DR. THARON WEIGHILL
Dr. Weighill was born in Santa Barbara, CA - the grandson of Elizabeth Guevara and Walter Weighill II. The second of two surviving sons he was born to Martha Rodriguez and Walter Weighill III. He is an enrolled member of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation and the Paxa of the Swordfish Clan. Dr. Weighill is a father of 9 children 8 boys 1 girl. “I was born into a ceremonially and politically active family and - I guess that rubbed off on me”. From a very young age Dr. Weighill was at the forefront of Native American Indian political change in the United States. In the 1960’s he was present at the Ruben Salazar Riots, the Occupation of Alcatraz, the San Francisco State Student Riots and many other not so well known gatherings. “Activism has been a vital part of my life”.
In winter of 2015 Dr. Weighill began organizing the Stand at Standing Rock. Between November 2015 to February 2017 Dr. Weighill, one of the founding members of the Standing Rock movement, was engaged in leading ceremonies and politically organizing for a little over a year. Dr. Weighill has served on many boards and was the founding president of the California Indian Story Tellers Association. Dr. Weighill holds a B.S. in American History with an emphasis on Native American Legal Policies and a minor in religious studies and music. He holds a M. S. in Cultural Anthropology, both from San Francisco State, and a PhD in Dance History and Theory with an emphasis on Native American ritual performance from the University of California at Riverside.
He is a pipe carrier and a Sundance leader and member of the Sungamanitu Tanka Okolaciye Maka sitomni Tiospiye - from Cheyenne River. He has made numerous television and radio appearances and has traveled throughout the United States speaking on Indigenous Issues.