When Kevin Montry reported for on-call work June 3, he received a special assignment he believes was destined to operate.
"When I saw the bus, I was grateful," Montry said. "I knew I was the one who was supposed to operate it – and I don't take that lightly."
The bus is wrapped in Native-inspired artwork and the phrase, "We are on Dakota Land." Montry is Lakota and Anishinaabe, and the bus reminded him of his journey and his family's roots.
"My parents didn't really teach us much growing up – we learned bits and pieces," he said. "I found our traditions later in life."
His parents both grew up on reservations. His father grew up at the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota and his mother at Standing Rock in North Dakota. They both attended schools that "beat the traditions out of them," Montry says.
As an adult, struggling to find balance and not connecting with the Roman Catholicism he grew up with, he decided to seek out his Native roots with people at the Rosebud Reservation. "They helped me find out who I was," Montry said. "It spurred me on to keep going."
Montry shared these traditions with his family, including his parents, especially the Sun Dance. His daughter now helps women learn these traditions for the first time.
"There's an energy force guiding me," he said. "Everything worked out the way it's supposed to."
He's pleased that this bus will be in service throughout the summer. "We're still here," Montry said. "This makes me feel proud."
About the artwork
Ramsey County and the Metropolitan Council recently teamed up with five artists –Andreìs Guzmaìn, CRICE, Marlena Myles, Xee Reiter and Witt Siasoco – to develop unique designs welcoming park users and creating a sense of belonging for all. As an extension of that work, Myles created the artwork on the Metro Transit bus. Other artwork can be seen at Keller Regional Park in Saint Paul.
Continue reading: Artists help realize vision for inclusive, welcoming parks
Watch: The story behind the Metro Transit bus that honors Indigenous culture, and its first driver