Tamara St. Johnis an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe of the Lake Traverse Reservation of South Dakota. She is the Tribal Archivist/Curator of Collectionsand works with theTribal Historic Preservation Office on Cultural Preservation issues. She hasbeen workingon Native American Graves and Repatriation Act issues for the tribe with a long term goal of building a tribal visitor center and museum.Tamara is a Native American genealogist has done extensive research in the history of the Dakota/Lakota/Nakota or Oceti Sakowin. She has worked with the Minnesota Historical Society and along with other Dakota Tribes collaborated on theCommemorating Controversy: The Dakota–U.S. War of 1862exhibition.Sheworkedwith North Dakota State University and The Center for Heritage Renewal participating in panel discussions on the Dakota-U.S. War of 1862 andTheMassacre at Whitestone Hill. Tamara is a formerboard member of the South Dakota Humanities Council and works with both South Dakota andNorthDakota NativeTourism Alliance organizations.

Tamarawas elected to the South DakotaState Legislaturein 2018, completed her second term with the 2022 Legislative Session and will be running for re-election November 2022.Tamara is currently leading the work to repatriate two Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota children who attended the Carlisle Pennsylvania Industrial School for Indians in 1879. Both Amos LaFromboise and Edward Upright are buried at the cemetery in Carlisle, Pa. which is now an active military base.

Since 2016 Tamara St. John has worked with other tribal nations to navigate the complex issues that surround the unique issues related to repatriations from Carlisle Indian School cemetery.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TamaraforSD


Twitter: @tamarajstjohn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamara_stjohn/