creation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA ), and the fight against uranium mining and extraction. His prayer and life’s work is dedicated to the protection of ceremony, sacred sites, his ancestors and the Lakota Oyate for the next seven generations.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Harold Left Heron
Director
Harold Left Heron (Akil Nujipi) humbly holds, protects and carries the traditions, leadership and ceremonial responsibilities appropriate of his lineage and commitment to the Oyate. He offers great thanks to the elders, relatives and medicine people who generously gave of their time and spiritual connection to serve as his mentors and teachers. Akil Nujipi learned his language, culture and traditions within his community. He has held various traditional and tribal IRA government leadership and management roles throughout his life for the purpose of protecting the Lakota Oyate, tiospaye governance structure and Lakota lifeways. These include tribal police chief, multiple terms as OST president and Council Member. He is a knowledge keeper within many realms, and holds specific knowledge with regard to traditional governance structure, kinship roles and ceremonial and scientific protocols. He dedicates his prayer and life’s work to the unification of the Očeti Sakowiŋ, and to all of his relations for the next seven generations and beyond. He is a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Joe American Horse
Director
Chief Joe American Horse (Mila Hunska Tašunke Icu) humbly carries the traditional title of leadership from his grandfather, American Horse, Wičaša Yatapika and chief of the Oglala Lakota Oyate. Chief Joe American Horse has served two terms as tribal president, associate judge and two terms on the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s supreme court. He is a father, grandfather and great-grandfather to many, and he is a traditional and scientific knowledge keeper in many areas as is deemed appropriate for his role. He dedicates his prayer and life’s work to the protection of Unči Maka, He’Sapa (specifically), the Oyate and all our relations across all realms for the next seven generations.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
GIFTS’ partnerships, programs and projects are protected by a model aligned with our traditional Lakota governance structure. Each of the surrounding leadership team are enrolled members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. They ensure that protocols inherent in the safe-keeping and transmission of Indigenous traditional knowledge and sciences are followed.
Anita Afraid of Bear
Director
Anita Afraid of Bear (Wakinyala Wiŋ) is a proud wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was born on Pine Ridge Reservation, and she is a first language Lakota speaker. She learned her traditions, language and cultural practices from her mother, Beatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance, and her paternal grandmother, Annie Kills Crow. She is a knowledge keeper specifically in the fields of food science and the protocols surrounding sacred food cultivation, as well as the protection of women and family structures. Her prayer and life’s work are dedicated to the health and balance of Unči Maka and the sustainability of the Lakota Oyate, culture and traditions.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Director
Barbara Dull Knife (Mapiya Ki Yake Wiŋ) is a mother, grandmother and great grandmother to many. She was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and is an elder knowledge keeper dedicated to the preservation of Lakota lifeways, traditions and language. She focuses on the protection of children and the traditional knowledge surrounding their care, as well as cultural and kinship knowledge surrounding healthy family structures. She is the Founder and Manager of Wakanyeja Gluwitayan Otipi (Gathering our Children Home), the only Emergency Safe House for children ages 0-12 years on Pine Ridge Reservation. She dedicates her prayer and life’s work to the next seven generations of Lakota Peoples and all life.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Secretary and Treasurer
Dr. Antonia Loretta Afraid-of-Bear-Cook (Anpetu Luta Wiŋ) is the faith-keeper and holder of the Afraid of Bear/American Horse Sundance pipe. Trained by both her maternal and paternal grandparents, Anpetu Luta Wiŋ is a first language Lakota speaker, ceremonial practitioner and knowledge keeper. She and her husband Tom also support food sovereignty, and they have helped to put in hundreds of gardens across Pine Ridge Reservation and the Mohawk Reserve in Akwesasne. Loretta's late mother (Beatrice Long Visitor Holy Dance) and her aunt (Rita Long Visitor Holy Dance) both held seats on the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. Serving as her mother’s translator and helper, Loretta accompanied her around the world for many years to share her People's traditions. She is committed to creating elder-to-youth traditional knowledge transfer opportunities, and continues to teach and share her culture with people around the globe. She is a committed wife, mother, sister and grandmother. She dedicates her prayer and life’s work to her ancestors and decedents for the next seven generations.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Yvette Running Horse Collin
Executive Director & Principal Science Officer
Dr. Yvette Running Horse Collin (Tašunke Iyanke Wiŋ) strives for Wo Wa Čanlkiye in her life (to honor her elders, honor the youth, and honor the People.) She is dedicated to following in the footsteps of her ancestors and protecting the balance of all life. She considers herself a life-long learner, and is grateful for the instruction and training she has received from her elder leaders, scientists, medicine people and Šungwakaŋ (the Horse Nation). Born and raised “off reservation” due to the effect of federal government policies, she has been blessed to work closely with her Lakota relatives for the past 20 years and to step into her kinship societal structure. Dr. Running Horse Collin received her BA from The Johns Hopkins University, her MA from New York University, her PhD from University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Marie Skłodoska Curie (MSCA) post-doctoral fellowship through the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Paul Sabatier University at the Centre for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse (CAGT). She follows the scientific systems and ceremonial ways set forth by Ptesáŋwiŋ. Tašunke Iyanke Wiŋ is a dedicated daughter, wife, mother, sister, aunt and grandmother, and she strives to be a good relative to all her relations.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Mario Gonzales
Director
Mario Gonzalez, Esq. (Nantan Hinapan) has dedicated his life’s work to defending the rights of Lakota and other Native Peoples. He has been a lawyer for the Oglala Sioux Tribe for more than 50 years, and he has handled numerous landmark cases such as the following: Oglala Sioux Tribe v. United States (1981), which stopped the distribution of federal government payments for the sacred Black Hills; and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribe v. United States (1986), which reversed a $39.7 million US Claims Court judgement award for 34 million acres of non-treaty lands east of the Missouri River. He drafted two major Congressional Acts, as well as a number of major Congressional Bills. He also represented the Pine Ridge Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Wounded Knee Survivors Association in the first successful international repatriation of a Sioux cultural item. Mario is admitted to practice in numerous courts of law, including the United States Supreme Court and the United States Court of Federal Claims, and he has received numerous honors and awards for his work. First and foremost, Nantan Hinapan strives to continue to uphold the requests of his elders and community by standing for the Oyate, Lakota history and culture. He is a dedicated father and grandfather.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Wendell Yellow Bull
Vice-President
Wendell Yellow Bull (Mažasu) was born and raised on Pine Ridge Reservation. He has dedicated his life to protecting the Oyate and working together with Šungwakaŋ (the Horse nation) and youth. He is a knowledge keeper specifically with regard to Šungwakaŋ and our leadership and warrior societies. He has served in political positions both tribally and county-wide, and he formally served as the Executive Director of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Department of Public Safety and Chief of Police. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corp and a dedicated father. His prayer is dedicated to the safety and protection of the Oyate and Lakota lifeways for the next seven generations.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Bill Means
Director
Bill Means is from the Wicahpi Koyaka tiospaye. He has dedicated his life to supporting the Lakota Oyate, unifying the Očeti Sakowin, and protecting sacred sites. In 1974 he founded the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), an organization of Indigenous peoples from North, Central South America, the Caribbean and the Pacific that stands for Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination, treaties and the protection of the environment. Through IITC, Bill has worked with international bodies such as the Commission on Human Rights, UNESCO, the Commission on Sustainable Development and other United Nations fora. He has extensive experience negotiating at the tribal, city, state, federal and international level. He has lectured inter-tribally, nationally and internationally on the issues of human rights, history and culture of Indigenous peoples. Bill is a dedicated husband, father and grandfather.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Milo Yellow Hair
President
When asked to speak about himself, Robert Milo Yellow Hair (Tanka Omniya) responds that he is Ikče Wičasa, a common man. Born on Pine Ridge Reservation, his family is from the Wounded Knee area. As he explains, he is indebted to his family’s sacrifices, the prayers and teachings of medicine people and other elder leaders, and the Sundance celebration of creation. Tanka Omniya has spent his life fighting for the rights of Unči Maka, the human rights of Indigenous Peoples and the protection of He’Sapa, the sacred Black Hills. He began advocating for the Lakota and other Indigenous Peoples around the world in the 1970s, and has been instrumental in the creation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA ), and the fight against uranium mining and extraction. His prayer and life’s work is dedicated to the protection of ceremony, sacred sites, his ancestors and the Lakota Oyate for the next seven generations.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Harold Left Heron
Director
Harold Left Heron (Akil Nujipi) humbly holds, protects and carries the traditions, leadership and ceremonial responsibilities appropriate of his lineage and commitment to the Oyate. He offers great thanks to the elders, relatives and medicine people who generously gave of their time and spiritual connection to serve as his mentors and teachers. Akil Nujipi learned his language, culture and traditions within his community. He has held various traditional and tribal IRA government leadership and management roles throughout his life for the purpose of protecting the Lakota Oyate, tiospaye governance structure and Lakota lifeways. These include tribal police chief, multiple terms as OST president and Council Member. He is a knowledge keeper within many realms, and holds specific knowledge with regard to traditional governance structure, kinship roles and ceremonial and scientific protocols. He dedicates his prayer and life’s work to the unification of the Očeti Sakowiŋ, and to all of his relations for the next seven generations and beyond. He is a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
Joe American Horse
Director
Chief Joe American Horse (Mila Hunska Tašunke Icu) humbly carries the traditional title of leadership from his grandfather, American Horse, Wičaša Yatapika and chief of the Oglala Lakota Oyate. Chief Joe American Horse has served two terms as tribal president, associate judge and two terms on the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s supreme court. He is a father, grandfather and great-grandfather to many, and he is a traditional and scientific knowledge keeper in many areas as is deemed appropriate for his role. He dedicates his prayer and life’s work to the protection of Unči Maka, He’Sapa (specifically), the Oyate and all our relations across all realms for the next seven generations.
Mitakuye Oyasiŋ.
GIFTS’ partnerships, programs and projects are protected by a model aligned with our traditional Lakota governance structure. Each of the surrounding leadership team are enrolled members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. They ensure that protocols inherent in the safe-keeping and transmission of Indigenous traditional knowledge and sciences are followed.
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