SD State Representative (District 26A) Shawn Bordeaux seeks to change the name of Todd County to Sicangu Oyate County and needs 708 signatures on the petition he started. COURTESY/Shawn Bordeaux
PIERRE — State Representative Shawn Bordeaux has begun a petition to change the name of Todd County to Sicangu Oyate County.
Needing only 708 signatures at the time of the writing of this article, Representative Bordeaux hopes to use the county name change to educate both Natives and non-Natives in the state as to the history of the original naming of Todd County.
SHAWN BORDEAUX
Seeking the advice from his community through a poll for ideas for a new name, the feedback was positive and challenging; as many support the idea of a name change, but several names came up for possible consideration including former tribal chief names.
It was through a conversation with his father, Dr. Lionel Bordeaux (Sinte Gleska University President and fluent Lakota speaker) who advised Representative Bordeaux as to not use the name Sicangu Lakota County. According to Dr. Bordeaux, using the term “Sicangu Lakota” would be redundant as when saying “Sicangu”, the word “Lakota” is already implied in the name. “This would be redundant,” said Representative Bordeaux.
Efforts by SD State Representative Kevin Killer of Pine Ridge were successful in changing the former name of Shannon County to Oglala Lakota County. Representative Bordeaux praised his fellow state representative for making those changes which were monumental in a state working vigorously to improve race relations and honor for the indigenous nations in South Dakota.
“What Kevin Killer did, and the Oglala did, inspired me. It made me think that it’s something I can do in my own community here,” said Bordeaux. “Next, a number of people have talked about this for years. We’ve all had our conversations about this in our own little corners.” This idea is not original to Representative Bordeaux and he acknowledges these efforts are grass roots in nature.
The Oyate for Fairness and Equal Representation (OFFER) has been working with Bordeaux in attaining the needed signatures. The state representative has been grateful for their help and for the work they are doing in bringing the value of the Native American vote to the tribal and state consciousness.
“It’s kind of hard to get our people to the table. We don’t often show up at these meetings (state or county organized meetings). This group, OFFER, with Ron Neiss and them, they got the tribe to give a little money and the use the gym at the college, provide food and transportation, and bring people to meetings,” said Bordeaux.
The distrust for state politics and initiatives which directly affect tribal communities has been an obstacle in tribal participation for generations. Representative Bordeaux hopes to work with others to dismantle those cultural obstacles.
Using this name change petition as a way of uniting the Rosebud Sioux Tribe is something Bordeaux sees as a positive circumstance; as he hopes this unification will bring more tribal members to become registered voters. He plans to stand in local parking lots, as did Representative Kevin Killer on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, with both the petition and a voter registration form for tribal members to sign and become registered voters.
Todd County was named after John Blair Smith Todd, a relative to President Abraham Lincoln, and a delegate in Dakota Territory to the U.S. House of Representatives and a general in the Union Army. According to Bordeaux, Todd was present at the Battle of Ash Hollow (Harney Massacre) near present day Garden County, Neb.
(Contact Native Sun News Today Correspondent Richie Richards at richie4175@gmail.com)
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