We were kind of questioning that. Rusche is an Assiniboine and Sioux tribal member from Montana's Fort Peck Reservation and Standing High is a Sioux from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Both are third-year law students. Another UM team, second-year students Eldena Bear Don't Walk and Dan Decker Jr., placed 10th in the competition. Bear Don't Walk is Salish and Crow from the Flathead and Crow reservations in Montana.
Decker is also Salish.
The students each received individual plaques as well as three plaques for their team awards, Standing High said. Teams from Hawaii and Ohio placed first and second in the overall competition. Rusche said Thursday that he and Mato worked with coaches and practiced against Bear Don't Walk and Decker to get ready for the event. We felt we were well prepared. Rusche said he will take the bar exam in July and plans to practice Indian law for his tribes.