Pelagie Faribault was a métis (Native and European) woman who received Wita Tanka (Big Island, also called Pike Island) from her Dakota kin as part of an 1820 treaty with the United States. The Faribault family had influence among their Dakota relatives, and Pelagie in particular was known for her acts of generosity.
In the 1970s, Maude became concerned that Ojibwe people were forgetting their history and culture. Inspired to make a change, she set out on a mission to lift her memories from her mind and record them on paper. She enlisted the help of scholarly writers and produced several books: When I Was A Little Girl (1976), At The End of the Trail (1978), What My Grandmother Told Me (1983), and Portage Lake (1991).
A persistent voice for Native children and their families, Myers focused on education policy as well as learning opportunities for Native students. She also produced curricula and resource materials that reflected Native American history and culture for all Minnesota learners.
Pat Bellanger was an Ojibwe activist and a cofounder of the American Indian Movement (AIM) who spent over fifty years fighting for Indigenous rights on a national and local level.
Secretary Deb Haaland made history when she became the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary.
1700s Chipewyan woman
The first North American indigenous person to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church
Rosalinda Guillen is a farmworker and justice leader as well as the Executive Director of Community to Community Development.
Susan Balbas is the co-director of the Na’ah Illahee Fund, an organization based in the Pacific Northwest which focuses on supporting Indigenous communities and environmental conservation efforts.
Tracy Rector is a storyteller, educator, filmmaker, coordinator, co-founder of Longhouse Media non-profit organization, multi-media artist, and a 2016 Stranger Genius.