This is native america calling monica brain one november night in two thousand eighteen cherise. David's a ho chunk lawyer and small business owner made history. She became one of the first. Two native women elected to the united states house of representatives. We're going to chat with her about her life and career path that led to her serving in congress. She's covered a lot of firsts in her life. She was a first generation. College student raised by a single mom. Who served in the army along with deb holland. She's one of the first. Two native women elected to congress and david's is openly the first openly gay us representative from kansas. Today we'll talk with representative david's about her new children's book. Cherise zeke voice. It's about her own journey growing up and finding her voice to connect with other people. Welcome to native america calling representative david's. We're glad to have you here. I got good to beat that. Yeah it's great to talk with you. I think the last time we talked with you. You were not an elected member of congress so We're so we're so happy to have you on the air today. Congratulations Thank you. Yeah so okay so i really enjoyed this book I got to learn a lot about your upbringing. Tell us a little bit about you. Know who you were growing up. Well i think one of the things. That was pretty amazing about doing this. project was just Kind of taking the time to think about that actually and You know. I think that a lot of times you know kids look at grownups and they think oh man they've got it all figured out I think most of us know that's just not true And and as a kid. I always so You know i mean. I talked a lot which is in the book I had to learn some lessons from that. Like how to listen as well as talk And i just. I was like a a really high energy kid In addition to talking a lot. I was like obsessed with seriously so i was running around. You know trying to Be a martial artists. Even i am not sure i knew what that meant at the time but Yeah and then. And then of course You mentioned it in your In your kind introduction as my my mom was in the army for twenty years from before. I was born until after i got out of high school so I did get the get the chance to to live in a few different places. Although my mom will joke sometimes that she joined the army thought we'd see the world and we mostly kansas and missouri. Which is how a ho chunk ends up. Ho chunk from wisconsin ends up in kansas. And so what were some of the other places that you got to to visit when you're go and live when you were a kid. Yeah what we were So we were in germany for a little while My mom was stationed there a couple of times. Actually she was stationed there when i was born And then she was stationed there when actually when my brothers were born so i have two little brothers. They're eight nine years younger than me and You know growing up on on army bases It's funny because even though we were in germany and i got to see a a a bit about You know german kind of culture and food and the language and that sort of thing You know as a as a seven or eight year old. I mostly played with other kids. Who were from all over. The united states Whose parents were were stationed Stationed there and then my mom actually got stationed in korea And was at the base near the demilitarized zone. And so I lived with my cousin. In milwaukee In wisconsin for a little while my brothers lived in black river falls which is where You know the ho chunk tribal headquarters is there. And you've got palo grounds there and So it was you know it was interesting. 'cause we lived in kansas and missouri and and then a little bit overseas you. Your mom didn't want to risk it taking you to near the dmz. Oh i think it wasn't even an option Because she When she got stationed there I think that's an interest. That's interesting. Because i always say you know you don't take your kids when you go to the dnc Yeah i think it wasn't even an option she worked with the military police When she was there you know. I mentioned in the intro that you are first generation college student but i was also reading that you actually call yourself a former first generation college student because your mom went back and went to college tells about that. Yeah and actually just then when you were when when we were talking about the my mom getting stationed in korea and I was thinking. Gee my mom should write a book. I've been telling us for years Yeah so my mom actually started taking college classes Doing you know at that time. They call them. Correspondence courses think And and that was like during the time that she was in the in the army and after she got out of the army she did a couple of things and then ended up working at the post office And she just retired from the post office About a month ago And she during that whole time was working on On her You know coursework and then she ended up getting an associate's degree actually johnson county community college. Which is where. I also went and got my associates degree and then. She got her bachelor's degree at the university of missouri and kansas city Which is where. I got my bachelor's degree and she studied history So she was doing that while she was working fulltime and with also you know For portion of that time still raising my brothers because they were You know they were getting getting out of high school And going through high school during some of that time to i'm on is just a very determined person. She sounds like Yeah if you're just joining us today we are talking with congresswoman cherise. David's she represents kansas's third district and she's ho chunk and she's our native in the spotlight today if you'd like to chat with her Or you have questions for her gives a call. Phone lines are open. The number is one eight hundred nine nine. Six two eight four eight. That's one eight hundred nine nine native so representative david's did you. What did your mom share with you about the importance of education when you were growing up and you know when you graduated from high school. Did you know that you wanted to go to college. Or did you have other plans That's a really good question. You know my mom.