Our board of directors.

Enrolled member of the Ihanktonwan Oyate (Yankton Sioux Tribe) who grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and lives in Rapid City, South Dakota. Oi has spent more than 20 years serving tribal communities in public safety, education, health, and government.

He is a U.S. Army veteran who served as a combat medic in Afghanistan and earned the Combat Medical Badge for performing his duties in combat. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he built the Oglala Sioux Tribe's response initiative from the ground up, leading a 68-person team and managing $68 million in federal relief funding for more than 40,000 residents.

He has also served as Administrative Officer for the Ihanktonwan Oyate, Human Resources Director for Oglala Lakota County School District, and CEO of KILI Radio, Voice of the Lakota Nation. In 2006 he graduated from the BIA's Indian Police Academy.

He is the founder of BrightLaunch Digital Marketing, LLC, a veteran-owned software solutions and marketing agency in Rapid City. He holds a Master of Science in Internet Marketing from Full Sail University and a Bachelors of Science in Athletic Training.

As board president, he brings governance, compliance, digital entrepreneurship and grant experience to help Sina Okigwa-Paints Robe carry its work forward on Lakota terms.

Lorna Cuny is Oglala Lakota, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe's Kiyaksa Band, and a descendant of Chief Bull Bear and Chief Little Wound. Raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the Little Wound community, she carries a strong connection to her people and a commitment to serving Indigenous families.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Lorna brings more than two decades of federal service experience. Before retiring in 2025, she worked as a Human Resources Specialist in Employee and Labor Relations with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from California Baptist University.

Lorna is a co-founder and Executive Director of Medicine Wheel Ride, a nonprofit organization of Indigenous women motorcyclists and allies working to raise awareness and resources for Indigenous communities. Her work centers on missing and murdered Indigenous relatives, supporting impacted families, and bringing people together to stand against violence. Through advocacy, community events, and rides across the country, she helps connect families with support and keeps their loved ones' stories visible.

As Treasurer of Šiná Okígwa (Paints Robe), Lorna brings her business education, nonprofit leadership experience, and commitment to accountability to the organization's financial oversight. She believes responsible stewardship means ensuring resources support the organization's mission and the people it serves. Her commitment is deeply personal: helping build communities where Indigenous women, children, and families are safe, valued, and supported.

Monique Apple is a member of the Ihanktonwan Dakota and Oglala Lakota Nations. Her maternal grandmother is from the Can Kute (Shoots at the Trees) band of the Ihanktonwan Dakota, and her paternal grandmother is from the Oyuhpe (Throws Away) band of the Oglala Lakota.

Monique is the co-founder of Sina Okigwa-Paints Robe, Inc., a nonprofit organization she established with her husband, Delaney Apple, to support community wellness through cultural activities, safe learning environments, and opportunities to reconnect with Lakota lifeways as a pathway to healing.

She is also the CEO of Our Generation Consulting and Training Center, LLC, which provides culturally responsive training and technical assistance to organizations serving Indigenous communities. The company specializes in behavioral health, child welfare, wellness, crisis intervention, curriculum development, accreditation preparation, and organizational development.

On June 12, 2026, Monique joined the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health as a Senior Research Associate based in Rapid City, South Dakota. In this role, she supports the coordination of the Together Overcoming Diabetes (TOD) program. She also serves on the Indigenous School of Medicine Development Committee, contributing to the development of student wellness and trauma-informed curriculum initiatives.

Before joining the Center, Monique worked for more than 20 years with the Oglala Lakota and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes in behavioral health, health research, community-based program development, and higher education. As a licensed clinical social worker, she has provided individual, family, and group therapy across the lifespan within tribal health care systems. Her commitment to strengthening health care services for Tribal communities is rooted in her experience coordinating research and community-based initiatives addressing long-standing health disparities.

Monique earned her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree from the University of St. Thomas and is currently pursuing the Licensed Certified Social Worker-Private Independent Practice (LCSW-PIP) credential, South Dakota's highest level of clinical social work licensure. Her professional goal is to provide clinical supervision and training to emerging clinicians, helping expand the behavioral health workforce and address provider shortages in her region.

Outside of her professional work, Monique enjoys creating traditional Lakota beadwork and regalia with her husband, Delaney, and singing with her family and their youth drum group.