Ada Deer, a former Distinguished Lecturer for the School of Social Work, is on campus this week for a new initiative aimed at improving the experience of American Indian and Alaskan Native students. The effort, called “Culture Keepers/Elders-in-Residence,” aims to strengthen partnerships between tribal nations and the university.
Deer was the first member of the Menominee to earn an undergraduate degree from UW–Madison; the first chairwoman of her tribe; the first Native American woman to run for Congress from Wisconsin; and the first woman to head the Bureau of Indian affairs. She taught in the School of Social Work for many years.
Read more about the Elders-in-Residence Program.