Santee Ross
By Santee Ross, University of Montana
Have you ever had plastic covering your head that you get the suffocating feeling of not breathing and panic erases any logic? That’s exactly what moving to a new place is like; especially when you don’t know a soul.
I moved from Wyoming to Montana to attend the University. When I moved I kept thinking to myself, “Oh my god, I don’t know anybody and I don’t think I can do this.”
Moving from a community where there is a HUGE population of Indians to a city that is mostly white was a culture shock.
By Santee Ross, University of Montana
“You’re white and middle class…I’m not sure you will understand me.” That sounds like it could be a common saying especially for Indians but it was the title of a presentation at the University of Montana’s Day of Dialogue last Thursday.
By Santee Ross, University of Montana
Halloween is just around the corner and with the holiday it brings TONS of candy.
People spend $6 billion on Halloween candy a year. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, M&M’s, Pop Rocks and (my personal favorite) Kit Kat’s are the top five candy Americans find most popular .
Yeah, all those candies are delicious but if trick-or-treaters came a-knocking on Rez doors, they’d probably hard pressed to find America’s favorites.
By Santee Ross, University of Montana
Halloween is my second favorite holiday because how can you overlook a day that’s held for wearing crazy costumes and trying to scare yourself while stuffing your face with sugary sweets.
Halloween for most of America usually has kids in Ironman and princess costumes going from door to door collecting candy. You can’t exactly do this on the Rez because they are usually spread out over vast landscapes.
But that doesn’t mean that Halloween gets overlooked by Natives.
By Santee Ross, University of Montana
There are imitation tepees all over this country that can usually be seen at gas stations and highway side shows, and now, in downtown Missoula.
By Santee Ross, University of Montana
“Call me Zits.
Everybody calls me Zits.”
This is the beginning of “Flight,” a book written by Sherman Alexie.
Alexie is pretty well known in Native circles for his books as well as his iconic and gut busting screenplay “Smoke Signals.”
I read “Flight” over the summer and as with most of Alexie’s work, I laughed till I cried then cried till I laughed.
By Santee Ross, University of Montana
Elouise Cobell died Sunday at the age of 65 according to an article at but left a legacy of inspiration.
Cobell was given the name Yellow Bird Woman and was the great granddaughter of Mountain Chief of the Blackfoot tribe.
By Santee Ross, University of Montana
Where is the line between offensive and playful?
For years national sports teams have used Native American symbols for mascots. This has been the center of debate among native communities for years.
One recent controversy involves the University of North Dakota, whose mascot is the Fighting Sioux and has the two tribes that live within the state torn, according to The Iowa State Daily.
By Santee Ross, University of Montana
Occupy Wall Street is coming upon its fourth week since it started September 17th.
Since then it has quietly grown into a revolution that has sparked similar protests in major cities like Boston, Los Angeles and now has arrived in Missoula, Mont.
By Santee Ross, University of Montana
“Let’s celebrate Columbus Day by walking into someone’s house and telling them we live there now,” this well-phrased quote was posted on Facebook by one of my relatives.
Yesterday was Columbus Day and to some the native community that means the rest of the country openly acknowledges a murderer.
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