Ada Deer, tireless advocate for Native American rights, dies at 88 washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
When Ada Deer (Menominee) walked on this past Tuesday, Indian Country lost not only a fierce warrior, but also a pathfinder who moved the country from the Termination Era to new heights of tribal sovereignty. A mutual friend told me that Deer was determined to make her 88th birthday on August 8th. While Deer spent decades being a strong warrior for Native Americans, she should be remembered for paving the way for Native women to serve at high-ranking positions within the federal government.
A champion of tribal sovereignty, she was the first chairwoman of the Menominee in Wisconsin and the first Native American woman to lead the Bureau of Indian Affairs.