Kakwiranoran Cook

President

Kakwiranoron Cook, the son of Loretta Afraid of Bear-Cook and Tom Cook, grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. As a child, he traveled to many ceremonies with his parents and was deeply affected by the duality he witnessed in Native communities across the country: spirituality and connection to the earth in contrast to the challenges of day-to-day life. He sees the work of the Tiospaye as finding ways to incorporate the important teachings, practices, and knowledge of our ancestors into daily life as sources of pride and strength. 

Through his personal life and his professional life, Kakwiranoron advocates for indigenous peoples across the globe. He encourages focused listening to indigenous peoples and nations in order to understand and sustain their teachings and knowledge and integrate indigenous ways into more people’s lives.