Ada Deer, BSW ’57, 1935-2023

Ada Deer, BSW ’57 was a remarkable force. We were lucky to count her as an alumna, social worker, and distinguished lectuerer.

She was the first Menominee to earn an undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin. She was the first Native American to receive an MSW from the Columbia University School of Social Work. Her work on behalf of the Menominee led to the Menominee Restoration Act of 1972, which officially returned the Menominee Reservation to federally recognized status. Because of this accomplishment, Deer became the first woman to chair the Menominee Tribe in Wisconsin. In 1992, she became the first Native American woman in Wisconsin to run for U.S. Congress. In 1993, Deer was appointed assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, as head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She was the first Native American woman to hold that position. While in office, she helped set federal policy for more than 550 federally recognized tribes.