Cante is a Lakota, Dakota and Winnebago Hochunk. Cante is currently the Executive Director of He Sapa Otipi, Community Center for People of the Black Hills. She is the daughter of CaroleAnne Heart and Travis Harden. Spending the majority of her life in North and South Dakota, she considers the Sacred Black Hills her home. She graduated from Rapid City Central High School and has a degree in Business Administration from Oglala Lakota College. Cante has pursued many avenues of community organizing and strategic planning for both businesses and nonprofits. Over the years, she has served her local community and demonstrated a track record of consistent and reliable leadership.

Cante believes that it is important to uplift Indigenous voices in all capacities. She also believes that it is up to us to create new relationships and bridge the gap to strengthen current relations. Cante looks forward to bringing a Lakota perspective to create an Indigenous hosted community center by building relationships through shared values with a collaborative approach. As one of the models for the Dignity Statue in Chamberlain, SD, the process empowered Cante to truly reflect on what dignity means for all of us in South Dakota. In her free time, Cante enjoys playing basketball, softball, golf, and spending time with her three daughters. She loves practicing and teaching Lakota ways and language. In fact, you have just learned a Lakota word. “Chante” means “Heart” in the Lakota language.