Pine Ridge, SD — Tashina Banks Rama (Oglala Sioux Tribe, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) comes from a family committed to the ancestral language revitalization movement and to living and teaching the Lakota worldview and philosophy. She envisions a vibrant Oglala community whose healing is informed by stories from ancestors who have passed to the youngest children who are the leaders of tomorrow. As executive vice president of Maȟpíya Luta, or Red Cloud Indian School, she oversees a truth and healing initiative to address the generational harm caused by U.S. boarding school policies. Through the sharing of boarding school history, records and stories, she knows healing is possible. In the context of a Lakota worldview and by acquiring the skills to pair stories with current issues, she will propel positive change within her community and with her neighbors in greater South Dakota.
