Kevin Killer

Kevin Killer

Kevin Killer is the co-founder of Advanced Native Political Leadership, a former member of the South Dakota state legislature, and a senior fellow at Prism. Follow him on Twitter @kevinck04.

6 posts
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Opinion

Native American voter outreach has revved up in Arizona

This article is part of Prism’s series on Tribal Nations, Voting Rights, & Political Power. Read the rest of the series here. Native American communities in Arizona are facing significant challenges this election season as voter suppression efforts ramp up and COVID-19 cases spike around the state. But although

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4 Min
By: Kevin Killer
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Opinion

Want to win close elections in 2020 and beyond? Organize and invest in Native voters

This article is part of Prism’s series on Tribal Nations, Voting Rights, & Political Power. Read the rest of the series here. The first political campaign I volunteered for was the 2002 race of former South Dakota Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson. Seeing the potential of our own communities to

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4 Min
By: Kevin Killer
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Race

From South Dakota to West Africa: Following the slave trade’s legacy

Every year, I take friends to the Wounded Knee Massacre site to share this important story about my Oglala Lakota Nation. On December 29, 1890, more than 300 men, women, and children were killed by the U.S. Cavalry on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It’s

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3 Min
By: Kevin Killer
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Opinion

What would reparations for Native American communities look like?

There is an ongoing conversation around the concept of reparations and what it might look like for Native American communities in the 21st century. The legal system has consistently been used to limit the rights of Native American communities. For example, in 2010, a law imposing a stricter statute of

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5 Min
By: Kevin Killer
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Opinion

You’ve heard of Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids—but who are the other Native leaders you should know?

The historic elections of Rep. Deb Haaland and Rep. Sharice Davids as the first Native women elected to Congress has greatly improved the political landscape at the federal level. Many of our tribal leaders and members now have a place to go in DC where elected officials will be responsive

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4 Min
By: Kevin Killer
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Crime, Reform & Abolition

A call to enter politics becomes a lifelong mission to lift up Native communities

Hau Mitakuyapi! (Hello my relatives!) Please allow me to introduce myself as a new Prism fellow. I recently completed 10 years in the South Dakota legislature and have been in politics for the past 14 years. In the majority of these positions, I was tasked to work with Native American

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5 Min
By: Kevin Killer

Showing 12 of 6 total posts

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