History Letter | Ada Deer

The second letter in our series is from Ada Deer, an American icon from Wisconsin. The idea of including Ada Deere came from Mary Strauss, who went to school with Ada Deer’s siser, Connie, at Shawano High School in Wisconsin. Mary Strauss said everyone could tell Ada was a born leader even back then when she was a teenager. If you have a historic woman you think would make a great candidate for History Letters, please give us your ideas in the comment section below. — Granny Bunny

Dear Ada,

My name is Ada Deer (and that may be the funniest opening to a letter I’ve ever written). I am honored to be included in this series of important women in history because I am one of the few women who are still alive. My name may not be familiar to you, so I will tell you a little bit about myself. I was born in 1935, just a few years after your great-grandmothers Ada and Shirley. I was born right here in Wisconsin in a place called Keshena, where I grew up living on an Indian reservation. I lived in a log cabin near the Wolf River. There was no electricity or running water.

The reservation was quite a change for my mother. She was from a rich family in Philadelphia. She’d left her home to work as a nurse in Appalachia and on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, where she attended powwows and learned to ride horses.

My father was Joe Deer. He worked at the tribal lumber mill. We were poor and he drank a a lot. He was always angry, but as a grown-up I understand why. His mother died during the flu epidemic of 1918 and he was taken from his family to a Catholic boarding school for Native American children. He was punished for speaking our tribe’s language. His tribal clothing was taken away, replaced by uniforms. Even his name was taken away.

I was the oldest of the five children and helped take care of my brothers and sisters. As I grew older, I was an active member of my high school and of the Menominee tribe, which is located in the northeast side of Wisconsin near Green Bay. I am a big believer in education. I studied and obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master of Social Work from the New York School of Social Work (later Columbia University). This allowed me to become a Menominee social worker and help my people.

I think one of the most rewarding things I did was lead our new generation of Native American leaders. I also led the Menominee's in their drive to restore the ties that our tribe had with the federal government. Later, I became the head of the Native American Right's Fund.

One of the happiest days of my life was December 22, 1973, when President Richard Nixon signed the Menominee Restoration Act. This legislation restored official government recognition to the Menominee tribe. I was so happy all our hard work had finally paid off. Because of my help in changing these laws, I became the first woman to lead the Menominee tribe in Wisconsin. That was thrilling.

Twenty years after that special day with President Nixon, I was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Interior by President Bill Clinton, serving as head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. I am proud to say I was the first woman to hold this position too. The Secretary of the Interior praised me for my "lifelong commitment to American Indian rights, to improving the lives of American Indians, and to the strengthening of tribal governments”. I was extremely honored. While in office, I helped create a federal policy for more than 550 federally recognized tribes. It was a lot of hard work, but I loved it. I was also a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, and I served as Chair of the National Indian Gaming Commission (that’s the casinos).

Politics aren’t my only interest though. I love social work and helping people, especially our Indian populations. I’ve taught in the School of Social Work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison since 1977, currently holding the title of Distinguished Lecturer. Since 1999, I’ve been the director of the American Indian Studies Department at UW–Madison. I am a co-founder of Milwaukee's Indian Community School. I also created the first program at the University to provide social work training on Native American reservations. I am a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics. I am also a fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government

I have lived a very long and happy life. Along the way, I gained some wisdom I want to share with you, so your life can be long and happy too. I think everything important I have to say can be summarized in what I told the Washington Post when they interviewed me:

“Mainly I want to show people who say nothing can be done in this society that it just isn't so. You don't have to collapse just because there's federal law in your way. Change it! One can do anything we want if we stick to it long enough. Persevere.”

And I hope you persevere, and keep trying when it matters. I am so proud of the person you will be and the things you will do, Ada.

Persevere,

Ada Deer

THE ADA DEER CHALLENGES

Try one or do them all if you can.

Write a letter to your State Senators about an issue that is important to you.
Wear a tee-shirt that that relays an important message that touches your heart.
Try your best to get a good education and learn as much as you can.
Stand up against bullying and racism against Native American tribes.