Speak the Truth
Known as one of the best storytellers and one of the sharpest young intellectuals in this time, Ross is the author of two books, Don’t Know Much About Indians (but I wrote a book about us anyways) (2011) and How to Say I Love You in Indian (2014). How to Say I Love You in Indian, with a foreword by renowned Native activist, environmentalist, economist and author Winona LaDuke, follows Gyasi Ross’s universally well-received first book. The stories and poems of How to Say I Love You in Indian are filled with humor, heartbreak and wisdom and convey Native love in many forms -- romantic, parental, love between friends, love of one's culture and community. Gyasi Ross says, “I come from a family of storytellers. My family tells long stories, drinking coffee and blowing smoke in your face. It just fit for me to tell stories, and then I started writing them.”
Presented in partnership with Madison College Office of Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement.
Gyasi Ross
Gyasi Ross is a member of the Blackfeet Nation. His family also comes from the Suquamish Nation of the Port Madison Indian Reservation where he resides. He is a father, author, speaker and lawyer. TV, radio, online and print media often seek his input on a variety of topics and issues. Gyasi has spoken at hundreds of schools and universities and at major race and social justice conferences. His second book, How to Say I Love You in Indian, is in its third printing. He hosts a weekly podcast, Breakdances with Wolves – Indigenous Pirate Radio, which is available on Soundcloud and iTunes.