JoRee LaFrance

JoRee LaFrance is Apsáalooke and comes from the Greasy Mouth clan and is a child of Ties in the Bundle clan. Her Apsáalooke name isIichiinmáatchilash/Fortunate with Horses and she comes from the Crow Reservation located in southcentral Montana – specifically the Mighty Few District – but currently resides in Tucson, AZ. She graduated in June 2017 from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Earth Sciences and Native American Studies and is now a doctoral student at the University of Arizona in the Department of Environmental Sciences. JoRee is dedicated to protecting the Apsáalooke way of life, the right to clean water, and the right to safe, nourishing spaces for Apsáalooke youth. Although she is away from home, JoRee continues to find ways to work with and empower her community.

Why should Native youth be active civically?

“Indigenous youth must be active because we are the voices of tomorrow. Our leaders are working for a better future so that we can be who we are and have the same opportunities as our ancestors had. It is important that our needs and concerns are being heard so that the strategies created by leaders are a reflection of that.“