Kevin Killer

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Kevin Killer
44th President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe
Assumed office
December 4, 2020 (2020-12-04)
Vice PresidentAlicia Mousseau
Preceded byJulian Bear Runner
Member of the South Dakota Senate
from the 27th district
In office
2017–2019
Preceded byJim Bradford
Succeeded byRed Dawn Foster
Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives
from the 27th district
In office
2009–2017
Preceded byJim Bradford
Succeeded bySteve Livermont
Personal details
Born (1979-05-04) May 4, 1979 (age 42)
Political partyDemocratic
ResidencePine Ridge, South Dakota
Alma materOglala Lakota College

Kevin Killer (Oglala Sioux) (born May 4, 1979) is an activist, Native American politician, and president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He previously served as a Democratic member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017 and the South Dakota Senate from 2017 to 2019, representing the 27th district. [1] He lives in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. In November 2020, he was elected tribal president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.[2][3]

Early life and education[]

Killer grew up in Denver, Colorado, where his father, Francis, was a CPA and a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.[4] His mother, Janice, is from the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma. When young, Killer returned to his father's people on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation every summer, in order to know them and the land. His father died when Killer was 20, but he was helped by mentors.

Killer graduated from Oglala Lakota College. His first experience in politics came in 2004, working for former United States Senator Tom Daschle.[5] He was the first Tribal College Fellow for Young People For, a youth leadership development organization, and worked to expanded the group's tribal college network into a Native-American-led group called the Native Youth Leadership Alliance in 2009.[6]

Career[]

Killer was first elected to the state legislature in 2008 where he served on the House State Affairs Committee, which has an important role in moving legislation forward, and its Judicial Affairs Committee. In 2016 he was elected to the State Senate from District 27[5] and in the year prior, 2015, was a Bush Fellow.[6]

He is also director of the Native American Youth Leadership Alliance, a role he began in 2010 and which sees to his working to build youth leaders among the people of the reservations.[7] Killer has noted that a high percentage of residents on the reservations are under age 18.[5] In 2019, Killer became a senior fellow at Prism.[8] He is noted as being the co-founder of Advance Native Political Leadership, a non-profit that aims to expand indigenous representation in elected and appointed offices across the United States.[9]

Concurrent to his political work, Killer has been involved as an actor and executive producer on two short films, Running Shadow and Istinma.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ "South Dakota Legislature".
  2. ^ "Kevin Killer Elected President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe". Native News Online. Grand Rapids, Michigan. November 6, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  3. ^ "Unofficial Oglala Sioux Tribe primary results". Native Sun News Today. Rapid City, South Dakota. October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  4. ^ staff, Kevin Woster Journal. "Kevin Killer profile". Rapid City Journal Media Group. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c Woster, Kevin (February 17, 2013). "Kevin Killer profile". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "Leadership in Government Fellowship". www.opensocietyfoundations.org. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  7. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  8. ^ "A call to enter politics becomes a lifelong mission to lift up Native communities". www.ourprism.org. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  9. ^ "Prism | Kevin Killer". www.ourprism.org. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
  10. ^ "Kevin Killer". IMDb. Retrieved October 29, 2019.

External links[]

Preceded by President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe
2020–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Member of the South Dakota Senate from the 27th district
2017-2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from the 27th district
2009-2017 		Succeeded by
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