It is with great sadness that the American Indian College Fund (College Fund) mourns the loss of Ron His Horse Is Thunder “Tasunka Wakiya” (Hunkpapa-Lakota Oyate). Raised in Little Eagle, South Dakota, His Horse Is Thunder was a staunch advocate of tribal sovereignty, especially in terms of tribal higher education. He is best known for his time as the President of Sitting Bull College (SBC) (1991-1992, 1996-2005), formerly Standing Rock Community College, and Chairman of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (2005-2009). His Horse Is Thunder also served for interim or short stints as president of Little Priest Tribal College and Little Hoop Community College (now Cankdeska Cikana Community College) and filled additional tribal roles such as Director of Tribal Transportation on the Standing Rock Reservation.
His Horse Is Thunder joined the College Fund’s Board of Trustees in 1992 and accepted an appointment as College Fund Executive Director in 1994 and stepped down in 1995. He served in various additional roles on the Board of Trustees, including Board Chair in 1999. He was active with the Board of Trustees as a member through June 2005 and as an advisor until December 2005.
His Horse Is Thunder credited his law degree, earned in 1988, for the opportunities that were available to him throughout his life. Growing up in a household with parents who had been active in the civil rights movement of the 1960s is what inspired him to obtain his Juris Doctorate. His Horse Is Thunder began his higher education journey at Standing Rock Community College, the same institution he would one day lead, before transferring to Black Hills State College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1985. He then attended law school at the University of South Dakota. His legal background was a contributing factor to his being selected to serve as President of SBC at just 33 years old.
He put his knowledge of the law and passion for protecting the rights and sovereignty of tribal peoples to good use. He is considered one of the original Big Foot Memorial Riders who made the 300-mile horseback pilgrimage to Wounded knee for many years. He was also an active participant in NoDAPL, the movement against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline which violated treaty obligations, ignored tribal sovereignty, and threatened the safety of both the people and environment on the Standing Rock Reservation. But it was in the realm of tribal higher education where His Horse Is Thunder really shone. In 2002, he was appointed Chairman of the President’s Board of Advisors on Tribal Colleges and Universities by President George W. Bush. He also served as a commissioner for the Higher Learning Commission for the North Central Accreditation for Schools and Colleges and sat on the boards of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and North Dakota Tribal College Association.
Even after he turned his focus to running a cattle ranch, His Horse Is Thunder would partner with his wife to operate Wiya and Associates Consulting. The firm provides educational consultation along with trustee training and strategic planning, primarily to tribal colleges and universities. His Horse Is Thunder was a monumental figure for the tribal college movement and the man you looked to in times of crisis or uncertainty to set and stay the course. We appreciate all he did for his people and for Native higher education.
