Cheyenne River Sioux mother overcomes homelessness to advocate for housing rights

The 41-year-old Cheyenne River Sioux citizen had spent months camping at General Sibley Park before moving to a shelter, all while emerging as one of Bismarck-Mandan’s most powerful voices for housing justice. Her journey from unhoused to housing activist reflects a growing need in North Dakota, where more than 700 people face homelessness nightly, according to state housing data.

In a city grappling with a deepening housing crisis, Siqueiros has emerged as a uniquely compelling changemaker. As secretary of the Indigenous Parent Advisory Committee at Bismarck Public Schools and an active member of all six Sacred Pipe Resource Center councils, she’s turned her personal struggle into a catalyst for change.

“Her raw and very real depiction of the housing crisis in our communities leaves an impression on you,” said Ashley Jahner, Sacred Pipe’s director of advocacy. “It fuels your fire and sparks emotion.”

I fell into a little hole of despair. But I chose to just keep going… just so I wouldn’t have to be worrying about everything, every single minute of the day.”

-Valerie Siqueiros, IPAC secretary and community advocate

Jahner first met Siqueiros at one of the organization’s events in the summer of 2023, held at their previous location in Mandan. When Sacred Pipe relocated to Bismarck in October 2023, Jahner remembers Siqueiros continuing to attend events and community council meetings.

“It’s been a complete joy to witness,” Jahner said.

To cope with the daily stress of being unhoused, Siqueiros started attending community events and becoming more involved.

“I fell into a little hole of despair,” she said. “But I chose to just keep going wherever I could. Just to get out of the shelter. Just so I wouldn’t have to be worrying about everything, every single minute of the day.”

Siqueiros became so deeply involved in the Bismarck-Mandan Indigenous community that in December 2023, during Sacred Pipe’s inaugural winter solstice celebration, she was honored with a community engagement award.

“I felt so good to be able to be named that recipient,” Siqueiros said. “After that, I made it a bigger commitment to try to make it to as many functions as I could and to be able to advocate as much as I possibly could, especially for our homeless community and for our arts community.”

Despite daily challenges such as transportation and health issues, Siqueiros attends IPAC meetings, council sessions and events with a smile. In addition to participating in local events and council meetings, Siqueiros became more involved with the IPAC. As a mother of 14-year-old Christina, a student at Bismarck Public Schools, she wanted to ensure the best possible opportunities for her daughter.

In May 2024, she was elected secretary of the IPAC. Since then, she has helped organize the Back-to-School event in August and Indigenous Heritage Night at BPS in December, both of which attracted hundreds. “I knew that if anybody can do this work, then I could,” she said.

Jesse Short Bull, one of Siqueiros’ closest friends, describes her as a natural leader. He admires her compassion, intelligence and her qualities as a loving mother and friend.

“She’s also fierce,” he added. “She isn’t afraid to stand up for her relatives, tribe and the land. Valerie will step up and make her stance known.”

Siquieros grew up in Milpitas, Calif., far from the reservation. In search of a better life, her father applied for relocation in the early 1970s from the Cheyenne Sioux River Agency in South Dakota. Eventually he got the support he needed to move to California, where he met Siquieros’ mother.

The family lived in Northern California until she was 19. For Siqueiros, it felt like a protective bubble. She said she loved being with her family and attending the Milpitas Unified School District. But when her father’s health began to decline, he required dialysis. Her parents’ social security wasn’t enough to meet their needs, so they ultimately made the difficult decision to move back to the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation, where he could access a dialysis unit.

Initially, Siqueiros wanted to return to Northern California, but she felt it was important to stay close to her family. In 2007, at the age of 24, her mother died, and five years later, in 2012, her father also passed. She said the loss of her parents left her feeling untethered but determined to persevere.

She isn’t afraid to stand up for her relative, tribe and the land. Valerie will step up and make her stance known.”

-Jesse Short Bull, filmmaker

At the time, Siqueiros was studying for a bachelor’s degree in museum studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She had previously earned associate degrees in Literature and Communication, as well as in Lakota Studies, at Oglala Sioux College in North Eagle Butte, South Dakota.

When she was 27, she and her partner, Joseph Siqueiros, had a daughter, Christina. Two years later, after being with Joseph for 11 years, they got married. Eventually, she returned to Santa Fe with her husband and daughter. After the death of Joseph in 2016 due to illness, Siqueiros said she focused on surviving and raising her young daughter.

“It got to be a bit much, with the memories and my single income,” she said. “So we ended up going back to South Dakota.”

Eventually, she met Michael, her second husband. Both were committed to getting a higher education, and they decided to return to school at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, where she studied business administration and Michael, general studies. The family lived in the close-knit campus community during this time.

In 2023, the family faced difficult times once again. No longer attending UTTC, they lost their campus housing. Barely making ends meet, they also faced health issues and disability. As students, Siqueiros said they wrestled to balance school and parenting responsibilities, which left little time for work. When they did manage to work, they weren’t able to save much. For seven months, they were unable to secure housing in Bismarck.

After leaving their campus housing, Siqueiros and her family set up camp at General Sibley Park. Both she and Michael have diabetes, and the conditions soon took a toll on their health.

Eventually, a doctor contacted United Way, which operates a nonprofit shelter for families and children. For six months, the family shared a room with various roommates.

“That whole time, we were pounding the pavement,” she said. “He was looking for jobs. He was getting little tiny spot jobs everywhere he could.”

Siqueiros, who uses a wheelchair, faced difficulty finding an apartment after receiving support from North Dakota Rent Help, a state housing stabilization program. They needed a ground-floor, two-bedroom unit, but none were available. They finally found a second-floor apartment with an elevator in January 2024.

Siqueiros joined Sacred Pipe’s Tenant Rights Association back in September 2023. Since then, she has been vocal about her story.

“Her lived experience is invaluable,” Jahner said. “She is truly an expert when it comes to understanding the struggles of what our people face on a day-to-day basis.”

This fall, around 30 individuals testified at a Bismarck City Council meeting in opposition to an ordinance that would ban encampments of the people without homes. Despite their efforts, on Oct. 8, the council, including Mayor Mike Schmitz, approved the ordinance, which prohibits camping and the accumulation of property in public spaces.

“I had hoped that all of those people coming together and giving us testimonies would have stalled it at least,” Siqueiros said.

Others in the community are also proud of Siqueiros’ progress. “I really hope she continues being an advocate in our community and is seated at the tables of change, where she belongs,” Jahner said.

If there’s one systemic barrier Siqueiros would eliminate, it would be the challenge of accessing resources.

“Maybe you don’t have a phone all the time and you’re trying to get a hold of somebody, but you keep getting the runaround and that gets frustrating, which leads to huge trust issues,” she said.

In the future, Siqueiros hopes to return to IAIA to finish her degree in museum studies. Most recently she began working at Torrid, a national plus size retailer. In the meantime, she encourages the community to stay engaged and get involved.

“No matter what position you’re in, keep moving forward,” she said. “No matter how dark it is, there’s always that little silver lining that’s going to lead you back to a good place.”