Actor Biography
Stacey Thunder is from the Red Lake and Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Nations. She was born in California while her father, Bob Thunder (Red Lake), was enlisted in the Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro. Stacey spent the first two years of her life in California with her father and mother, Marybeth (Lac Courte Oreilles), before the family returned to their homelands in Minnesota. She is the oldest of eight children.
Stacey is the host and co-producer of the PBS educational Native news and lifestyle magazine program, Native Report, an entertaining and informative series that celebrates Native American culture and heritage. She has hosted over 100 episodes since the show’s inception in 2004, which began with a pilot of four episodes in 2004, and then grew into a full 15-episode schedule by 2006. With much success and now in high definition, Native Report is currently in its eighth season.
In addition to her television hosting work, Stacey is also immersed in the entertainment world– both behind and in front of the camera. She is an owner and general counsel of Eagle Thunder Entertainment, in which she was the Executive Producer of five CDs and two music motion pictures, and is currently developing new music, film and television projects for the upcoming year. As a film and television actress, Stacey played the recurring role of “Judith” in the Starz hit series, “Crash”, a provocative 13-episode drama series from the producers of the Academy Award®-winning Best Motion Picture starring the late Dennis Hopper, and Eric Roberts; and “Marisa” in the TV series, “The Promised Land”, by Michael Grais who wrote the “Poltergeist” screenplays. She also acted in a number of short films, and played “Julie” in “Cold Feet”, an independent feature-length romantic comedy that channels the Hepburn/Grant movies of the forties. Stacey studies acting with former acting coach of Academy Award®-nominated Amy Adams, Cheryl Moore Brinkley, and veteran actor, Raye Birk, at the prestigious and renowned Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
Stacey received a B.A. in psychology from Hamline University and a J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law. She has served Indian Country for over 14 years in various legal capacities including positions with Anishinabe Legal Services, the Indian Child Welfare Law Center, and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s Corporate Commission. Currently, Stacey is the general counsel for the Red Lake Nation.
Committed to shaping the future of Indian Country, Stacey also dedicates her time and service as a public speaker, in particular for the youth; and as an officer or board member to non-profit organizations. She served as the Vice-President and a board member of the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association; and was a co-founder of Native Thunder Distance Runners, in which she ran two marathons in order to raise awareness of the need for better health in Indian country. Stacey now serves as a board member of Native Children’s Survival, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about critical issues facing Mother Earth, her children, and the seventh generation to come through the international language of music and film; and a board member of the Nike N7 Fund, a fund that provides grant money to Native American communities in support of sports and physical activity programs for the youth.
Through all of her endeavors, Stacey’s work and dedication to Indian Country has not gone unnoticed. She was awarded the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s “Native American 40 Under 40”, a prestigious award given to outstanding young Native Americans who have shown excellence and are playing a significant role in shaping Indian Country for the future.
