Bryan Brewer - Inducted 2022

Lakota Name. Ohiyaku (Returns Victoriously) 

Bryan Brewer, Sr. was born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. He is a 1965 graduate of Pine Ridge High School and graduated from Black Hills State University in 1976.

Brewer served in the United States Navy from 1965 to 1969 and was a Navy Seabee. He is a combat Veteran and served two tours in Vietnam. Currently he is serving as the Commander of American Legion Post 281. He is the President of the Akicita Lakota Veterans Association and President of the Oglala Lakota County School Board.

Brewer spent his career in education as a teacher, principal, dean of students and athletics director. In addition to teaching, he coached basketball, football, track & field, and cross country at Pine Ridge High School, Wolf Creek Elementary, Red Cloud High School and the Rocky Boy High School in Rocky Boy, MT. Brewer is the Founder of the Lakota Nation Invitational, and he currently serves on the LNI Board of Directors and is the director of the LNI basketball tournament. Brewer was the first Native American to sit on the SDHSAA Board from 2004-2009. He was the recipient of the SDHSAA Distinguished Service Award in both 2009 and 2011. In 2010, he was inducted into the Lakota Nation Basketball Hall of Fame. After retiring from education, he was elected president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe from 2012-2014. In 2018 the South Dakota High School Coaches Association created the "Spirit of Influence Award” to be given annually in honor of Bryan Brewer to recognize the positive influence, vision, leadership and dedication to promote athletics, academics and the arts to students of all races. His belief and expectation that all students are created equal.