Sarah Eagle Heart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sarah Eagle Heart
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | c.1977 |
| Occupation | Producer, writer, and activist |
| Partner(s) | Kevin Killer |
| Children | 2 |
Sarah Eagle Heart, born around 1977, is a Native American producer, writer, and activist. She leads the Return to the Heart Foundation. This group started in 2020 to help people vote. Now, it also supports many Indigenous businesses and groups.
Growing Up and Learning
Early Life on the Reservation
Sarah Eagle Heart is part of the Oglala Sioux Nation. She grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. She has a twin sister, Emma, and a younger brother, Troy. When Sarah was seven, her mother, a police officer, was badly hurt. She could no longer work, and her family helped raise the children. Their father was not around.
Standing Up for What's Right
Eagle Heart became an activist when she was still a teenager. She and her sister went to a high school where most students were white. They faced unfair treatment and bullying there. They led a protest against the school's "Indian" mascots. They also protested a homecoming event that made fun of Native American figures. The local American Indian Movement group supported them. A few years later, the school stopped using those figures in their celebrations.
Her Education Journey
Sarah Eagle Heart went to Black Hills State University. She earned degrees in Mass Communications and American Indian Studies. Later, she received her Master of Business Administration from University of Phoenix.
Her Work and Impact
Working for Change
Eagle Heart has worked in many different places. She worked in New York City for the Episcopal Church. As a leader for fairness and social justice, she helped the church make an important decision in 2009. They rejected the Doctrine of Discovery. This was an old idea that said Europeans had a right to claim lands in the Americas. The Episcopal Church was the first major Christian church to do this.
Supporting Native Americans
Eagle Heart has also worked with non-profit groups, called NGOs. Her goal is to help Native Americans and share their stories with everyone. From 2015 to 2022, she was the CEO of Native Americans in Philanthropy. This group helps Indigenous people and activists get support for their projects.
Healing from the Past
Eagle Heart is a founder of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. This group helps people understand the lasting effects of U.S. Indian Boarding Schools. These schools tried to force Native American children to give up their culture. The Coalition supports the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. This project, started in 2021 by Deb Haaland, looks into these schools. It helps to document their history.
Leading the Return to the Heart Foundation
Since 2022, she has been the CEO of the Return to the Heart Foundation. This group began in 2020 to encourage people to vote in elections. Today, the foundation gives money to many Indigenous businesses and non-profit groups. This helps them grow and develop.
Film and Media Projects
Eagle Heart has worked on several film projects in Los Angeles. She was a co-producer for the animated short film Crow: The Legend (2018). This virtual reality movie tells a Native American folktale. She won an Emmy for her work as a consulting producer on this film.
She also produced the documentary Lakota Nation vs. the United States (2022) with actor Mark Ruffalo. This film explores the conflict between Indigenous peoples and European settlers. It focuses on the Black Hills, which are sacred lands to the Oglala people. The film shares the views of many Indigenous activists who want to reclaim the Black Hills. She is also working on other film projects, including a docuseries.
Sarah and her twin sister, Emma Eagle Heart-White, wrote a book together. It is called Warrior Princesses Strike Back: How Lakota Twins Fight Oppression and Heal through Connectedness (2023). In the book, they share their experiences growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The book also offers advice for women of color and talks about healing from past hurts.
Achievements and Recognition
- 2019: Won an Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Media for Crow: The Legend.
- 2017: Received the American Express NGen Leadership Award.
- 2014: Named one of the Top 40 under 40 by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development.
Her Family Life
Sarah Eagle Heart had her first child at age 18. She raised her two sons, Aaron and Brendan Cuny, as a single mother. She also completed her university degrees during this time. She made sure her sons grew up connected to Oglala Sioux traditions. Both have taken part in the Sun Dance ceremony on the reservation since they were young.
Her partner is Kevin Killer, an activist and politician from the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He has served in the South Dakota state legislature. He was also the 44th President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe from 2020 to 2022.
