Means, Tatewin
Tatewin Means
Tatewin Means is an Indigenous rights lawyer seeking liberation for the Lakota. She holds a Juris Doctor degree with a concentration in Human Rights Law from the University of Minnesota Law School. In 2015, Means took on the role of Deputy State Attorney for Oglala Lakota County, playing a pivotal role in a groundbreaking collaboration that prosecuted non-Indian offenders for victimless and wholly non-Indian offenses committed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. This move protected victims and bolstered tribal sovereignty. She is a distinguished German Marshall Fund Marshall Memorial Fellow. Means is the Executive Director of Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation (TVCDC), an Indigenous grassroots organization in Oglala Territory. Her leadership at TVCDC is dedicated to achieving liberation for the Lakota people, focusing on language, lifeways, and spirituality.
Tatewin Means grew up in her Oglala homelands, where her father hails from, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Kyle, South Dakota. She is from the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota, Oglala Lakota, and Inhanktonwan nations. She later moved to Rapid City, SD, where she graduated from Rapid City Central High School. Raised with the guiding principle that she would invariably return home to support her community regardless of her pursuits, Means embodies a deep-rooted connection to her land. This profound sense of belonging and commitment to community welfare reflects a shared sentiment prevalent in many Indigenous communities.
Although Means did not have the opportunity to grow up knowing her grandparents, the presence of her strong matriarchal mother played a pivotal role in shaping her into a resilient and empowered woman leader.
Means embarked on a remarkable educational journey, driven by a deep commitment to her people and the environment. She completed a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University, with a minor in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity.
Returning to her roots on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Means worked as the Environmental Lab Manager for the Lakota Institute for Science and Technology at Oglala Lakota College, the first tribally located lab to become EPA-certified. During this time, she started her graduate studies in Lakota Leadership and Management at Oglala Lakota College, further deepening her understanding of Indigenous lifeways and leadership.
Driven by her desire to enhance her level of advocacy in her community, she went on to obtain a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, with a concentration in Human Rights Law. Means returned to her homeland and completed a Master of Arts in Lakota Leadership and Management from Oglala Lakota College.
Means is a longtime human rights, children, families, and survivors advocate. She has an impressive career dedicated to advocacy and community leadership. She served as the Attorney General for the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation from 2012 to 2017. In this role, she worked tirelessly to address pressing issues and improve the lives of the tribal community. She embraced the opportunity and collaborated with justice stakeholders to build a stronger foundation.
In 2015, Means was a German Marshall Fund Marshall Memorial Fellow. She is often at the forefront of influential initiatives, and in 2015, Means served as the Deputy States Attorney for Oglala Lakota County. In this role, she forged a groundbreaking inter-jurisdiction agreement, protecting victims of all crimes on the reservation, regardless of the offender’s racial status, while strengthening tribal sovereignty. Means was also active in reforming the criminal justice system, advocating for addiction treatment over criminalization, and providing young offenders with the tools needed to find a better path. She has been part of several state-level initiatives, including the state’s Jolene’s Law Task Force and the Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative’s Native American focus group.
Her journey has not been without challenges. She navigated through gender bias issues and grappled with the complexities of the Western colonial justice system, posing obstacles to effecting change within her community. As the youngest Deputy State Attorney, Means faced a significant test of persistence and resistance. She maintained a strong connection to spirituality to remain mindful of her purpose in choosing this path.
In 2018, Means ran for Attorney General in South Dakota. Her bid for office was unsuccessful, but she increased voter turnout and representation on the political stage. While running for office, Means also became the Executive Director of Thunder Valley Community Development Center. Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation is an Indigenous grassroots organization in Oglala Territory. Her work with Thunder Valley centers on achieving liberation for Lakota people through a focus on language, lifeways, and spirituality.
Means dedicates herself to gaining the trust of her community, assuring them of her commitment to the task at hand. Her leadership role exemplified a steadfast focus on making a positive impact, even in the face of adversity. Means has consistently championed the rights of survivors, children, and families throughout her career.
Means participated in various fellowship programs, including the 2020 PolicyLink – Ambassadors for Health Equity fellowship and the 2022 Rockwood Leadership Institute’s Leading from the Inside Out Fellowship. She is a 2023 Emerson Collective Dial Fellow, demonstrating her unwavering dedication to advancing her knowledge and skills in pursuit of meaningful change.
A relentless advocate for survivors and children’s rights, Means has testified on behalf of the Oglala Sioux Tribe at Tribal-Federal consultations, providing federal partners with accurate data and innovative suggestions for a more collaborative relationship.
For Means, her fight for justice is not just the legacy of her father or others involved but the collective legacy of their community. Many individuals made incredible sacrifices and were willing to lay down their lives for their people’s freedom from oppression. Means passionately believes in the responsibility to be freedom fighters, an intrinsic part of their identity woven into their DNA.
Means is a loving mother to two children, Mankato and Persayah, and grandmother to Avery. She currently resides in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Tatewin Means attributes her profound understanding of the significance of the Wounded Knee occupation to her late father, who instilled in her a deep appreciation for its impact on their identity. Through his teachings, she gained a renewed sense of strength, spirit, and pride associated with being Lakota and Indigenous. Additionally, she credits her mother, a stalwart in the education sector for over 40 years, as a source of inspiration for strong female leadership and emotional intelligence. Her mother, the first in the family to graduate from high school and attain a bachelor’s and master’s degree, played a pivotal role in shaping Means’ values. Means is also guided by ancestral wisdom through prayers.
Means acknowledges the influence of many individuals and community members that helped shape her career and aspirations. She thanks Arlana Bettelyoun, the Executive Director at Oglala Lakota Children’s Justice Center, for playing a key role in fostering interdisciplinary relationships. Heather Dawn Thompson, Director of the Office of Tribal Relations, has been instrumental in guiding Means and providing opportunities for collaboration, such as co-chairing a trial together. These connections have transcended professional alliances to develop into enduring friendships.
In turn, Means extends her mentorship to younger individuals, including athletes who return to their reservation after completing undergraduate degrees. Currently, she mentors aspiring professionals in her community, offering guidance on pursuing graduate studies or a law degree. Through these mentorship roles, Means actively contributes to the growth and development of the next generation in her community.
In offering advice, Means encourages individuals to delve into their history and embrace their individual narratives and those of their families, communities, and lands. This commitment, she believes, is crucial for putting an end to the erasure of Indigenous identities. This call to understand Indigenous history extends to everyone, irrespective of their chosen career paths, as it promises a more expansive and diverse worldview. Such knowledge, she asserts, fosters a deeper understanding of the justice sought by Indigenous Peoples and other individuals of color.
Means advocates for discovering one’s purpose, a realization that dawned on her later in her career. She recommends crafting a purpose statement, emphasizing that it can evolve. This purpose, she clarifies, goes beyond mere titles or occupations; rather, it pertains to aspiring to be a better human being. By allowing oneself to grow and make changes, individuals can align their actions with their evolving sense of purpose and contribute meaningfully to their personal and collective growth.
CPCM. n.d. Tatewin Means. https://sdcpcm.com/portfolio-items/tatewin-means/
Huber, Makenzie. (2023, February 28). Mission of Wounded Knee activists continues 50 years later with children, grandchildren. https://idahocapitalsun.com/2023/02/28/mission-of-wounded-knee-activists…
Survey and interviews conducted by Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Sustainability Initiative staff. 2022-2023. Yale University-School of the Environment. New Haven, Connecticut.
Tatewin Means. (2023, August 16). In Wikipedia. https://keywiki.org/Tatewin_Means Thunder Valley. n.d. Tatewin Means. https://thundervalley.org/our-team/tatewin-means