Rikki Held and her brother Jaeger were raised on a ranch family near Broadus, Montana, where she spent most of her childhood. When her parents divorced, Rikki and Jaeger boarded with a family in Billings so they could attend Billings Senior High, where Rikki starred on the soccer team. It was while she was a student at Senior that she caught wind of a pending lawsuit concerning the clause in the Montana constitution about every citizen’s right to a clean and healthful environment. The suit was being instigated by an Oregon law firm called Our Children’s Trust. Rikki contacted the firm about becoming involved in the suit, and this landmark case, which has drawn international attention, eventually came to bear her name.
In this interview, Rikki talks about how growing up on the ranch played into her attitude toward the environment and her sense of responsibility toward this place where she lives, as well as what it was like to take part in such a significant case.
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