Starr Chief Eagle is an enrolled member of the Sicangu (Rosebud) Lakota Sioux Tribe. She was born with the Lakota name Wichahpi Tokahe (First Star) and was later given the Lakota name Wichahpi Ohitika Winyan (Brave Star Woman) as she entered into adulthood. She grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota including Rapid City and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and started hoop dancing before she could walk. Since then she has been practicing every year to perfect her techniques and skills. Starr was raised up in hoop dancing by her father Dallas Chief Eagle and continues to carry on his teachings with a combination of her own.
Starr enjoys sharing her culture through art, language, dance, and song for future generations in hopes of restoring and maintaining the Lakota culture. She has performed the art of Hoop Dancing throughout the world and continues to further reach out at home and in the heart of the Paha Sapa (Black Hills of South Dakota) at places such as Crazy Horse Memorial as well as schools, libraries, camps, and other gatherings. In her free time, she continues to learn more about the art, history, and language of the Lakota people. She currently has maintained an A.A. in Lakota Studies from Oglala Lakota College as well as a B.S. in American Indian Studies minor in Philosophy from Black Hills State University. This knowledge is expressed through crafts such as beading, sewing, and other artworks as well as influences her performances and teachings, enriching her everyday life.
Starr performed at the American Indian Museum DC in partnership with the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the United States Mint on November 29, 2024. The program honored Zitkala-Ša (translated “Red Bird”), a member of the Yankton Dakota Sioux on South Dakota’s Yankton Indian Reservation.
Starr Chief Eagle, an enrolled member of the Sicangu (Rosebud) Lakota Sioux Tribe, grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota and started hoop dancing before she could walk. She combines her own style with the teachings of her father, Dallas Chief Eagle, and shares her Lakota culture with future generations in hopes of restoring and maintaining it.
