SoDak Sioux tribe's plan for abortion business may violate tribal law

You may or may not remember this news that came out after South Dakota banned abortions:

Pine Ridge, SD (LifeNews.com) -- A South Dakota Indian tribe is moving ahead with plans to build an abortion facility on its reservation following passage of a state law that prohibits abortions in the state. The plan is going forward even though abortion advocates are hoping to defeat the ban on the November ballot.

Cecilia Fire Thunder, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, made national headlines when she made the statement after Gov. Mike Rounds signed the bill into law that her tribe would build an abortion facility.

Thunder says her words are more than just talk.

That she would build an abortion center is no surprise. Thunder is a longtime abortion advocate and formerly worked at an abortion business in California. She's on the steering committee of the pro-abrotion group hoping to defeat the ban at the polls.

At first Thunder said the tribe would build the abortion center if the bid to topple the abortion ban fails. Now, she tells Indian Country Today that it will move ahead regardless.

She already has a name, too -- the Sacred Choices Clinic.

I'm thinking a better name would be "Sacred Cow Clinic."

Anyway, Cecilia Killzalottababies... er... Fire Thunder may be in some hot water because of her plans:

Pine Ridge, SD (LifeNews.com) -- A planned abortion business on an Indian reservation in South Dakota may be able to get around a state ban on abortions, but a former tribal judge says it would violate tribal law that respects the life of unborn children. Meanwhile, the tribal president behind the effort may be the subject of an impeachment attempt.

Oglala Sioux Tribal President Cecelia Fire Thunder has proposed the abortion facility in response to the abortion ban, but a retired tribal chief judge says tribal law would prevent it from being built.

Patrick Lee, a retired chief judge for the Oglala Sioux Tribe who now teaches tribal law at Oglala Lakota College, wrote an op-ed over the weekend to the Rapid City Journal.

"Life is sacred - the winged, two-legged, four-legged. You hear constant references to respect for life," Lee said. "Its the tribal law."

...

Meanwhile, Fire Thunder, who has been the subject to two unrelated attempts at impeaching her, may be the subject of a third try to remove her from office.

Kathy Janis, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, told the Journal that she spoke with another tribal member who is organizing an impeachment effort against Fire Thunder.

“He did file an impeachment complaint. I did verify it,” Janis said by telephone Friday night. “He was at the tribal building. He is bringing it to the council.”

Note to Fire Thunder: next time, check your tribe's laws and your tribe members' wishes before you go off half-cocked. That is, if there is a next time for you.