Julian R. Bear Runner was president of the

Oglala Sioux Tribe The Oglala (pronounced , meaning "to scatter one's own" in Lakota language) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota, make up the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A majority of the Oglala live o ...

from 2018 to 2020. When elected, Bear Runner was the second-youngest person ever elected as president of the tribe.

Election

He was elected in 2018. At 33, he was the second-youngest person to ever be elected to the post. In 2020, he lost re-election to former state senator

Kevin Killer Kevin Killer (Oglala Sioux) (born May 4, 1979) is an activist, Native American politician, and former president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He previously served as a Democratic member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2009 to 20 ...

Policies

COVID-19

Bear Runner responded forcefully to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, issuing lockdown and shelter in place orders. He also ordered checkpoints to be erected along state and federal highways that passed through the Pine Ridge reservation, to prevent the virus's spread to the people living there and to support contract tracing if an outside visitor was later found to be infected. This, plus similar actions from the

Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation was created by the United States in 1889 by breaking up the Great Sioux Reservation, following the attrition of the Lakota in a series of wars in the 1870s. The reservation covers almost all of Dewey ...

, led to a public fight with South Dakota governor

Kristi Noem Kristi Lynn Noem (; née Arnold; born November 30, 1971) is an American politician serving as the 33rd governor of South Dakota since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, she was the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2019 and a member ...

who demanded the checkpoints be removed and threatened to sue the Oglala and Cheyenne if they were not. Bear Runner refused, stating, "since she won't protect tribal health and safety, tribes have no choice but to take matters into their own hands." When the checkpoints were not removed, Noem repeated her demands but did not sue the tribes.

Marijuana legalization

Bear Runner supported a successful 2020 referendum to legalize marijuana for both medical and recreational use, citing the potential economy benefits. and the tribal council has set up regulations for the growth and use of marijuana.

Same-sex marriage

In 2019, the Oglala passed an ordinance to allow same-sex marriage. Bear Runner supported this ordinance; when anti-same-sex-marriage activists tried to put the ordinance up for a tribe-wide vote, Bear Runner cast the deciding "no" vote to preserve the same-sex marriage law.

Controversies

Suspension

In July 2020, the Oglala tribal council suspended Bear Runner for 30 days. Bear Runner issued a COVID-19 lockdown order without informing the council and without being reachable by the council members to explain the order, leading to confusion. The suspension was with pay and did not lead to an impeachment vote.

Sexual Assault Allegations

In August 2020, a young Lakota man accused Bear Runner of coercing him into sex during the years the young man was 17 and 18 years old. Bear Runner denied the charges. The Oglala tribal council put Bear Runner on leave and held an impeachment vote. The vote was 11 in favor of removal, 5 against, and 5 abstentions, which was short of the 2/3rds majority needed to remove Bear Runner. News reports state that the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...

had also opened an investigation of Bear Runner over the assault allegations.

Arrests

In May 2020, Bear Runner was arrested on the

Pine Ridge reservation The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation ( lkt, Wazí Aháŋhaŋ Oyáŋke), also called Pine Ridge Agency, is an Oglala Lakota Indian reservation located entirely within the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Grea ...

for drunk driving and threatening a person. Later, in November 2020, Bear Runner was arrested for Failure to Vacate in

Rapid City, SD Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the List of cities in South Dakota, second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County, South Dakota, Pennington County. Named after Ra ...

after fighting with security at the Cheers Sports Bar & Casino.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bear Runner, Julian Living people Oglala Sioux Tribe politicians Native American leaders Year of birth missing (living people)