up a ▁Hans ka ▁L ug er ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁Fort ▁Y ates , ▁North ▁Dak ota , ▁on ▁the ▁Stand ing ▁Rock ▁Res ervation , ▁and ▁currently ▁lives ▁in ▁New ▁Mexico . ▁He ▁is ▁an ▁en rolled ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Three ▁Aff ili ated ▁Trib es ▁of ▁the ▁Fort ▁Ber th old ▁Res ervation ▁and ▁is ▁Mand an , ▁H id ats a , ▁Ari ka wa , ▁and ▁also ▁has ▁Lak ota , ▁Aust rian , ▁and ▁Norwegian ▁her itage . ▁His ▁parents ▁are ▁Kath y ▁" El k ▁Woman " ▁Whit man ▁( F ort ▁Ber th old ▁Res ervation ) ▁and ▁Robert ▁" B ru z " ▁L ug er . ▁After ▁his ▁parents ▁divor ced , ▁he ▁moved ▁with ▁his ▁mother ▁and ▁five ▁sib lings ▁to ▁Phoenix , ▁Arizona , ▁where ▁his ▁mother , ▁an ▁artist , ▁sought ▁a ▁market place ▁for ▁car ved ▁stone ▁sculpt ures . ▁He ▁spent ▁sum mers ▁on ▁his ▁father ' s ▁ran ch ▁on ▁the ▁Stand ing ▁Rock ▁Res ervation . ▁The ▁artist ▁cred its ▁his ▁mother ▁and ▁his ▁ancest ors ▁for ▁providing ▁the ▁confidence ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁liv elihood ▁as ▁an ▁artist , ▁and ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁personal ▁cre ative ▁voice . ▁ ▁Education ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁L ug er ▁received ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁degree ▁in ▁studio ▁arts ▁from ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁American ▁Indian ▁Arts . ▁ ▁Ex hib itions ▁and ▁public ▁art work ▁The ▁artist ' s ▁large - scale