Vanessa Short Bull is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. She was born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota. She is a direct descendent of Chief Red Cloud, Young Man Afraid of His Horses, Little Wound, and the Ghost Dance leader Short Bull. She is a graduate of the University of South Dakota. She has served as the Co-chair for the Native Research Network. She was board member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe Research Review Board and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, SD Affiliate. She was previously a Nike-endorsed fitness athlete for the N7 shoe. She resides in Philadelphia, PA.

She was the former Miss SD USA 2000 and Miss SD 2002. She has competed at both the Miss USA and Miss America Pageants. She is the first woman in South Dakota to garner both titles and was the first Native American to win both state titles. Vanessa is also a classically trained dancer. She studied Dancing at the University of Utah, Ballet West Conservatory, and School of Cleveland Ballet. She was featured in the American Indian College Fund’s campaign Have You Seen a Real Indian and in the book Real Indians. She served as an officer in the Army Reserve Medical Service Corps.

Her parents are Thomas Short Bull, President of Oglala Lakota College, and Darlene Short Bull, a retired Indian Health Service RN with over 30 yrs of service. Her husband, Major Christopher Gorham, is an entomologist with the Defense Logistics Agency, prior active duty Army officer, currently serves with the Army Reserves Medical Readiness Training Command, Ft. Dix, NJ.