Making a Difference: My Fight for Native Rights and Social

Making a Difference: My Fight for Native Rights and Social Justice (Volume 19) (New Directions in Native American Studies Series)

2019 National Native American Hall of Fame Inductee

This stirring memoir is the story of Ada Deer, the first woman to serve as head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Deer begins, â€œI was born a Menominee Indian. That is who I was born and how I have lived.â€ She proceeds to narrate the first eighty-three years of her life, which are characterized by her tireless campaigns to reverse the forced termination of the Menominee tribe and to ensure sovereignty and self-determination for all tribes.

Deer grew up in poverty on the Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin, but with the encouragement of her mother and teachers, she earned degrees in social work from the University of Wisconsinâ€“Madison and Columbia University. Armed with a first-rate education, an iron will, and a commitment to justice, she went from being a social worker in Minneapolis to leading the struggle for the restoration of the Menomineesâ€™ tribal status and trust lands.

Having accomplished that goal, she moved on to teach American Indian Studies at UWâ€“Madison, to hold a fellowship at Harvard, to work for the Native American Rights Fund, to run unsuccessfully for Congress, and to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs in the Clinton administration.

Now in her eighties, Deer remains as committed as ever to human rights, especially the rights of American Indians. A deeply personal story, written with humor and honesty, this book is a testimony to the ability of one individual to change the course of history through hard work, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to social justice.
Country USA
Brand University of Oklahoma Press
Manufacturer University of Oklahoma Press
Binding Hardcover
ItemPartNumber 9780806164274
ReleaseDate 2019-10-24
UnitCount 1
Format Illustrated
EANs 9780806164274

Country	USA
Brand	University of Oklahoma Press
Manufacturer	University of Oklahoma Press
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	9780806164274
ReleaseDate	2019-10-24
UnitCount	1
Format	Illustrated
EANs	9780806164274

Making a Difference: My Fight for Native Rights and Social Justice (Volume 19) (New Directions in Native American Studies Series)