Bennie Sue Ridgley
Arapaho

Bennie Sue Ridgley is an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe and a descendant of the Sand Creek Massacre. Ridgley is from Ethete, Wyoming on the Wind River Indian Reservation. She grew up in Ethete and attended schools at St. Stephen’s Indian School, Beitel Elementary in Laramie, Wyoming, and Riverton High School. Ridgley is a former two-time Wyoming State Cross Country State Champion, two-time runner-up, a four year All Conference Cross Country Champion, and a one-mile state champion. She was also a Torch Bearer for the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ridgley competed at the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships, where she qualified for the prestigious seeded race. She ran with Billy Mill’s team the Wings of the Southwest Team where she placed 18th out of over 1000 runners. Ridgley ran in numerous AAU and USA meets where she was ranked 19th in the Nation her freshman year of high school.

Ridgley’s grandfather worked with the Sand Creek Massacre descendants and the National Park Service since it began in the early 1990’s. Ridgley and her siblings participated in the very first Sand Creek Spiritual Healing run, and she has been a part of the Sand Creek Massacre project ever since that time.

Ridgley has an Associate’s Degree in Native American Studies from Central Wyoming College in Riverton.