Inauguration ceremonies were held Friday in Pine Ridge for new Oglala Sioux President Frank Star Comes Out. A political newcomer, Star Comes Out defeated one-term incumbent Kevin Killer last month
In his inaugural address, President Star Comes Out said his main focus is helping to lift people out of poverty and that he plans to visit communities across the Pine Ridge Reservation to ensure everyone is heard.
The new president said “The people are crying to be heard and we’re not listening. We need to listen to our people.”
Vice-President Alicia Mousseau, who made history in 2020 as the first openly gay woman to be elected to the Oglala Sioux government, was unopposed this year in both the primary and general elections.
She told the inaugural ceremony that the Oglala people will have to stand together to face what she called “future challenges,” especially if the U-S Supreme Court throws out the Indian Child Welfare Act after hearing oral arguments earlier this fall.
Mousseaus said “Many people have tried and wanted to break our spirits, but they haven’t been able to, and they can’t if we stand together.”