Independent news from the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance
April 26, 2024
Press Releases

First female governor of NM graduates from law school (huh?)

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear
by
jodi@imfreedomalliance.org https://twitter.com/JodiRave
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An array of solar panels glisten in the sun outside Cannon Ball, N.D., located on the north side of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, where the grand opening for the project was held on Friday, July 26, 2019. The project was motivated in part by the controversial Dakota Access pipeline that was built over the objections of Native American leaders and others. The solar project is meant as a first step toward clean energy independence and a way to power all 12 of the reservation communities. (AP Photo/Dave Kolpack)

What? That’s right. The first female governor of New Mexico — a Navajo student — accepted top awards from the University of New Mexico law school on Friday.

Allow me to explain: Gertrude Lee, who will receive a juris doctorate today from UNM, joined about 100 law student graduates for an awards reception leading up to the graduation ceremonies. While there were many awards given throughout the evening, Lee, 25, was called to the stage last night for top honors. She was given the outstanding student award in clinical legal education, meaning she excelled in providing legal advice to her clients. She also won the Mary Beth and W. Richard West Jr. Award for Excellence in Indian Law. Finally, Lee’s fellow student peers voted her to be the next  likey female governor of New Mexico, which would be a first in the state. UNM law school is most noted for it’s Indian law and clinical programs.  

We are in Albuquerque, N.M. right now, getting ready to attend Ms. Lee’s law school graduation. She is looking good this morning, decked out in a striking blue dress. How do I know all this? She’s my sister-in-law. And, yes, we are all very proud of this outstanding young woman.

Jodi Rave

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Jodi Rave Spotted Bear
jodi@imfreedomalliance.org https://twitter.com/JodiRave

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear is the founder and director of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance, a 501-C-3 nonprofit organization with offices in Bismarck, N.D. and the Fort Berthold Reservation. Jodi spent 15 years reporting for the mainstream press. She's been awarded prestigious Nieman and John S. Knight journalism fellowships at Harvard and Stanford, respectively. She also an MIT Knight Science Journalism Project fellow. Her writing is featured in "The Authentic Voice: The Best Reporting on Race and Ethnicity," published by Columbia University Press. Jodi currently serves as a Society of Professional Journalists at-large board member, an SPJ Foundation board member, and she chairs the SPJ Freedom of Information Committee. Jodi has won top journalism awards from mainstream and Native press organizations. She earned her journalism degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

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