Alex White Plume facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alex White Plume
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| Born | 1952 (age 72–73) |
| Occupation | President of the Oglala Sioux tribe |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 9 |
Alex White Plume was born in 1952. He is an important leader of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. This tribe lives on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, USA. He served as the tribe's vice president and later as its president. He was president from June to November 2006.
Early Life and Background
Alex White Plume grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. He learned a lot about the traditional Lakota culture. When he was older, he joined the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Berlin, Germany, until 1978.
After his time in the Army, he came back to Pine Ridge. He worked as an officer for the Tribal Police. Later, he became very interested in community issues and politics. In 1988, he married Debra White Plume.
His Work and Family
Alex White Plume has spent much of his life farming. It was often hard to grow crops on the reservation land. The weather and soil conditions there can be very tough.
He and his large family, called a tiospaye (tee-OH-shpah-yay), tried to grow different plants. They planted alfalfa, barley, and corn. They also tried raising horses and bison. These animals are often raised by ranchers on the Great Plains. Even with all their hard work, they could only grow enough to feed their families.
Leading the Oglala Sioux Tribe
Alex White Plume is known as a traditional Lakota leader. In November 2004, he was chosen as the vice president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He served in this role until June 2006.
After the Tribal Council made a change in leadership, Alex White Plume became president. He served as president until the next election in November 2006.
As president, he wanted the Oglala government to return to its traditional ways. He suggested using the Lakota language for government meetings. He believed that speaking Lakota could help solve problems. He felt that using a different language was the only way to find new solutions.
John Yellow Bird Steele became president after Alex White Plume. John Yellow Bird Steele had also been president before.
In 2009, Alex White Plume spoke out about a sad event. A non-Native person held a spiritual retreat where people got sick. He said that Lakota people were working with other tribes. They wanted to protect their sacred ceremonies. They did not want outsiders to misuse them.
| Preceded by Cecilia Fire Thunder |
President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe 2006 |
Succeeded by John Yellow Bird Steele |
See Also
