Windy Boy, Meyers face off in race for House District 32: Jonathan Windy Boy, Democrat

Editor’s note: This corrects the amount secured for language preservation in Montana to $4.5 million.

Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, is running for re-election for the seat in House District 32 and faces challenger Gilbert Bruce Meyers, a Box Elder Republican, in the November election.

Windy Boy said he was born on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation in 1958. His mother was from Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and his father from Rocky Boy. He added he is very proud of being from the best of both.

He said he is one out of 10 children with four brothers and five sisters, adding that he lost his twin brother when he was 19 years old.

He graduated from Box Elder High School in 1976, the year that the Bears were state champions in cross country. He attended Northern Montana College, now Montana State University-Northern, he said, although later he transferred to Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute where he graduated with an associate degree in communications in 1980.

Windy Boy has one daughter and seven grandchildren, two of them twins, he said.

He added he has been a grass dancer for 58 years and serves Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation as tribal preservation officer. He said he also served on the 2018 Powwow Committee.

"Powwow has been my life shape me shaping me to who I am," Windy Boy said, adding the teachings from elders, his life experience and being 36 years drug- and alcohol-free have all played a roll into who he is.

"I'm proud to admit that's part of what shaped me into what I am today," he said.

Windy Boy said he is a strong believer in the cultural ceremonies, practicing and participating in the culture being important to him and the community.

He said has been in the Legislature for 16 years, since 2002, serving in the Montana House from 2002-2008 then serving in Montana Senate from 2008 - 2016, then back to House.

Windy Boy said is the reason he thinks he is the best candidate is that his record proves that he has the best bipartisan support and the best track record.

No matter what side of the aisle, if it makes good sense and if it positively impacts the people of the district, regardless of race, he said he is going to support it.

His first session, in 2003, he said, he sponsored a bill that he - and some other members of the Legislature - was passionate about on the Zortman and Landsky mine cleanup. He said they were successful in getting $17.5 million for cleanup, adding that it just expired in 2017.

In 2013, '15 and '17, he said, he was successful in securing $4.5 million of state general fund to fund native language preservation. Language immersion in the local population helps capitalize the local programs, making it a success in these programs, Windy Boy said.

Last session, he said, he was successful in getting $1 million for suicide prevention, with suicide rate high across the state and one of the highest in the nation. Windy Boy said that $250,000 was specifically for suicide in Native American Country $500,000 was for veterans organization to address suicide prevention and $250,000 was for schools.

Windy Boy said the Legislature needs to revisit all of the programs that cut in the special session last year, because the general population are the ones that has been affected the most.

Windy Boy said the special session held last fall to address revenue shortfalls wouldn't have happened if the Legislature had just taken Gov. Steve Bullock's proposed budget. Windy Boy said if that had been done Montana would still have a rainy day fund - a positive ending fund balance - and would not have needed to make cuts.

There are many issue that are going to be confronted in the next legislative session, including the budget process, he said.

"My priorities are different from some of my colleagues," Windy Boy said. "I think that if I get back in there I'll pursue and push forward the proposal I was working with the governor's office."  

He said, if elected, he will continue the success he has been having with language preservation and work toward solving issues in higher education.

The problem with higher education, he said, is that the seven reservations in the state have difficulties transferring the credits the students have earned in reservation institutions to off reservation students, he said.

"I want to get rid of those roadblocks," Windy Boy said. "It's all a matter of priority."