By Kevin Abourezk

The early yearsBorn: Grand Forks, ND

This is where I first lived after I was born. Nice?

Parents split up.Not long after I was

born, my dad left and my mom and I moved back to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota.

The Pine Ridge is a place of magnificent vistas, like the one to the right (the Badlands).

The people have a strong focus on family and culture. I’ve never since felt as close to a group of people as I did to my family when I lived on the reservation.

Whiteclay, Nebraska – “Skid Row of Plains”While a tragedy, it’s only a symptom.

My memories of Whiteclay include relatives constantly asking for rides there to pick up beer.

Of course, I also remember buying my first pair of tennis shoes there.

A legacy of activismMy family on the reservation has a long history of activism.

The shootout at Oglala, in which two FBI agents were killed, happened on my grandparents’ land. Leonard Peltier was later convicted of killing the agents.

My great-grandmother, Cecelia Jumping Bull (seen to the RIGHT), and my great-grandfather, Harry Jumping Bull, invited the AIM activists to stay on their land.

“Grandma Jumping Bull” by Leonard Peltier

My family moved a lot:

•Vermillion, S.D.•Winner, S.D.•Gregory, S.D.

Moving meant making new friends, losing old ones.

It also meant being away from my reservation family.

Gregory’s “Twin Buttes”

My life off the reservation has been challenging, but rewarding.Often, I’ve had to be an educator.

While I didn’t ask for it, I try to accept thisresponsibilitywith grace.

Sometimes though, I feel like I’m standing in a crowd screaming and no one hears me.

But I also can’t imagine living life any other way.

The college years

Like many Native students, my college years were defined by growth and struggle.

I got drunk a lot and ruined many friendships …But I also found my path.

I’ve been clean and sober for the past 20 years after attending treatment while still in college.

•17-year veteran journalist

•Father of five, including 3 adopted children

•Earned a master’s degree in journalism in 2012

•Longtime mentor to Native students, like you!