Ada Deer - A Leader for Native American Rights

Born: August 7, 1953, Keshena, Wisconsin, Menominee Indian Reservation, U.S.A.
Died: August 15, 2023, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

Ada Deer was a Menominee leader who fought to restore tribal rights and worked in government to protect Native American sovereignty and self-determination.

Born on August 7, 1935, in Keshena, Wisconsin, on the Menominee Indian Reservation, Ada Deer was an important leader who worked hard to help Native American people. She was a member of the Menominee Tribe and the oldest of five children. When Ada was very young, her mother took her to tribal meetings. These meetings helped Ada learn about leadership and speaking up for what is right.

Ada loved school and learning. She went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison and became the first person from the Menominee Tribe to graduate from that school. Later, she went to Columbia University in New York and became the first Native American person to earn a master’s degree in social work.

After college, Ada worked as a social worker. She helped people in many places, including cities like New York and Minneapolis. Ada saw how hard life was for many Native families. She wanted to make things better.

In the 1950s, the federal government passed laws that tried to end the special relationship between tribes and the United States. This was called “termination.” The Menominee Tribe lost its federal recognition, and life became very hard on the reservation. Houses, schools, and services were lost. The people needed help, and Ada Deer stepped up.

Ada joined a group called DRUMS (Determination of Rights and Unity for Menominee Shareholders). She worked with others to convince Congress to change the law. After years of hard work and talking with leaders in Washington, Congress passed the Menominee Restoration Act on December 22, 1973. This law restored the tribe’s federal status and helped the Menominee people regain control of their land and government.

Because of this success, Ada became the first woman to lead the Menominee Tribe. She served as chair of the tribe and helped write a new tribal constitution. Her work showed that Native people could fight for justice and win.
Ada also tried to help in elections. She ran for Wisconsin’s secretary of state twice. In 1992, she became the first Native American woman in Wisconsin to run for the U.S. Congress. Even though she did not win, many people admired her courage.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed Ada Deer to be the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior. This job put her in charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the part of the government that works with tribes. She was the first Native American woman to have this important job. In Washington, she worked to strengthen tribal rights and help tribes manage their own affairs.

Ada also worked as a teacher and leader at the University of Wisconsin. She helped develop programs that taught students about Native American history and culture. Later, she became the director of the American Indian Studies Program. Many students learned from and were inspired by her.

Ada Deer received many awards and honors for her work. In 2019, she was inducted into the National Native American Hall of Fame. People remember her for her courage, leadership, and lifelong commitment to justice.

References:
“Ada Deer.” Wisconsin Women Making History, womeninwisconsin.org/profile/ada-deer/.
“Ada Deer.” The Institute of Politics at Harvard University, iop.harvard.edu/fellows/ada-deer.
Davis, Jennifer. “Ada Deer: Advocate for Tribal Sovereignty: In Custodia Legis.” The Library of Congress, 30 Nov. 2023, blogs.loc.gov/law/2023/11/ada-deer-advocate-for-tribal-sovereignty/.

Keywords:
Civil Rights, Justice, Courage, Perseverance, Achievement, Responsibility, Challenge Injustices, Stand Up for Your Beliefs