Maxine

Gros Ventre
Aaniiih Nakoda College

Maxine (Gros Ventre) suffered a devastating loss when her son, a deputy, was murdered in the line of duty at the Fort Belknap reservation. She felt responsible because she had brought her son to the reservation from the city “because Fort Belknap was supposed to be a safe haven, it was our reservation.”

At 57 years old, “I decided to return to college because it would be my first step in my journey to recover my spirit. It would be the rediscovery of myself.”

Maxine says that learning has been her top priority for most of her life thanks to her grandfather, a former tribal chairman, who taught her that education was necessary to survival.

“My goal is to complete my education and find employment that will satisfy my desire to grow and be successful,” Maxine says.