My Apsáalooke name is Iichiinmaaáatchilash – Fortunate with Horses and my English name is JoRee LaFrance. I come from the Apsáalooke (Crow) nation and from the Greasy Mouth clan and I am a child of Ties in the Bundle clan. I was born in Crow Agency, MT and was raised in Wyola, MT in the Mighty Few district. My parents are Lissa Whiteclay and Andre LaFrance. On my maternal side of the family, I am a Whiteclay, Tobacco, Horn and Bear Claw. On my paternal side, I come from the LaFrance, Knows His Gun, Good Eagle, and Spang families. My full last name is White Clay On The Forehead and it comes from my great-great-great grandpa who used white clay as his medicine when he went to battle. I am the 7th generation of Chief Pretty Eagle, the last principal chief of the Apsáalooke Nation and one of the first five Apsáalooke delegation members to travel to Washington, D.C. I graduated in June 2017 from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Earth Sciences and Native American Studies. I currently reside in Tucson, AZ where I expect to complete my PhD in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona.
Picture 1: Professional headshot (PC: Sings In The Timber Photography).
Picture 2: Photo taken in the Ewing Laboratory at Montana State University – Bozeman (PC: Dr. Stephanie Ewing).
Picture 3: Photo taken during the parade at my tribe’s annual celebration, Crow Fair, in 2019. (PC: Tony Manolis Photography).
