Ada Deer, a very special friend of the National Women’s History Alliance passed on August 15, 2023. Indian Country Today described her as, a “force of nature” and a legendary figure whose life and accomplishments are woven into the social and political fabric of Indian Country. Ada Deer’s passionate work for justice and equal opportunity is also integral to the fabric of America’s history.
In the 1970s Ada Deer moved to Washington DC to challenge the government’s policy of Termination which a decade before had denied the Menominee their sovereignty and cut off their lifeline of federal financial support. Termination was a political, economic, and cultural disaster for the Menominee.
After years of her unrelenting work meeting with representatives and senators, writing briefs and organizing protests, President Richard M. Nixon signed the Menominee Restoration Act. In 1975 the Menominee regained its sovereignty with Ada Deer as it first chairwoman.
Her tributes list all the ways she was the first member of her tribe to graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the first to receive a graduate degree; she was also the first woman to lead the Menominee and the first woman to lead the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. All these firsts were achieved because of her amazing intellect, her bold and contagious passion, her generous spirit and her ability to inspire countless generations to take action to make the world better.
PBS Ada Deer: Making A Difference https://www.pbs.org/video/ada-deer-making-a-difference-oa1jgw/