By Santee Ross, University of Montana

Puberty sucks. I don’t know about everyone else but puberty was an awkward part of my life. I didn’t believe growing pains were real until my back and legs decided to grow a couple inches practically overnight.

By Sunnie Clahchischiligi

Every other day or so I’ll make a 20-plus minute drive to Farmington, N.M. the closest border town to the Navajo reservation in my neck of the woods.

The approximate 15-mile stretch has rolling hills with small businesses along side the road and just as you make the final stretch into the edge of the city there it is. On the right hand side, alone, big, beautifully lit at night, though surrounded by dirt and plenty of mobile homes.

It’s the Navajo Nation’s third and newest casino, Northern Edge Navajo Casino.

By Sunnie Clahchischiligi

In the middle of a small movie theater with about 15 people present for the weekend premiere of the Native American film “More Than Frybread,” I suddenly found myself getting tired of the buttery taste of popcorn and developed a craving for a soft, fluffy frybread.

I don’t have frybread very often but boy did this film make me want to grab a bag of Blue Bird flour and head home.

By Stacy Thacker, University of Montana

March 20th was National Native AIDS Day. It was a day to educate many Native Americans of the risk that their tribes are facing and for many it was a chance to recognize the disease they are already living with.

By Santee Ross, University of Montana

Moving away from my family to attend college affected me in more ways than one. The first thing I noticed missing in my life besides the usual family chaos was my mother’s cooking.

She always made the best meals, even when we had scraps and leftovers to work with. She made it work and sometimes those new inventions were better than the “original” recipes.

I miss a good old fashioned home cooked meal - rez style.

By Santee Ross, University of Montana

Growing up I listened to stories like the three little pigs and little red riding hood with a conflicted perspective.

As a young girl I loved those fairy tales but as a little Indian girl I knew the wolf was being portrayed unfairly. I was taught wolves are a sacred animal from the time I had grass stains and ashy knees.

But according to white ranchers the wolf is a bloodthirsty animal and they all need to be wiped out. It’s ironic that those out for the blood of wolves are calling the wolf bloodthirsty.

By Stacy Thacker, University of Montana

The second episode of Navajo Cops on National Geographic had me on the edge of my seat, and more than a little homesick.

The episode started in Window Rock, Ariz. with a foot pursuit as a cop runs through a small pond of brown water (Oh, muddy water how I miss you). He followed the suspect to a house and removed a window screen only to find the guy, who claimed to have beaten a man in self-defense.

By Santee Ross, University of Montana

Remember when you were a little terror running around? You knew who you were and there was no such thing as an identity crisis. You were native because you just were. Things were so much simpler at that age.

Blood quantum never even crossed your mind. Not just because you didn’t know the definition but being a 1/16 or 1/ 8 of some other tribe didn’t change the fact that you still considered yourself native.

By Santee Ross, University of Montana

By Santee Ross, University of Montana

March is indeed madness when it comes to Indian country. Cars become jam packed with Natives who travel with the high school basketball teams like an unofficial cheerleaders.

Everyone, parents, cousins and elders, scrounge up gas money to cheer on the native youth in the most iconic Native community sport. Heck, even the rez dogs travel to watch from the bleachers.