Fire Thunder Defies South Dakota

Cecilia Fire Thunder, Oglala Sioux Tribal President (and former nurse), has decided to defy the South Dakota's proposed abortion ban. And it's a damn good thing she's challenging these smugly self-righteous politicians, too. Her plan is to open a Planned Parenthood on reservation land. You see, Fire Thunder this boils down to a matter of sovereignty -- and the State of South Dakota has no jurisdiction over the Pine Ridge Reservation. But this action also goes a long way toward protecting women's rights and traditional Native American health practices. For example, here is something that I don't think many people consider:

[T]he word "abortion" is not in any indigenous language, but the practice of terminating a pregnancy to preserve a woman's health is part of basic medical knowledge and was traditionally a decision left to the woman. -- Charon Asetoyer, Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center

You can get more details and pertinent links over at Jason Pitzl-Waters' The Wild Hunt Blog: Tribal Sovereignty vs. Christian Patriarchy. It's all worth reading. (Thanks for posting on this, Jason).