Grace White (Ojibwe/Sioux): "I'm just a Rez girl who had a dream of going Division 1"

Grace white is a junior transfer basketball player at Valparaiso University. She had already played two years of NCAA D1 basketball. She is the daughter of Roger White (Ojibwe) and Tara Grqves )Ojibwe/Sioux) of Red Lake, Minnesota. Her siblings are Ashley and the late Aaron White.

"My identity being an Ojibwe woman from the Red Lake Rez influences everything I do," said Grace. "My culture and tribal core values hold me together and give me strength to continue to push forward. I fall back on my practices, traditions and culture heavily when it comes to being a student athlete. There are many struggles that go unseen being a "Rez girl' playing at a division one university. Such as being away from my home and my people, but knowing I always have people watching over me and that I have my culture and beliefs to help guide me when things get tough. A lot of the time I am the first native person someone's met and having the ability to educate others on just who indigenous people are is a privilege. Sometimes this leads to heated debates in class."

http://www.ndnsports.com/grace-white-ojibwe-sioux-im-just-a-rez-girl-who-had-a-dream-of-going-division-1/?fbclid=IwAR3wAN1SfIBMcWD0LO-louqQK0zptR90JuEK9SDlyZXZ-Yd6FwubMRJnT3s