Raymond Cross facts for kids

Raymond Cross, born on August 24, 1948, is an American lawyer and law professor from North Dakota. He is a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes. He used to teach American Indian Law at the University of Montana.

As a lawyer, Raymond Cross helped Native Americans in many important court cases. He even argued two cases at the U.S. Supreme Court. He also successfully won money from the U.S. government for his tribe. Their land was flooded because of the Garrison Dam in North Dakota.

Early Life and School

Raymond Cross was born on August 24, 1948, in Elbowoods, North Dakota. This town was on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. He was the youngest of ten children. His family lived in a simple farmhouse without running water or electricity. His father, Martin Cross, was the leader of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. His mother, Dorothy Cross, was from Norway.

The Cross family had to move to Parshall, North Dakota because the Garrison Dam was built. This dam flooded nine Native American communities, including Elbowoods. The water formed Lake Sakakawea. Raymond's father tried for years to stop the dam. He also tried to get fair payment for the Three Affiliated Tribes, but he was not successful at that time.

When Raymond was in high school, he moved to Santa Clara, California. His school counselor encouraged him to apply to college. He was accepted into Stanford University. He received a scholarship from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He graduated in 1970 with a degree in political science. In 1973, he earned his law degree from Yale Law School. After that, he became a lawyer in California.

Raymond Cross's Career

Helping Native American Tribes

Raymond Cross started his law career in 1973. He worked for California Indian Legal Services in Ukiah, California.

From 1975 to 1980, he worked for the Native American Rights Fund. This group helps Native Americans with legal issues. While there, Raymond Cross helped the Klamath Indian Tribe. He won a case that protected their water rights. This helped them continue their traditional hunting, fishing, and gathering in the Klamath Marsh in Oregon. He also helped the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. He helped them get official recognition from the U.S. government as a Native American tribe. This meant they could get federal protection and services.

Working for His Tribe

In 1981, Raymond Cross returned to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. He became the lawyer for his own people, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation. He represented his tribe in two cases at the U.S. Supreme Court. He successfully argued that state courts should allow tribes to sue non-Native American people for damages. He also helped confirm that tribes have special legal protection, known as tribal sovereignty.

He also took on the fight his father, Martin Cross, had started. He worked to get fair payment for his tribe. In 1949, the U.S. government took over 156,000 acres of their land for the Garrison Dam. This dam is one of the largest earth dams in the world. Raymond Cross spent eight years talking to Congress. In 1992, Congress gave the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation over $149 million. This was fair payment for the harm caused by the Garrison Dam.

Because of these important legal wins, Raymond Cross received a special fellowship from the Bush Foundation. He studied at the Harvard Kennedy School. There, he earned a Master of Public Administration degree. This is also where he met his wife, Kathleen Cross.

Teaching Law

Raymond Cross taught at the California Polytechnic State University from 1990 to 1993. Then, from 1993 to 2015, he taught at the University of Montana. He was an expert in American Indian law and environmental law.

Raymond Cross has written many articles about American Indian law and environmental law. His legal career is also written about in two books: "Coyote Warrior: One Man, Three Tribes and the Trial That Forged a Nation" and "Savages and Scoundrels" by Paul Vandevelder.

Personal Life

Raymond Cross married Kathleen Cross in 1989. They met when they were both students at the Harvard Kennedy School. They have a daughter named Helena and a son named Cade.