Fire Thunder Update

Yesterday there wasa lot of discussion about the announcement by Cecilia Fire Thunder regarding a proposed Planned Parenthood clinic on the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Oglala Lakota tribe.

As promised, I contacted the Planned Parenthood organisation of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota for further information. Marta Coursey was kind enough to return my call this morning. Because of my ongoing interest in the living conditions on Lakota land, I was very interested to hear about past or future plans for a Pine Ridge branch of Planned Parenthood.

According to Ms. Coursey, the issue of a Planned Parenthood Center on Lakota land has never been discussed. There are presently two clinics in South Dakota, located in Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Planned Parenthoods efforts at this date continue to be focused on keeping those existing clinics open. They have no plans to close the existing centers, and are fighting the proposed sweeping abortion ban. It is the postion of Planned Parenthood that the Rapid City and Sioux Falls locations offer enough proximity to the Reservation and that no additional clinic is needed at this time.

Cecilia Fire Thunder has not been available to the Planned Parenthood Organisation of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota for clarification of her remarks since the announcement was made. President Fire Thunder is one of fifteen co-chairs on the South Dakota Campaign For Healthy Families, a bi-partisan pro-choice group focusing on the grassroots effort to halt that state's pending abortion ban.