Ron His Horse Is Thunder will lay in state at the Standing Rock Tribal Administration Building form 1-4 PM, Friday, April 4, 2025. There will be a meal at the AJ Agard Gymnasium at 5:30 PM and wake service at 7 PM Friday. Funeral services for Ron will be at 10 AM, Saturday, April 5, 2025 at the AJ Agard Gymnasium.

It is with great sadness that we announce that Ron His Horse is Thunder passed away on March 26, 2025, at the age of 67, on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. Born on March 19, 1958, to Ina Brown McNeil, a member of the Hunkpapa-Lakota Oyate, his Lakota name was Tasunka Wakiya (His Horse is Thunder). Ron was raised in Little Eagle, SD, and lived in Rapid City, SD, and Long Island, NY before moving home to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation as an adult.

He attended Standing Rock Community College (now Sitting Bull College) and then transferred to Black Hills State College to complete a bachelor's degree in Political Science. Afterwards, Ron completed a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Dakota. In 1994, he served Sitting Bull College as the Title III Project Director and then became the President of the College in 1996. As College President, Ron was proud of his role in working with the College Board to develop plans for a new college facility, with two of the classroom buildings in place when he left this position. Ron was a strong advocate for Sitting Bull College and education. In October of 2005, Ron resigned as College President when he was elected Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. He served in this capacity for four years and maintained a strong national presence for his Tribe. In leaving politics, Ron established a cattle ranch and became a rancher. He also joined his wife, Deborah, and her work doing educational consulting work primarily with tribal colleges and universities nationwide.

Ron had four biological children: Josi Halfred-Mendoza, Ron (aka Little Ron) His Horse is Thunder, Wiyaka Wastewin His Horse is Thunder, and Akitcita Cistila His Horse is Thunder, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He married Deborah Wetsit in 2003, which brought him additional family with sons Rick Desjarlais and Koshon LaCounte (Nikki); daughters Cher Old Elk (Leon) and Michelle Desjarlais; fourteen additional grandchildren; and fifteen great-grandchildren. Ron loved his family and being a husband, son, and father. Ron was a Tribal Leader, political activist, educator, horseman, and rancher.

He was considered one of the original Big Foote Memorial Riders and made this 300-mile December horseback ride for many years as a rider, then as a supporter of those who rode. He always kept his horses ready and still had Ekalaka, a beautiful paint, that he rode for many years. He loved his motorcycles and enjoyed trips to Santa Fe, NM, Niagara Falls, NY, Canada, and joining the Big Foote Memorial Motorcycle Ride. Ron also enjoyed traveling. He traveled to nearly every state and internationally to Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Italy, Peru, and France.

Fixing old motorcycles and cars (e.g., Bronco) brought Ron great joy. He talked about going to swap meets when he was young to build his first motorcycle, which was registered as a 1949 bike. He was also proud of building two log homes – the first in Fort Yates and the second on the Crow Indian Reservation near Hardin, both very distinctive. He tinkered with his projects and enjoyed attending rodeos, ropings, basketball games, wrestling tournaments, pow wows, and any other event in which family members participated. The little ones called him "Papa Lala."

Ron is preceded in death by his daughter, Josephine. He is survived by his wife Deborah, mother Ina McNeil, father Joseph McNeil, Sr., brothers Alan McNeil (Shirley), sister Jacqueline Jackson (Robert), Joseph McNeil Jr. (Sheridan), Frank McNeil (Dawn), and his children, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren. Our family is large; if we missed anyone, please accept our apology.

A four-day feast and ceremony will be held at the Wolf Point Community Hall on Saturday, March 29, 2025, from 2:00-6:00. Further services are planned Friday April 4th, to Lay-In-State at the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Headquarters, and evening wake services at the AJ Agard Community Building, both in Fort Yates, North Dakota, and burial services Saturday April 5th at the AJ Agard Bldg., then burial at Messiah Church gravesite in Little Eagle, South Dakota. Updates will be posted as the service and burial date near. Due to Ron's strong belief in education, online donations to Sitting Bull College in Ron's memory would be a meaningful way to honor him: www.sittingbull.edu