WPT ADA DEER PANEL DISCUSSION         NOVEMBER 19, 2019

- WELCOME TO THIS EVENT TO HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF ADA DEER. 
[DRUMMING AND SINGING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE]

- GREETINGS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS BRIAN MCINNES. 
[SPEAKING BLESSING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE]

- AND I HAVE BEEN INVITED TO SAY A FEW WORDS OF INVOCATION THIS EVENING PRIOR TO ADA GIVING HER PRESENTATION HERE. IN A GOOD WAY, WHAT WE WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE WAS THE VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THIS PLACE. THIS PLACE FOR ALL OF OUR FIRST NATIONS PEOPLES HAS BEEN ONE OF GREAT MEMORY, ONE OF RECOLLECTION, STORYTELLING AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. WE WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SPIRIT OF SUCH PLACE, THE SPIRIT THAT BRING OUR STORIES TOGETHER, THAT INSPIRES US TO FIND OUR TRUTH AND IN SUCH A GOOD WAY AS INSPIRED ADA TO DO THAT VERY THING. WE ALSO THINK IN THIS MOMENT AS WE PUT OUR MINDS TOGETHER, WE ASK FOR THAT GOOD CONTINUED BLESSING FOR HER LIFE, FOR HER WORK AND FOR HER CONTINUED STORY. SO IN A GOOD WAY WE JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THROUGH ONE OF OUR SACRED LANGUAGES, A LANGUAGE SHARED AMONGST THE OJIBWA, THE MENOMINEE PEOPLES OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN, THAT WE LOOK FOR A BLESSING, WE LOOK FOR PERMISSION TO DO THIS IN A GOOD WAY AND WE LOOK FOR A SENSE OF RESPECTFUL UNDERSTANDING TO BE WITH US ALL HERE THIS EVENING. SO IN A GOOD WAY I'LL ASK FOR THAT FOR EACH OF US HERE. 
[SPEAKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE]

- THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]

- GOOD EVENING. WELCOME. MY NAME IS MIKE FAHEY, ONE OF THE MANAGING DIRECTORS AT THE WISCONSIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE YOU HERE TONIGHT FOR THIS SPECIAL EVENING. WE THANK BRIAN MCGINNIS FOR HIS BEAUTIFUL OPENING BLESSINGS. BRIAN IS A PROFESSOR AT THE SCHOOL OF HUMAN ECOLOGY HERE. HE'S AN ENROLLED MEMBER OF THE OJIBWA NATION. SO THANK YOU, BRIAN, FOR YOUR OPENING. WE ALSO WANT TO THANK THE MAD TOWN SINGERS, UW

-MADISON STUDENTS MICHAEL WILLIAMS AND OTHERS, FOR SHARING THEIR DRUMMING AND MUSIC WITH US THIS EVENING. OUR OPENING CEREMONIES ARE A PERFECT REMINDER THAT HUMANS HAVE CALLED THIS PLACE HOME FOR 12,000 YEARS AND COUNTING. WE AS A UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE 12 FIRST NATIONS OF WISCONSIN. TODAY, THIS UNIVERSITY RESTS IN THE ANCESTRAL LANDS OF THE HO

-CHUNK NATION, WHO HAVE CALLED THIS PLACE HOME FOR TIME IMMORTAL. BUT THE STORY OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN ON UW

-MADISON CAMPUS IS NOT JUST ABOUT A PAST. IT ALSO CONTINUES TODAY. IT IS A STORY OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES PROGRAM, CREATED BY ADA DEER AND LED IN 1973, DEDICATED TO PROVIDING ACADEMIC, CULTURAL, RESEARCH AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT TO THOSE INTERESTED IN AMERICAN INDIANS ON CAMPUS AND IN OUR COMMUNITY. IT IS A STORY TOLD BY THE AMERICAN INDIAN STUDENT AND CULTURAL CENTER AND THE AMERICAN INDIAN STUDENT ORGANIZATION AND THEIR ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT HERE ON CAMPUS. IT IS A STORY THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE TOLD WITH THE FUTURE GENERATIONS WITH THE CREATION THIS FALL OF A POSITION OF TRIBAL RELATIONS DIRECTOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

-MADISON LED BY OUR GOOD FRIEND, AARON. IT IS A STORY THAT WE'VE TOLD NEXT

-DOOR IN ALUMNI PARK, WHERE ADA DEER AGAIN IS ONE OF THE 120 ALUMNI HONORED FOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS THEY HAVE LEFT ON THIS UNIVERSITY AND OUR WORLD. AND IT IS A STORY THAT IS TOLD WITH THE OUR SHARED FUTURE HERITAGE MARKER ON BASCOM HILL THAT ACKNOWLEDGES THE HARD BUT CRUCIAL TRUTHS CONCERNING THE HISTORIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HO

-CHUNK PEOPLE AND THE UNITED STATES AND HOW THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

-MADISON CAME TO OCCUPY WHAT LONG HAD BEEN HO

-CHUNK LAND. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU ARE HERE TONIGHT AND WE ARE ALL HERE TONIGHT TO HONOR ADA DEER. THIS EVENT WAS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF THE SANDRA G. SPONEM ALUMNI PARK SIGNATURE PROGRAM SERIES. AND I WANT TO THANK A FEW INDIVIDUALS WHO MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE, STARTING WITH CHANCELLOR REBECCA BLANK AND HER STAFF, AND THE STAFF AT THE WISCONSIN FOUNDATION AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. I ALSO WANT TO THANK PBS WISCONSIN WHO IS RECORDING TONIGHT'S EVENT AND LIVE STREAMING IT ON THEIR WEB PAGE. JOINING US TONIGHT ARE SPECIAL FRIENDS OF ADA AND ALL OF US. LARRY NESPER IS PROFESSOR OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES PROGRAM AT UW-MADISON. THEDA PERDUE IS PROFESSOR EMERITA OF SOUTHERN STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL. THE BOOK WE'RE DISCUSSING TONIGHT, "MAKING A DIFFERENCE: MY FIGHT FOR NATIVE RIGHTS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE," THE STORY OF ADA DEER. AND OF COURSE ADA DEER, WHO PROBABLY DOESN'T NEED ANY INTRODUCTION, BUT I'LL TELL YOU A FEW THINGS. ADA GREW UP ON THE MENOMINEE RESERVATION IN WISCONSIN AND WAS THE FIRST MEMBER OF THE TRIBE TO GRADUATE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

-MADISON IN 1957. SHE WAS THE FIRST MEMBER OF HER TRIBE TO RECEIVE A MASTER'S DEGREE FROM COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN 1961. SHE LED THE STRUGGLE FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE MENOMINEE'S TRIBAL STATUS AND TRUST LANDS AND THAT WORK CULMINATED IN DECEMBER OF 1973 WHEN PRESIDENT NIXON RESTORED RECOGNITION TO THE MENOMINEE TRIBE. ADA TAUGHT AT UW

-MADISON. FROM 1993 TO 1997 SHE SERVED AS HEAD OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS AND WAS A DELEGATE TO THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE. I HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE TO GET TO KNOW ADA AND I WILL TELL YOU TOO THAT NOT ONLY IS SHE A SMART, STRONG

-WILLED CHAMPION, BUT SHE'S ALSO A WARM AND HUMBLE PERSON WITH A READY SMILE AND AN EASY LAUGH AND A KNACK FOR MAKING ALL OF US FEEL SPECIAL AND WANTED. I SUSPECT THAT'S HOW SHE GOT A LOT OF THINGS DONE. SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING ADA DEER, THEDA PERDUE AND LARRY NESPER. THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE]

- THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MICHAEL. THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION. THEDA IS HERE FOR TWO DAYS. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 17 YEARS. I'M HERE FOR 17 YEARS BECAUSE OF ADA DEER. ADA FOUND ME DOWN IN MUNCIE, INDIANA. I HAD INVITED HER TO GIVE A LECTURE AND SHE CAME DOWN THERE AND WE TALKED FOR A WHILE. SHE GAVE THE LECTURE; SHE TAUGHT A CLASS AND THEN SHE SAID WHY ARE YOU HERE? YOU DON'T BELONG DOWN HERE. YOU BELONG IN WISCONSIN. AND AS MANY OF US KNOW, WHEN ADA GETS AN IDEA, SHE FIGURES OUT HOW TO GO ABOUT DOING IT AND WAS ABLE TO BRING ME HERE, DO THE THINGS SHE DID TO BRING ME HERE. SO THAT'S MY ORIGIN STORY OF THIS RELATIONSHIP. THEDA GOT TO TELL THE STORY OF HER RELATIONSHIP WHICH WAS SIMILAR. ADA CAME DOWN AND GAVE A LECTURE AND THEY WERE VISITING AND TALKING, TALKING ABOUT TRAVEL AND YOU BOTH SAID AT ONCE, I WANT TO GO TO?

- WHAT DID WE SAY IN UNISON? I WANT TO GO TO MACHU PICCHU.

- AND WE DID.

- SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ADA READ THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OF THIS BOOK TO GET A SENSE OF THE SOUND OF HER VOICE AS RENDERED IN...

- I AM A MENOMINEE INDIAN. THAT IS WHO I WAS BORN AND NOW I EXIST.

- HOLD ON JUST A SECOND. CAN YOU MOVE IT IN? CLOSER. THEY CAN'T HEAR. TRY AGAIN, ADA.

- CAN YOU HEAR ME?

- NO.

- IT'S NOT ON.
[LAUGHTER]

- OKAY. CAN YOU HEAR ME?

- YES!

- ALL RIGHT! YES? THANK YOU. I AM A MENOMINEE INDIAN. THAT IS WHO I WAS BORN AND HOW I HAVE LIVED. I AM TALL LIKE THE TREES THAT BLANKET MY RESERVATION IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND MY SKIN IS BROWN LIKE THEIR BARK. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT LIVED THERE IN YEARS, MY ROOTS GROW DEEP IN THAT ROCKY SOIL. THAT SOIL HAS ANCHORED ME DURING TUMULTUOUS TIMES. I HAVE ROOTS ELSEWHERE, GEOGRAPHICALLY, ANCESTRALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY AND THEY TOO PRODUCED AND NURTURED THE PERSON I HAVE COME. BUT MY TAP ROOT IS MENOMINEE.

- THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE]

- UNTIL SOMEONE COMES TO FIX THIS OTHER MICROPHONE, WE'LL HAVE TO SHARE THIS, ADA. WE CAN DO IT.

- THAT'S THE CULTURAL PROTOCOL.

- ALL RIGHT. SO THE FIRST QUESTION IS THE ORIGIN OF THIS. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THIS BOOK, WHERE IT COMES FROM, THE EARLY CONCEPTION OF IT AND WE'LL START WITH ADA RESPONDING TO THAT.

- WELL, WHEN YOU GET SUCH POWERHOUSE PEOPLE TOGETHER, THE LATE MICHAEL GREEN, HER HUSBAND, AND THEDA AND ME, WE'RE NOT JUST CHATTING OVER DINNER. WE HAVE SERIOUS THINGS TO TALK ABOUT. AND SO THEY TOLD ME THAT

- THEY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD WRITE A BOOK. AND I SAID, WELL, I HATE TO WRITE, YOU KNOW. I'M AN ORAL PERSON. AND I'M A VICTIM OF MY WRITING INSTRUCTORS, BECAUSE I WAS IMPRESSED BY THE MAIN POINT IS THAT WHEN YOU WRITE IT, IT'S IN PERMANENT STATUS. AND SO THEY SAID, WELL, WE CAN HELP YOU. I SAID, OH, REALLY? SO THAT'S HOW IT STARTED, OVER A DINNER AT THIS LOVELY HOME THAT THEY HAD WITH ARTIFACTS. NOW, THEDA IS VERY MODEST ABOUT HER ACTIVITIES, BUT SHE AND HER LATE HUSBAND WERE WORLD TRAVELERS. AND WHEN I MEAN WORLD. THEY HAVE BEEN OVER

- IN OVER 100 COUNTRIES. YOU PROBABLY HAVE DONE MORE SINCE THEN.

- YOU'RE EXAGGERATING. IT'S CLOSER TO 90, BUT...
[LAUGHTER]

- 15 BOOKS, 90.

- AND A NUMBER OF THOSE WITH ADA.

- SO WE STRUCK UP A WONDERFUL FRIENDSHIP, AND WE'RE TRAVEL BUDDIES IN VARIOUS PLACES. PANAMA CANAL, ITALY.

- EGYPT.

- MEXICO. TO START WITH. OKAY. SO IT'S BEEN A PROCESS WITH THIS BOOK. I HAVE NEVER DONE A BOOK BEFORE, BUT I LIKE TO TALK. AND SO THEY MODIFIED THEIR IDEAS ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD PROCEED WITH THIS. AND SO I WENT THROUGH MANY, MANY HOURS OF INTERVIEWS.

- AND 60 OR MORE.

- WOW. IT FELT LIKE MORE THAN THAT.
[LAUGHTER]

- AND YOU LIKE HER.

- WELL, THEY'RE BOTH CHARMING PEOPLE. OKAY. SO, THEN IT HAD TO BE TRANSCRIBED AND THEN MICHAEL GOT SICK AND THAT TOOK TIME AND THEN UNFORTUNATELY HE PASSED ON. ANYWAY, HERE WE ARE.

- AND THEN, AND THEN THERE WERE THINGS THAT NOT ONLY ADA COULDN'T QUITE REMEMBER ALL OF, BUT ALSO, I'M AN HISTORIAN, AND HISTORIANS BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE TO CHECK EVERY LITTLE FACT. AND SO I ENDED UP DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH IN ARCHIVES. I READ "INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY" FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END LOOKING FOR MENOMINEE STUFF. I THOUGHT I HAD COVERED EVERYTHING THAT HAD BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT ADA OR THAT ADA HAD WRITTEN. UNTIL ADA'S LONG

-TIME ASSISTANT PASSED AWAY AND HER LAWYER, WHO WAS HANDLING HER ESTATE, CALLED AND SAID THAT THERE WERE 50 BOXES OF ADA'S PAPERS FROM WHEN SHE WAS AT THE BIA IN HER STOREROOM. SO HE HAD IT MOVED OVER TO ADA'S       9 GARAGE, AND I WENT TO ADA'S HOUSE TO GO THROUGH IT. WELL, I OPENED THE FIRST BOX AND I GO THROUGH AND FORTUNATELY HER ASSISTANT WAS EXTRAORDINARILY WELL ORGANIZED. AND SO THERE WAS AN INDEX AT THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WAS IN IT AND EACH LETTER THAT WAS IN A FILE. AND SO I THOUGHT THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE THAT BAD. SO I PUT THAT BOX DOWN. AND I OPENED THE SECOND BOX. AND A RAT THAT WAS AT LEAST THREE FEET LONG JUMPED OUT AND OVER MY LEFT SHOULDER.
[LAUGHTER]

- WELL, I SENT ADA TO THE GROCERY STORE TO GET SOME RAT KILLER. AND I KEPT ON PLOWING THROUGH THEM, ALTHOUGH I MUST SAY THAT WE DID MOVE THEM INTO THE HOUSE AT THAT POINT AND PROCEEDED FROM THERE. SO THIS WAS REALLY NOT ONLY A JOINT EFFORT, BUT A TEAM EFFORT, BECAUSE WE HAD WONDERFUL SUPPORT FROM THE AMERICAN INDIAN CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, WHO ARRANGED FOR THE INTERVIEWS, ARRANGED FOR THE TRANSCRIBING AND FOOTED THE BILL FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PART OF IT. AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL TO THEM. I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL ABOUT AMERICAN INDIAN CENTERS ON UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES. WE TALK ABOUT INDIANS BEING TRIBAL PEOPLE, BUT THERE'S ALSO A SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT CUTS ACROSS TRIBAL LINES. AND I THINK THAT IN THEIR WILLINGNESS TO HELP WITH THIS AND TO FUND THIS, IN PART, I THINK THAT THAT DEMONSTRATES THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH COMMUNITY.

- THANK YOU.

- SO 60 HOURS, AT LEAST, RIGHT? ADA, PROBABLY MORE LIKE 100, RIGHT? SOME OF THAT, I ASSUME, WAS PLEASURABLE, TO REMEMBER SOME OF THESE THINGS. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MORE PLEASURABLE THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR LIFE IN THIS PROCESS OF PUTTING TOGETHER THIS STORY OF YOUR LIFE?

- WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I HAD TO TAP INTO MY MEMORY, AND THAT WAS THE HARD IN CERTAIN AREAS. BECAUSE, AFTER ALL, THE BOOK WAS OVER 83 YEARS. AND THAT WAS A LOT OF TIME TO COVER. BUT, ACTUALLY, IT WAS AN INTERESTING INTELLECTUAL EXERCISE, BECAUSE I HAD TO RETHINK AND ALSO TO REMEMBER. SO REMEMBER THAT. RETHINK AND REMEMBER FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FUTURE AUTHORS. SO AT TIMES IT WAS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I WAS IRKED WITH MYSELF THAT I COULDN'T REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS. BUT AS YOU HAVE HEARD, BOTH SHE AND HER LATE HUSBAND WERE SCHOLARS, WERE AND ARE SCHOLARS, AND THEY UNCOVERED A LOT OF STUFF THAT I DIDN'T KNOW, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS FABULOUS. LIKE THIS PICTURE OF ME FROM 1939 WHEN I WAS A TEENSY KID.

- THAT WAS IN THE BOX WITH THE RAT. 
[LAUGHTER]

- IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY. SO--

- IT'S IN THE BOOK. NOT THE RAT, BUT THE PICTURE.

- YEAH. BUT THEY WERE TROOPERS. AND THEY WORKED HARD AND MADE GOOD USE OF THE TIME. AND I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD ALL THAT STUFF, BUT I HARDLY EVER THROW ANYTHING AWAY UNTIL I'VE REALLY LOOKED AT IT. SO THAT'S WHY I DON'T ALLOW ANYBODY INTO MY HOUSE. BECAUSE IT'S PILES OF PAPERS THAT I DON'T HAVE TIME TO FILE. MY DEAR FRIEND OLIVIA BICKFORD WAS WONDERFUL IN DOING THAT. SO I CERTAINLY MISS HER. SO CHERISH YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR FAMILY AS YOU PROCEED WITH YOUR LIFE. I THINK TOO OFTEN WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. AND WE CAN'T DO THAT. EVERY DAY IS A GIFT AND A BLESSING, AND I FEEL VERY BLESSED KNOWING BOTH OF THESE PEOPLE HERE, THEY'RE SCHOLARS, THEY'RE TEACHERS, THEY'RE HUMANS AND THEY ARE FUN!

- WELL, THANK YOU, ADA. THEDA, DO YOU REMEMBER IN WRITING CERTAIN PARTS OF THE BOOK THAT WERE EITHER MORE PLEASURABLE OR CHALLENGING?

- I LOVED HEARING ABOUT ADA'S CHILDHOOD. AND HER MEMORY OF HER CHILDHOOD AND HER YOUNG ADULTHOOD, HER TIME IN NEW YORK WHEN SHE WAS AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, HER TIME THERE WORKING AS A SOCIAL WORKER. IT WAS JUST ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL TO HEAR HER TELL THOSE STORIES. I THINK THE HARDEST PART TO WORK ON WAS HER TIME AT THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. FIRST OF ALL, BECAUSE THAT'S A CHAPTER IN ADA'S LIFE THAT WE KNOW RELATIVELY LITTLE ABOUT AS IT CONNECTS TO HER. WE KNOW A LOT ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WERE ON THE FRONT BURNER AT THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS DURING THOSE YEARS. INDIAN GAMING WAS BEGINNING TO EXPAND. IT HAD BEEN FAIRLY LIMITED UNTIL ADA WAS IN THE BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYBODY WANTED TO GET ON THE GAMING BANDWAGON. AND ADA WAS IN SOME WAYS A SUPPORTER, BUT I DON'T MEAN TO TELL YOUR STORY, BECAUSE IT GAVE TRIBES RESOURCES TO TAKE OVER THEIR OWN AFFAIRS. AS LONG AS THEY WERE SO FINANCIALLY DEPENDENT ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, INDIAN TRIBES COULDN'T PLOT THEIR OWN COURSE. AND SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL AT CONNECTING GAMING MONEY AND TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY. AND THIS WAS SUCH AN EXCITING STORY BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS ONE THAT REALLY HAD NOT BEEN TOLD ADEQUATELY. AND I REALLY ENJOYED WORKING ON THAT. AND I JUST DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THAT PERIOD. YOU HEARD THAT I WAS AN HISTORIAN OF THE AMERICAN SOUTH. I PRIMARILY TAUGHT AMERICAN INDIAN HISTORY, SO IN PLACES OTHER THAN THE SOUTH, BUT I DO SPECIALIZE ON SOUTHERN INDIAN TRIBES. AND SO I LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THE PERIOD OF THE '90s IN PARTICULAR BY GOING THROUGH ADA'S PAPERS. THOSE 50 BOXES WERE AN EDUCATION FOR ME.

- THANK YOU. LET'S GO TO THAT TIME THEN, SINCE YOU BRING THAT UP, AND DETAIL THAT TO SOME EXTENT IN YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT PERIOD. I WAS STRUCK IN READING AND REREADING THAT SECTION OF THE BOOK HOW MUCH CONFLICT THERE WAS AND THE COMPLEXITY OF NAVIGATING THE VARIOUS INTERESTS AMONG PRETTY EGOTISTICAL PEOPLE WHO HAD PRETTY CLEAR AGENDAS. A VERY ANTI

-INDIAN PERSON, COULD YOU JUST COMMENT ON HOW DID YOU HANDLE THAT WITH SUCH APPARENT GRACE IN TERMS OF THE OUTCOME OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE. YOU DID RECOGNIZE 226 ALASKAN NATIVE COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS NEARLY DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF TRIBAL NATIONS. THAT WAS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO AND THAT WASN'T SOMETHING EVERYBODY WAS EXCITED ABOUT HAPPENING. BUT NONETHELESS THAT HAPPENED AND SOMETHING THAT I THINK DESERVES THE APPLAUSE THAT IT'S ACHIEVING HERE.
[APPLAUSE]

- WELL, THAT'S A WHOLE STORY. BUT, ANYWAY, I'LL HIT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS. I FEEL THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GROUNDING. YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND KNOW WHAT THE ISSUES ARE. AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THEN YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK. OKAY. SO IN TERMS OF THE ALASKA NATIVES, I WAS CERTAINLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. AND I ANNOUNCED WHEN I BECAME THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY, I TOLD PEOPLE I WANTED TO DO AS MUCH AS I COULD AS FAST AS I COULD FOR AS MANY AS I COULD. AND OF COURSE THIS SURPRISED MANY. BECAUSE BEING THE FIRST WOMAN AND AN INDIAN AT THAT, PLUS BEING A SOCIAL WORKER, THESE ARE NOT HIGH-TICKET ITEMS IN THIS SOCIETY, RIGHT? OKAY. THERE WAS A LOT OF CURIOSITY. AND THE FIRST TIME THAT I SAW THE OFFICE, IT WAS THIS KIND OF DRAB, BORING OFFICE. AND SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO SAY THAT MY FRIENDS HERE IN THE SOCIAL WORK COMMUNITY, STEVEN WEBSTER AND HIS WIFE, SUSAN, SENT ME THIS HUGE PLANT. AND THAT BRIGHTENED UP THE OFFICE TO A DEGREE. BUT I ALSO DECIDED THAT I WASN'T GOING TO HAVE JUST A BIG, LONG TABLE WHERE YOU HAD SOMEBODY AT THE HEAD, SOMEBODY AT THE BOTTOM AND THEN OTHERS IN BETWEEN. SO I SAID, BOY, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HAVE A ROUND TABLE. THEY'RE GOING LIKE WHAT? SO THEY SAID, WELL, OKAY. SO OUT CAME A TABLE LIKE THIS, PEANUT-SIZED ROUND TABLE. SO THEN I SAID, WELL, THAT'S NOT WHAT I WOULD LIKE. AND COULD YOU HAVE SOMEBODY GO TO THE GOVERNMENT WAREHOUSE. ABORIGINAL WOMAN KNOWS ABOUT THE WAREHOUSE. HELLO. I'M A GRADUATE OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

-MADISON, NOT PODUNK U. I GOT A WONDERFUL EDUCATION AT MADISON HERE. SO THEY CAME BACK WITH A WONDERFUL CIRCULAR WOODEN TABLE. AND I SAID, THANK YOU. THAT'S RIGHT THERE. OKAY. SO THEN THE PEOPLE WOULD COME IN. AS YOU'RE CONSTANTLY SEEING PEOPLE. AND EVERYBODY WOULD BE QUESTIONING, WELL, WHERE DO WE SIT? I SAID, WELL, IT'S A ROUND TABLE, YOU CAN SIT ANYWHERE AND WE'LL ALL TALK TOGETHER. WELL, THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY WERE EXPECTING, BECAUSE THERE'S GOT TO BE A HEAD AND THERE'S GOT TO BE A FOOT, YOU KNOW. SO, ANYWAY, THAT WAS KIND OF WEIRD TO THEM. SO THAT KIND OF SET THEM APART-- OR SET ME APART FROM THE USUAL.

- AND SO I WAS AWARE THAT THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF SUBTERFUGE BECAUSE OF MY BACKGROUND, BEING A WOMAN AND BEING AN INDIAN, AND AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL. EVEN ONE OF MY FRIENDS TOLD ME THAT IF THIS HAD BEEN OFFERED TO HER, SHE WOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN IT. WELL, IT'S NOT QUITE A QUESTION OF BEING OFFERED. YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A VERY RIGOROUS PROCESS TO GET NOMINATED. YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH

- ONCE THE HEADHUNTERS DECIDE THAT YOU'RE A POSSIBILITY, THEN THEY DRAW UP A LIST OF PEOPLE AND THEY THEN HAVE TO GO THROUGH A FULL FBI FIELD INVESTIGATION. AND SO I ACTUALLY WENT TO ONE OF THE OFFICES IN ONE OF THE TOWNS IN WISCONSIN. I THINK IT WAS GREEN BAY. I SAID, HELLO, I'M ADA DEER AND I'M BEING CONSIDERED FOR A PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT. AND THEY'RE GOING, LIKE, WHAT? THIS IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE ONEIDA. SO I THINK THEY DID SOME SPADE WORK THERE. AT ANY RATE, AND SO I SAID THE ONLY THING YOU'RE GOING TO FIND IN MY RECORD ARE SPEED TICKETS. I SAID, THE WORLD IS IN SLOW GEAR AND THE DEER IS IN FAST GEAR.
[LAUGHTER]

- AND OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW

- I LIKE TO BE HUMOROUS. I LIKE TO LAUGH, YOU KNOW. AND SO I WASN'T THIS IRONCLAD BUREAUCRAT, YOU KNOW, JUST SITTING THERE LIKE THIS, DUH. NO. BUT, ANYWAY, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT ABOUT ALL BUREAUCRATS. THERE ARE GOOD PEOPLE AROUND, BUT THEY'RE IN A MINORITY. OKAY?

- SO YOU SEE WHY THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN.

- HEY, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION NOW THAT YOU ASKED ME?

- I DON'T REMEMBER.
[LAUGHTER]

- ANYWAY, I WANT TO FINISH THIS POINT, THAT RACISM AND SEXISM AND ALL THESE ISMS ARE VERY EVIDENT IN OUR SOCIETY. IF THEY DON'T LIKE YOU, THEY UNDERMINE YOU. THEY LOSE YOUR LETTERS AND THEY START GOSSIPING. THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW I COULD BE THIS FAR UP. AND I'M A SINGLE PERSON BY CHOICE AND I MADE THAT WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG, I MADE THAT CHOICE. AND PEOPLE WERE KIND OF SURPRISED. HERE I WAS IN THIS HIGH GOVERNMENT POSITION, AND I DIDN'T HAVE A MAN AT MY SIDE, YOU KNOW. SO THAT UPSET A LOT OF PEOPLE, TOO. SO, ANYWAY, SO THERE WERE

- I TELL PEOPLE THAT THERE WERE ARROWS FROM THE INDIANS.

- FROM THE INDIANS AND SPEARS FROM THE WHITES. BUT I TELL EVERYBODY, I HAVE TOUGH DEER HIDE.
[LAUGHTER]

- PLUS I'M A VERY DETERMINED PERSON. SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD GROUNDING IN WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. I ALREADY ANNOUNCED THAT TO THEM. BUT THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE ME. AND I THINK SOMETIMES I GET UNDUE CREDIT FOR THINGS. BUT I'LL TAKE IT ANYWAY. SO THIS IS FOR ALASKA. THIS IS ACTUALLY

- IT WAS THE SECRETARIAL ORDER. AND I HAD BEEN TO ALASKA ON MY OWN BEFORE COMING INTO THE BUREAU. AT ANY RATE, I SAID, WELL, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS. SO I MADE A CALL AND CALLED IN THE LAWYERS. I SAID, I NEED TO BE BRIEFED ON THIS. AND SO THEY BRIEFED ME. AND THERE'S SO MUCH CHICANERY THAT GOES ON. IT WAS VERY SAD TO HEAR WHAT HAPPENED. THE SENATOR STEVENS, TED STEVENS, WAS THE SENATOR, AND HE WAS THIS IMPORTANT PERSON FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 YEARS IN ALASKA. AND YOU GO INTO THE AIRPORT AND IT'S TED STEVENS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. HE HAD A LOT OF POWER AND INFLUENCE. HE DID QUITE A LOT OF GOOD. BUT HE ALSO IN THE TERMS OF THE ALASKA NATIVE CLAIM, HE DIDN'T CONSULT THE INDIAN PEOPLE. HE HAD A GROUP OF INDIANS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE CONSULTED, BUT ACTUALLY THEY MADE THE DECISIONS.           18 HE AND HIS BUDDIES MAKE THE DECISIONS ABOUT THE ALASKA CLAIM SETTLEMENT ACT AND DIDN'T CONSULT THEM.

- WHICH DID NOT PROVIDE FOR ALASKAN NATIVES TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY.

- THAT'S RIGHT. SO AT ANY RATE THIS LIST CAME IN AND I ASKED PEOPLE TO EXPLAIN THIS TO ME. SO I SAID ALL THESE VILLAGES WERE LEFT OUT OF THE ALASKA CLAIM SETTLEMENT ACT? THEY SAID YES. I'M SAYING WHAT, TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW. ACTUALLY, I'M ALWAYS CALM. I'M NOT VERY EMOTIONAL EVEN THOUGH I'M ANGRY BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THEM A REASON FOR NOT LISTENING TO ME. AND SO I'M DIPLOMATIC. AND A READ A LOT ABOUT MY MENOMINEE PEOPLE AND THAT WAS ONE OF THEIR STRENGTHS. THEY WERE DIPLOMATIC, AND AS A RESULT OF THEIR DIPLOMACY

- I'M DEVIATING A LITTLE BIT HERE, BUT I TRIED TO BE DIPLOMATIC WITH EVERYBODY, LOOK THEM STRAIGHT IN THE EYE, TALK TO THEM, LISTEN TO THEM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF MANAGING CONFLICT, YOU CAN'T MANAGE ALL THE CONFLICTS BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE TOO DEEP AND THERE ARE LOTS OF HIDDEN AGENDAS, PEOPLE UP AND DOWN, ABOVE YOU AND BELOW YOU. BUT THOSE THAT CAME ACROSS, I RECOGNIZED OTHER TRIBES. SO THEN I FINISHED THE BRIEFING AND THEN I SAID, OKAY. SO MY SIGNATURE ON HERE MEANS THAT ALL THOSE NATIVE VILLAGES WILL BE RECOGNIZED AND RECEIVE SERVICES FROM THE GOVERNMENT, LIKE THE OTHER TRIBES DO. AND THEY SAID YES. OKAY. SO, I SIGNED IT. AND THAT JUST SHOWS YOU HOW MUCH POWER THAT ONE CAN EXERT. AND YOU CAN'T DISMISS THE PROBLEMS. IF YOU DON'T DEAL WITH THEM, THEN SOMEBODY ELSE HAS TO DEAL WITH THEM. AND SO THAT WAS ONE OF MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS, MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THE ALASKA NATIVE PEOPLE TO BE RECOGNIZED AS FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES. AND
[APPLAUSE]

- SO THIS PAPER ARRIVED AT MY DESK. I DIDN'T HAVE TO DO A LOT OF HOMEWORK. AND BY THIS TIME PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO WONDER WHAT KIND OF A PERSON AM I. I'M EXERTING, SIGNING ALL THESE PAPERS, AND I'M SIGNING GAMING COMPACTS.

- SHE'S DOING THINGS FOR INDIANS.

- YES. YEAH. I WAS DOING MY JOB.

- YEAH.

- YOU KNOW. HELLO?
[LAUGHTER]

- SO MANAGING CONFLICT IS HARD, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE DETERMINATION. YOU HAVE TO HAVE STRENGTH. YOU CAN'T LET PEOPLE TELL YOU CAN'T DO IT. OH. I HAVE TO TELL YOU PART OF THIS. SO I GET INTO WASHINGTON. I START

- I SAID, OKAY. THIS IS WITH MENOMINEE RESTORATION. SO I GO FIRST TO THE BIA AND I GET TO AN APPOINTMENT WITH THIS GUY. I STILL REMEMBER HIS NAME. SCOTT KEAT. I TOLD HIM I'M HERE TO WORK ON THE TRIBAL RESTORATION. HE SAID, NO, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT?

- THIS IS IN THE 1970s. GO AHEAD.

- RIGHT. RIGHT. BUT THAT WAS IMPORTANT FOR MY WHOLE STORY. AND SO THEN I SAID, WELL, WHO'S YOUR SUPERVISOR? SO I GO TO HIS SUPERVISOR. IT WAS A GRAND.

- OH. SHE KNOWS TO ASK FOR THE SUPERVISOR. YOU HAVE TO BE AWARE. YOU CAN'T CAVE IN. YOU JUST KEEP PLOWING AHEAD AND GO OVER THEM OR BEHIND THEM OR GET SOMEBODY ELSE WHO'S MORE POWERFUL TO STEP IN. YOU HAVE TO HAVE ALL YOUR TOOLS THERE. SO, AT ANY RATE, THE SUPERVISOR SAYS, WOW, THIS IS EXCITING. WE'LL SUPPORT YOU. SO, ANYWAYS, I'M THERE. FAST FORWARD. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALASKA. THERE HE WAS ALL THIS TIME, STILL NOT HELPING INDIANS. HURTING INDIAN PEOPLE. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE BIA AND THE GOVERNMENT THAT DON'T DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. AND IT WAS KIND OF A SWEET VICTORY TO GREET HIM AS THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO DISMISS ME WHEN I CAME TO WORK ON THE RESTORATION ACT. SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LONG MEMORY, RIGHT?

- ADA HAS A VERY GOOD MEMORY.

- YEAH. SO I DON'T KNOW. I KIND OF DEVIATE. THAT'S THE WAY MY THOUGHT PROCESS GOES. SO, AT ANY RATE, WHAT ELSE?

- LARRY IS ASKING THE QUESTIONS.

- YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. YOU SAID ABOUT THE RESTORATION IS IMPORTANT. REALLY AN IMPORTANT, CRITICAL THING. YOUR NAME IS REALLY SYNONYMOUS WITH MENOMINEE RESTORATION AND ALSO THE RECOGNITION OF THE ALASKA TRIBES. IS THAT GOING TO BE YOUR LEGACY, DO YOU THINK? HOW DO YOU LOOK AT WHAT YOUR LEGACY IS GOING TO BE?

- I DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT MY LEGACY. I DO WHAT I DO AND IT GIVES ME GREAT JOY TO HAVE THE POWER THAT I HAD IN THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY POSITION. I RECOGNIZED OTHER TRIBES AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT WERE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. AND IT WAS EXCITING. AND YOU HAVE TO

- YOU'RE UP THERE BY YOURSELF BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE. AND I KNEW THAT THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. AND SO I WASN'T BEFUDDLED BY THAT. I JUST KEPT EVERY DAY DOING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RIGHT. AND SO I'M NOT DONE YET.

- SO WHAT IS IT NOW THEN THAT YOU ARE WORKING ON? HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IN RECENT YEARS.        

- WELL, MY MOST RECENT CAMPAIGN WAS HELPING MY GODSON, BEN WIKLER, BECOME THE CHAIR OF THE WISCONSIN DEMOCRATIC PARTY. NOW, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
[LAUGHTER]

- NOW, IS HE IN THE AUDIENCE?

- ALL RIGHT, BEN!

- STAND UP. STAND UP. COME ON UP HERE SO THEY CAN SEE YOU.
[APPLAUSE]

- OKAY.

- THANKS, BEN.

- HIS MOTHER LYNN IS ONE OF MY DEAREST, DEAREST FRIENDS. AND SHE AND I ARE BOTH SOCIAL WORKERS. OUR OFFICES WERE RIGHT ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER. LONG STORY SHORT, I WAS VERY INVOLVED WITH A LOT OF THINGS WITH THE FAMILY AND IT WAS WONDERFUL SHARING THE EXPERIENCE. AND WITH BEN I WAS THERE, BUT I WASN'T HOVERING OR SMOTHERING. I WAS ONLY THERE WHEN I GOT INVITED. AND SO SOME OF THE BIRTHDAY PARTIES. AND THEN HE PAID ME BACK IN ONE WAY. WHEN I WAS 64, HE GOT HIS HIGH SCHOOL BUDDIES TOGETHER AND THEY SANG "WHEN YOU'RE 64." SO HE HAS THIS VERY INCLUSIVE AND EXPANSIVE APPROACH TO EVERYTHING. AND SO WE TALKED AND I'VE BEEN TO HIS BAR MITZVAH AND I WAS IN HIS WEDDING AND NOW I SPEND TIME WITH HIS THREE CHILDREN. IT'S JUST A VERY JOYOUS EXPERIENCE. BUT THEN HE AND HIS WIFE MOVED LAST DECEMBER. THEY CAME TO MADISON. AND NEITHER OF THEM HAD A JOB. WELL, PRETTY SOON THE WORD IS OUT. BEN WIKLER IS HERE. BECAUSE HE HAS HIS OWN REPUTATION, TOO. ALL RIGHT. SO, ANYWAY, LONG STORY SHORT, THE THEN OUTGOING DEMOCRATIC PERSON SAID SHE WAS

- AFTER TWO TERMS SHE WASN'T GOING TO BE THERE OR SHE WAS NOT GOING TO RUN. AND SO HE DECIDED

- AND SHE WANTED HIM TO KNOW THAT AND RUN. AND SO I GOT INVOLVED IN HIS CAMPAIGN. AND IT WAS REALLY FUNNY BECAUSE HE GOT ACCUSED OF BEING A CARPETBAGGER AT FIRST BECAUSE HE'D BEEN ABSENT FROM WISCONSIN. HE GREW UP IN THE MADISON AREA. SEE, I DON'T JUST DO INDIANS. I DO EVERYBODY. OKAY?
[LAUGHTER]

- WELL, IT'S TRUE, YOU KNOW.

- IT IS TRUE.

- I GET INVOLVED WITH ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE. IT ENRICHES MY LIFE SO MUCH AND I GET SUCH JOY AND SATISFACTION BEING OF SOME ASSISTANCE TO WHOEVER I CAN HELP. OKAY. SOCIAL WORKERS, WE LIKE TO HELP PEOPLE. BUT YOU GO TO SOCIAL WORK SCHOOL, YOU LEARN TO HELP, RIGHT? SO IT'S MEANINGFUL. AT ANY RATE, HE MENTIONED THAT HE STARTED TELLING PEOPLE WHAT HIS BACKGROUND WAS IN WISCONSIN. SO I'M JUST SAYING ONE EXAMPLE IN HOW IT'S REFLECTING OUT. ALL RIGHT. WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HE WANTED TO DO. HE WAS KIND OF EXPLORING. HE WANTED TO GO INTO POLITICS AND BECOME AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. BUT, ANYWAY, HE DIDN'T DO THAT. HE WENT TO HARVARD. THEN HE WORKED IN THE OFFICES IN WASHINGTON WITH SOME OF THE SENATORS. AND THEN, WELL, ANYWAY, HE CAME BACK HERE. BUT HE WAS ALSO INVOLVED WITH MOVEON.ORG. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY HE RAN AND THEN HE STARTED TELLING PEOPLE THAT I WAS HIS GODMOTHER. AND PEOPLE SAID, WHAT? SO THEN HE ASKED ME TO COME AND CAMPAIGN WITH HIM. SO I DID THAT FOR A WHILE. AND THEN I INTRODUCED HIM OR SUPPORTED HIM WHEN THE STATE CONVENTION WAS. AND HE WON. AND THERE HE IS. HE'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF WISCONSIN!
[APPLAUSE]

- ALL RIGHT. I THINK YOU'RE READY TO HEAR QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE.

- OKAY. AS YOU CAN SEE, I CAN TALK ENDLESSLY. BUT I BELIEVE IN SHARING AND CARING.

- GREAT. IF YOU COULD PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN ASKING A QUESTION. WE HAVE TWO MICS THAT WILL BE COMING AROUND. DOWN FRONT.

- HI, ADA. IT'S SHALA. HI.

- OH, SHALA.

- GREAT TO SEE YOU AND THANKS FOR THE BOOK. BUT I WANT TO ASK ABOUT YOUR TIME RUNNING FOR CONGRESS AND HOW YOU THINK THAT MIGHT PAVE THE WAY FOR DISTRICT 7.

- OKAY. GOOD.
[APPLAUSE]

- WELL, LET'S SEE. LET ME SAY THAT I FIRST GOT DRAGGED INTO RUNNING FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE OFFICE WAY BACK WHEN, IN THE '70s, AND I CAME DOWN. I WAS CHAIR OF THE MENOMINEE RESTORATION COMMITTEE. THAT WAS INTERIM TRIBAL GOVERNMENT THAT HAD TO BE SET UP IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RESTORATION ACT WAS PASSED BY CONGRESS. BUT I DECIDED THEN THAT THEY SHOULD ALL

- WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE A DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN MENOMINEE. AND I CAME DOWN TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, AND THE WOMAN SAID, NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT YOU. I SAID, I DIDN'T DRIVE THREE HOURS DOWN HERE TO TALK ABOUT ME. SHE WAS JUST ADAMANT. SO I CAVED IN. AND SHE SAID, WELL, I SAID, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? SECRETARY OF STATE. OH. I HAD A VAGUE IDEA WHAT IT WAS. AND THEN SHE ASKED, WELL, WHY? IT'S VACANT. THAT'S THE REASON TO RUN FOR SECRETARY OF STATE. IT WAS VACANT. SO I TALKED WITH A FEW PEOPLE, AND THEY SAID OKAY. WELL, THEN I FOUND OUT THAT I REALLY LIKED CAMPAIGNING. I LIKED ESPECIALLY GOING UP TO NORTHERN WISCONSIN WHERE THEY'RE NOT VERY FOND OF INDIANS UP THERE, YOU KNOW? SO THERE I AM UP THERE. NOT EVERYBODY, BUT MOST OF THE PEOPLE, OKAY? AND SO I WOULD WALK INTO THE OFFICE. HELLO. I'M ADA DEER AND I'M RUNNING FOR SECRETARY OF STATE. THEY GO LIKE WHAT? SEE, YOU HAVE TO TOUGHEN YOURSELF UP. I'M CRASHING THROUGH, RIGHT? SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO BE REALLY ADAMANT IN WHAT YOU'RE DOING. AT ANY RATE, SO THEN I SAID, WELL, THE DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE ARE, ONE OF THEM IS TO MAINTAIN THE SEAL OF THE GREAT STATE OF WISCONSIN, IN ADDITION TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES. OH. YOU KNOW, SO I SAID THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW. WELL, THEN MY CAMPAIGN TROOPS SAID

- OH. I CAME IN FOURTH IN THE FIELD OF NINE. VEL PHILLIPS WAS THE SECRETARY OF STATE. THEY SAID YOU HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN. SO THAT TIME THEN I BECAME A CANDIDATE AND WAS SECOND IN A FIELD OF FOUR. SO I SAID, OKAY. I'M DONE WITH THIS. MY CAMPAIGN TROOPS LIKE CAMPAIGNING, AND SO

- AND THEY LIKED ME AND WE HAD FUN. OKAY. SO, ANYWAY, WE THEN

- THEY CALLED ME UP THEN, SAID, YOU HAVE TO RUN FOR CONGRESS. AND I SAID CONGRESS? I SAID, WHOA, THAT'S A BIG STEP. BUT THEN I THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE I HAD MET IN WASHINGTON WHEN I WAS CAMPAIGNING FOR THE RESTORATION ACT. I THOUGHT, WOW, MANY GOOD PEOPLE. AND THAT'S A WHOLE LONG STORY. THERE'S BECOMES ABOUT THE MENOMINEES AND YOU CAN READ THEM. AND ANYWAY

- AND I COULD TALK, BUT THAT'S NOT THE FOCUS OF THE TIME HERE. AT ANY RATE, I SAID, OKAY, BECAUSE I THOUGHT TO MYSELF MANY TIMES, THESE PEOPLE ARE RUNNING THE GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW? AND YOU CAN REALLY SAY THAT NOW, RIGHT?
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]

- SO, WELL, WE RAN THE CAMPAIGN, AND PEOPLE WERE ANGRY WITH ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT ANY PAC MONEY. AND I SAID THE REASON IS I WANT TO BE UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED. AND THEY WOULD LOOK AT ME LIKE WHAT? THIS WAS IN 1992. AND SO I SAID, THAT'S THE TITLE OF SURELY CHISHOLM'S BOOK AND IT'S ALSO ON HER GRAVESTONE. SHE WAS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO RUN AND BECOME A MEMBER OF THE CONGRESS. AND SHE WAS FROM NEW YORK. OKAY. SO THEN I DIDN'T WIN

- I WON THE PRIMARY, WHICH NOBODY THOUGHT I COULD, BECAUSE I DIDN'T TAKE THE PAC MONEY, I DIDN'T DO THE USUAL STUFF, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU DO. I DON'T THINK YOU COULD DO THIS NOW. BUT I RAISED OVER $500,000 FROM INDIVIDUALS. AND THE WORD GOT OUT PRETTY SOON. AND SO GLORIA STEINEM CAME. THAT WAS WONDERFUL. 250 PEOPLE PAID $50 FOR THE LUNCHEON, HEAR THOSE TWO AND SUPPORT ME. SENATOR BILL BRADLEY, MAXINE WATERS. I HAD A VARIETY OF PEOPLE. BUT THE PRESS DIDN'T LIKE ME, WELL, BECAUSE I DIDN'T FALL INTO THEIR TRAPS. THEY ALSO WANTED ME TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT MY PRIMARY OPPONENT. HIS NAME WAS DAVID CLARENBACH. HE'S A WONDERFUL PERSON. HE WAS ON THE STRAIGHT LINE. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO JUST ASCEND INTO THE POSITION. HE WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER IN THE MADISON COMMUNITY AND HE SERVED ON SOME BOARDS. MAYBE IT WAS THE COUNTY BOARD. DO YOU REMEMBER, JONATHAN? 
[COMMENT OFF MIC]

- MAYBE HE WAS A STATE LEGISLATOR, TOO. ANYWAY, THEY WERE ALWAYS ASKING ME ABOUT HIM. I SAID, HE'S RUNNING HIS CAMPAIGN. I'M RUNNING MY CAMPAIGN. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THEY WERE TRYING TO TRAP ME INTO SAYING SOMETHING BAD ABOUT HIM, WHICH I DIDN'T DO. THEY JUST IGNORED ME. THAT WAS OKAY WITH ME. WHEN I WON THE PRIMARY, THAT WAS SOMETHING REALLY DIFFERENT. WOW. WHAT HAPPENED. SO I'M TELLING YOU ALL WHATEVER       29 YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING, YOU NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND, YOU KNOW? KEEP A STEADY HAND, DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND THEN SEE WHAT HAPPENS. SO THIS ALL WAS LEADING UP THEN TO MY TIME WITH BEING CONSIDERED FOR WASHINGTON. AT ANY RATE, MR. CLINTON SAID

- I DIDN'T WIN THE PRIMARY, BECAUSE IT'S VERY HARD FOR ANY WOMAN TO REALLY GET UP AT THAT LEVEL. BUT AT LEAST I DID IT AND I HAD A LOT OF FUN AND I MADE A LOT OF FRIENDS. SOME OF YOU ARE PROBABLY SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE. AT ANY RATE, THEN MY TROOPS SAID, OKAY, THAT'S IT. I SAID, WELL, NOW, I GOT TO TELL ABOUT WHEN I

- THE PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE PRIMARY. SO IT WAS KIND OF EXCITING. I WAS KIND OF LIKING THIS, YOU KNOW? AT ANY RATE, I SAID I'VE BEEN WAITING ALL MY LIFE TO SAY THIS. AND MY TROOPS WERE SAYING YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT, ARE YOU? I SAID YES. I'M THE CANDIDATE. YOU'RE THE CAMPAIGN PEOPLE. I DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU TELL ME, YOU KNOW. SO, ANYWAY, SO I RAISED MY HAND AND I SAID I'VE BEEN WAITING ALL MY LIFE TO SAY THIS. ME NOMINEE.
[LAUGHTER]

- ME NOMINEE. I STILL HAVE PEOPLE COMING UP TO ME AND THEY SAY, "ME NOMINEE." I THINK THAT'S A PHENOMENAL IMPACT.

- ONE OF HER SLOGANS WAS, "NOTHING RUNS LIKE A DEER."

- YEAH. AND THE JOHN DEERE COMPANY WAS UPSET. THEY THOUGHT I STOLE THEIR MOTTO. SO I SAID

- MY TROOPS WERE A LITTLE BEFUDDLED. I SAID, OH, THEY CALL AGAIN, I'LL TALK TO THEM. THEY NEVER CALLED AGAIN. I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE I'M THE PLAIN AND SIMPLE DEER. I'M NOT THE FANCY DEER. WELL, ANYWAY, I KIND OF FORGOT EXACTLY WHAT THIS PERSON WANTED TO KNOW. WELL…

- OH, I KNOW. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CONGRESS. SO THEN I DECIDED WHEN I WAS READING

- I LOVE TO READ. I COULD RETIRE FROM LIFE AND READ, BUT THEN I COULDN'T GET ANYTHING DONE. I HAVE THIS DO GENE IN ME. I READ WHERE MR. CLINTON WANT ADD GOVERNMENT WHO LOOKED LIKE AMERICA. THAT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA. HERE I AM, YOU KNOW. ABORIGINAL WOMAN SOCIAL WORKER. PLUS I WON THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, RIGHT? AND I WAS THE FIRST PERSON

- FIRST WOMAN TO BE A CHAIR OF MY TRIBE. NOW, THAT WAS ALSO HARD FOR MY TRIBAL PEOPLE, TOO, BECAUSE THE WOMEN

- SOME OF THE WOMEN AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID, WELL, OUR TRIBE HAS ALWAYS BEEN RUN BY-- OR NOT RUN, BUT LED BY MEN. I SAID, WELL, THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM, YOU KNOW? AND YOU GOT TO HAVE HUMOR IN THIS, RIGHT? YOU CAN STILL MAKE A POINT, RIGHT? OKAY. AND SO, ANYWAY, LONG STORY SHORT, I BECAME ASSISTANT SECRETARY. THAT'S A WHOLE INTERESTING PROCESS. I GOT INTERVIEWED BY VARIOUS PEOPLE AND SO ON. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.

- AND THEN SOME.

- IS THERE OTHER QUESTIONS? IF YOU DO RAISE YOUR HAND AND WE'LL COME AROUND. THANK YOU.

- DON'T BE SHY.

- HI, ADA. IT'S LINDY.

- HI, LINDY. WHERE ARE YOU?

- I'M RIGHT HERE.

- I CAN'T SEE YOU.

- WOULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MILES AND AMY HORTON?

- WELL, THAT'S A LONG TIME AGO. AND MILES HORTON AND AMY HORTON WERE VERY ACTIVE IN THE SOUTH. THEY WERE REALLY INVOLVED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE EFFORTS. AND WHAT IS THE NAME OF THAT? THE HIGHLANDER SCHOOL. YEAH. RIGHT. AND THEY PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT PART. I LEARNED THIS FROM MY FRIEND AMY HORTON. AND I DID MEET MILES HORTON. AND I WAS IMPRESSED WITH HIM. THEY HAD TRAINING SESSIONS FOR THE BLACKS DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA, AND THAT IMPRESSED ME. WE WERE ALWAYS GOING TO GO, BUT WE WERE ALWAYS WAY OVER-COMMITTED, AND SO WE NEVER DID GO. BUT I HAVE A VERY HIGH REGARD FOR THE HIGHLANDER SCHOOL AND WHAT HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF THE TRAINING THAT PEOPLE GOT THERE. YES. OH. YES.

- NOT A QUESTION. IT'S JUST A COMMENT.

- WAIT FOR THE MIC. THANK YOU.

- THIS IS YOUR FRIEND KAY. NOT A QUESTION, JUST A COMMENT. I DON'T REMEMBER IF THIS TOOK PLACE WHEN YOU WERE IN WASHINGTON OR NEW YORK. BUT A PURSE SNATCHER CAME AFTER ADA AND GRABBED HER PURSE AND IT WAS IN THE PAPERS AND I WAS SO PROUD. SHE SAID, THOUGHT TO HERSELF AND THEY QUOTED HER, MY NAME IS DEER AND SHE TOOK AFTER THEM AND GOT IT BACK.
[LAUGHTER]

- IT INVOLVED JUMPING ON A CITY BUS TO CHASE THEM. THE STORY'S IN THE BOOK.

- ADA, WHO IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PERSON YOU'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH AND HOW DID YOU HANDLE HIM OR HER?

- WAIT. WHO'S ASKING ME.

- I AM.

- WHO?

- TOM LEVI.

- YOU'RE ASKING ADA, RIGHT?

- I'M ASKING ADA, WHO IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PERSON YOU'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH IN YOUR CAREER AND HOW DID YOU HANDLE HIM OR HER?

- WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A PERSON, BUT I GUESS YOU COULD SAY THIS. I WAS WELCOMED. OKAY. WHEN I GOT INTERVIEWED, I GOT INTERVIEWED BY HENRY GONZALEZ, WHO WAS THE HUD SECRETARY AT THE TIME, AND BY BRUCE BABBITT. SO FIRST THEY TALKED WITH HENRY GONZALEZ, BECAUSE IN THE HUD OFFICES THERE, THEY HAD A PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC HOUSING FOR INDIANS AND OTHERS AND I COULD DO THAT BECAUSE I WORKED IN THE PROJECTS WHEN I WAS IN NEW YORK. AT ANY RATE, NO, HE SAID, WELL, SOMEBODY ELSE HAD

- HE WAS THERE IN THAT POSITION. I SAID, WELL, OKAY. I STARTED TO GET UP. HE SAID, WAIT A MINUTE. HOW ABOUT ASSISTANT SECRETARY? AND I SAID, NO. HE SAID, HOW ABOUT SPECIAL ASSISTANT? AND I SAID DOESN'T SOUND LIKE ASSISTANT SECRETARY TO ME. AND THEN HE SAID, WELL, WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE AN ASSISTANT SECRETARY? I SAID, OH, POWER AND MONEY. OKAY. SO THEN I GOT INTERVIEWED BY MR. BABBITT, THE FORMER GOVERNOR OF ARIZONA, AND HE WAS THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR AND THAT'S WHERE INDIANS ARE, OKAY?

- ALONG WITH THE FOREST SERVICE.

- RIGHT. RIGHT. THE MINING IS NOT THERE ANYMORE. BUT, ANYWAYS, THE PARK SERVICE AND SO ON. ALL RIGHT. SO I TOLD HIM, I SAYS, I THANKED MR. BABBITT FOR INTERVIEWING ME AND I SAID, BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE COMMENT. I SAID INDIAN AFFAIRS ARE VERY COMPLICATED. THERE'S THE MORAL ISSUE. THERE'S THE LEGAL ISSUE. THERE'S A POLITICAL ISSUE. AND THESE ALL ARE INTERTWINED AND THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE STATED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS, THAT I'M EXTENDING TO YOU MY THINKING ON THAT TO START WITH. I JUST TOOK.

- I JUST STARTED. I WASN'T SITTING LIKE THIS, PARALYZED, YOU KNOW. AND SO HE SAID, WELL, YOU CAN COUNT ON LEADERSHIP FROM ME. SO I THOUGHT, WELL, THAT WAS REALLY GOOD. I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY

- IT WAS VERY QUICK. I THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO GRILL ME. BUT ANYWAY, SO ANYWAY I BECAME ASSISTANT SECRETARY. AND IT STARTED OUT OKAY. AND I JUST DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO DO AS MUCH AS I CAN, LIKE I EARLIER STATED, AND OVER TIME MY RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

- I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM TO START WITH. I GOT CALLED IN TO THE OFFICE BY HIS ASSISTANT OR HIS DEPUTY AND HE TOLD ME I WAS DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB AND SO ON. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY GOOD. BUT, AT ANY RATE, OVER TIME IT DIDN'T JUST

- IT JUST DIDN'T GEL, OKAY? AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. I FIGURED OUT THERE WAS ANOTHER SUBTERFUGE AND I WASN'T GOING TO GET ALL INVOLVED WITH ALL OF THAT. I WAS GOING TO JUST CONTINUE. AND SO I THINK THE FACT CAME OUT AFTER I HAD

- I'D BEEN CALLED. I TALKED WITH HIM ONLY ABOUT THREE TIMES. AND EVERYBODY KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING. YOU HAVE TO SIGN ALL THESE MEMOS AND SO ON. SO SOMEHOW OR OTHER, HE CHANGED HIS APPROACH. AND SO HE CALLED UP AND I DIDN'T HAVE THE HELP AROUND ME THAT I NEEDED, EITHER. SO I CALLED UP.

- HE CALLED UP AND I WENT TO HIS OFFICE AND HE SAID, WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALASKA. AND I SAID, OH, OKAY. AND IS ALASKA INDIAN COUNTRY. AND I SAID

- AND I'M THINKING TO MYSELF WHAT KIND OF A QUESTION IS THAT? OKAY. I SAID, WELL, OF COURSE IT'S INDIAN COUNTRY, YOU KNOW. NATIVE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ON THIS CONTINENT FOR OVER 20,000, 30,000 YEARS. AND SO IN MY OPINION IT'S INDIAN COUNTRY. AND SO THEN THERE WERE SOME OTHER KINDS OF QUESTIONS. BUT THE POINT OF IT WAS THAT WAS ALASKA INDIAN COUNTRY. I SAID, WELL, YES, IN MY OPINION IT WAS. AND WE'RE THE TRUSTEES AND WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING THE INDIAN LANDS AND RESOURCES. AND WHY

- OH. SOMEBODY TOLD ME ABOUT A DECISION THAT WAS IN THE WANING HOURS OF THE REPUBLICANS, AND I DON'T QUITE KNOW WHO HE WAS. BUT, AT ANY RATE, I THINK HE WAS THE

- IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. AND HIS DECISION WAS THAT THERE WAS NO INDIAN COUNTRY IN ALASKA. AND I'M SAYING

- HE SAID, AND

- BABBITT, MR. BABBITT SAID, WELL, I'M TAKING MY POSITION FROM JOHN. JOHN. I CAN'T REMEMBER HIS LAST NAME NOW. BUT HE WAS THIS SECRETARY. HE WAS THE LEGAL GUY IN THE

- FOR THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR. AND HE SAID, WELL, HE AGREED WITH SENINITTI. SO I SAID YES. I'M JUST TELLING YOU. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE NATIVE PEOPLE UP THERE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOREVER, YOU KNOW? FOR A LONG TIME. SO I SAID, WELL, GENTLEMEN, I SAID, I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU AND YOU'RE BOTH WRONG. YOU KNOW, SO I'M TELLING BRUCE BABBITT AND THE HEADED LAWYER FOR THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT THAT THEY'RE BOTH WRONG. WELL, YOU KNOW, SO I KNEW THAT THAT WOULDN'T SIT VERY WELL. BUT I'M NOT GOING TO SIT THERE AND AGREE WITH THEM, YOU KNOW? AND SO I KNEW THEN THAT THEY WOULDN'T LIKE IT. SO, ANYWAY, I THINK THAT'S WHEN HE DECIDED I HAD TO GO, RIGHT? SO I DID MY FOUR YEARS THERE AND PEOPLE ARE STILL THANKING ME FOR MY WORK. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE THANKING BRUCE BABBITT FOR HIS WORK OR THE OTHER GUY, YOU KNOW. MY NAME IS GOING DOWN TO HISTORY. I DON'T KNOW IF THEIRS ARE.
[LAUGHTER]

- BUT WHAT GIVES ME GREAT JOY, THAT WHEN I GO TO ALASKA, PEOPLE UP THERE SAY, ADA DEER, WHAT? THEY'RE JUST SO HAPPY THAT I COME AND THAT GIVES ME GREAT JOY, THAT THE PEOPLE UP THERE LIKE ME AND THEY RESPECT ME AND THEY HONOR ME. AND I DO THAT FOR THEM, TOO. AND SO YOU NEVER KNOW THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND AN OPEN HEART. AND I SAW AS MANY PEOPLE AS I COULD WHEN I WAS ASSISTANT SECRETARY. AND I HAD SOME FUN, TOO. I WENT TO THE AUSTRIAN EMBASSY TO HEAR THE AUSTRIAN CHOIR. WHO WAS THERE BUT THE WOMAN.

- SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. THE TEENSY LITTLE WOMAN.

- RUTH BADER GINSBERG. THERE SHE WAS. JUSTICE GINSBERG. WOW. SO I WENT UP TO HER AND I THANKED HER FOR HER WORK. I TOLD HER WHO I WAS. I SAID, IT'S SUCH A JOY AND HONOR TO MEET YOU, YOU KNOW. I RAN INTO SHIRLEY CHISHOLM ONCE. THAT WAS IN THE LADIES' ROOM. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN DOWN THERE.
[LAUGHTER]

- SO, YOU HAVE TO HAVE FUN, YOU KNOW? YOU CAN'T JUST BE DRAGGING AROUND WITH ALL THESE PILES OF PAPERS ALL THE TIME. SO, AT ANY RATE, YEAH. SO I'M GLAD THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE OF SERVICE TO NOT ONLY MY TRIBE FOR RESTORATION, BUT ALSO FOR THE ENTIRE INDIAN NATIONS ACROSS OUR COUNTRY.

- ADA, WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION.

- OKAY.

- I HAVEN'T GONE TO THE BACK, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO WAY BACK HERE, WAY BACK, LITERALLY THE LAST ROW.

- HI, ADA. YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN REALLY GOOD AT TELLING JOURNALISTS WHAT THEY SHOULD COVER IN INDIAN COUNTRY. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES ARE THAT JOURNALISTS SHOULD BE TELLING THE COUNTRY ABOUT?

- OKAY. THANK YOU, PATTI LOWE.
[LAUGHTER] 

- SHE'S A VERY MODEST PERSON, BUT SHE DOESN'T GET AWAY WITH IT. I HAVE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE ABOUT HER. SHE SHOWED UP AT MY CLASS AT THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK, AND I TAUGHT

- I ORIGINATED A CLASS, CURRENT ISSUES IN AMERICAN INDIAN AFFAIRS. AND SHE SHOWED UP AT THE CLASS. AND I TOLD THEM THAT THIS WAS NOT GOING TO BE A REGULAR CLASS. I SAID, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TERM PAPER AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE

- AND IT HAS TO BE AT LEAST 15 PAGES AND THEY HAVE TO READ AT LEAST FOUR BOOKS AND I KNEW A LOT OF THE LITERATURE, SO I KNEW IF THEY WERE TRYING TO PULL A FAST ONE, I WOULD KNOW IT. AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE ONE WRITTEN TEST AND ONE TERM PAPER. HERS WAS EXCEPTIONAL. SHE WAS A WRITER, A JOURNALIST. NOW SHE'S A PROFESSOR. YAY, PATTI.
[APPLAUSE]

- BUT I GOT TO KNOW HER. SHE CAME TO THE OFFICE. WE STARTED TALKING. SHE TOLD ME THIS WAS HER FIRST CLASS UPON RETURNING TO THE UNIVERSITY AND SHE DIDN'T KNOW SHE COULD DO IT. WOW. I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY HONEST. I SAID, PATTI, YOU'RE A MATURE WOMAN, YOU'RE A JOURNALIST, AND HERE YOU ARE EXPRESSING SOME DOUBT ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO DO THE WORK. WELL, OF COURSE YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED THIS TO ME. AND THEN SHE SMILED AND SHE JUST WENT ON AND GOT HER DOCTORATE. SO I HAD SOME IMPACT ON HER AND VICE VERSA. SO OKAY. WELL, I THINK THEY SHOULD LOOK AT THEIR

- I FORGOT WHAT YOU CALLED IT, STYLE. THEY KEEP CALLING PEOPLE NATIVE AMERICANS, AND THIS IS ONE OF MY SPECIAL IRKS. WE ARE AMERICAN INDIANS, IN MY OPINION. THE REASON I SAY THIS, IT'S THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AMERICAN INDIANS. IT'S

- THAT'S AN ORGANIZATION OF TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS. IT'S THE NATIONAL INDIAN EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION. IT'S THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE PHYSICIANS. AND ONE OF THE EXCEPTIONS IS NARF, NATIVE AMERICAN RIGHTS FUND. SO I WOULD LIKE THAT CORRECTED. BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL GO. BUT RIGHT NOW THEY ALWAYS TO WANT KNOW WHAT IS THE INDIAN PROBLEM, LIKE THERE'S ONLY ONE INDIAN AND ONE PROBLEM, YOU KNOW? WELL, I MEAN, AND IT'S VERY SAD. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE EDUCATED IN OUR COUNTRY AND THEY DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT AMERICAN INDIANS, BLACK HISTORY AND CULTURE. WE HAVE TWO MUSEUMS NOW IN WASHINGTON D.C., SO THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB ABOUT EDUCATING AMERICANS ABOUT INDIANS AND BLACKS AND SLAVERY AND ALL THAT. SO I WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO DO MORE IN

-DEPTH REPORTING BECAUSE IT'S TOO OVER

-SIMPLIFIED AND LOTS OF STEREOTYPES OCCUR. AND SO IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT ISSUE, VOTING. YOU KNOW, OH, THEY ARE REALLY SUPPRESSING THE VOTE ON THE INDIAN RESERVATIONS AND INDIAN COMMUNITIES. AND THAT'S
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- INDIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT WAS PASSED IN 1924, RIGHT? OKAY. SO THEY DIDN'T ASK THE INDIANS. SOMEBODY JUST DECIDED THEY WANTED TO DO THIS, RIGHT? AND THEY DIDN'T HOLD SESSIONS ABOUT EDUCATING PEOPLE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AFTER WORLD WAR II ONE OF THE INDIANS IN NEW MEXICO WENT TO VOTE AND HE WAS TOLD BY THE AUTHORITIES THAT HE COULDN'T VOTE. WHAT? HE SAID HE JUST CAME BACK FROM EUROPE, WHERE I WAS FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AND HERE HE COMES BACK HOME AND THEY DIDN'T DO A REALLY GOOD EDUCATION OF THE STATE ELECTION PEOPLE. AND SO HERE IN 1924 THE INDIAN CITIZENSHIP ACT PASSED AND HERE HE COMES AFTER WORLD WAR II. HE TOOK THEM TO COURT AND HE WON. SO VOTING. IT'S A CURRENT PROBLEM. THAT'S ONE OF THEM. WATER IS A PROBLEM. WE'RE GOING TO BE FIGHTING OVER THE WATER. AND OTHER RESOURCES. SO A PERSON HAS TO DIG INTO WHAT TRIBE ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES. AND OH. I SHOULD SAY THAT I'M JUST REALLY ANGRY OVER THE FACT THAT OUR CURRENT OCCUPANT IN THE WHITE HOUSE TOOK AWAY THE FEDERAL RECOGNITION OF THE FIRST TRIBE THE PILGRIMS MET. THEY SAVED THE LIVES OF MANY PILGRIMS. IT'S A SMALL TRIBE. BUT WHAT HAPPENED? AND WHY DID THEY DO THIS? RHODE ISLAND DIDN'T WANT ANY TRIBAL COMPETITION BECAUSE THEY HAD A CASINO OR CASINOS IN RHODE ISLAND. SOMEHOW OR OTHER THEY GOT TO THE CURRENT OCCUPANT. SO HE JUST TOOK AWAY THAT. SO WHEN WE HAVE ANOTHER PERSON IN THE WHITE HOUSE THAT'S RECEPTIVE TO DOING JUSTICE, THEN WE'RE GOING TO WORK. I'M GOING TO GET RILED UP AND I'M GOING TO GET THOSE PEOPLE WORKING OUT THERE.
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- SO I THINK

- I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A COMPLETE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, PATTI, BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY AND THEN SEE WHAT THEY ARE. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF FEDERAL LAWS THAT HAVE BEEN PASSED AND AMERICAN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACT AND VARIOUS OTHER THINGS AND THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS OBEYED. SO THAT'S ONE THING. AND THEN OF COURSE ANY STATE WHERE THERE ARE INDIANS, THEY'RE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE PRISONS, YOU KNOW. SO, YOU KNOW,

- AND WE ALWAYS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF WHATEVER LIST IS IN THE CENSUS. SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY THE TRIBES AND BY INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE. AND ALSO YOU ALL NEED TO REFER

- TO INFORM YOURSELVES, TOO. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF BOOKS THAT YOU SHOULD READ. "THE PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF THE U.S." "INDIAN GIVERS."

- "MAKING A DIFFERENCE."
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- OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO, ANYWAY, I REALLY ENJOYED OUR TIME HERE. YOU'RE A VERY ATTENTIVE AUDIENCE. I WANT TO THANK YOU AND ECHO THE CHANCELLOR'S THANK YOU TO ALL WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THIS. AND I THINK THAT THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD DO MORE EVENTS LIKE THIS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND CONTINUE THE WONDERFUL EDUCATION THAT IS AVAILABLE TO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE.
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- SO I THINK WE ALL COULD STAY HERE ALL NIGHT LISTENING TO ADA'S STORIES. BUT PLEASE JOIN ME AGAIN IN THANKING THEDA PERDUE AND LARRY NESPER AND ADA DEER FOR THIS PROGRAM.
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- THANK YOU. AND I'M GOING TO PRESENT ADA WITH THIS GIFT.
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- SO ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AND THE WISCONSIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, WE'RE PLEASED TO SHARE THESE GIFTS WITH ADA AND LARRY AND THEDA. SO THANK YOU.
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- SO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING. YOU'RE WELCOME TO JOIN US AND JOIN ADA AND THEDA IN THE SUNSET LOUNGE FOR A RECEPTION. WE WILL HAVE BOOKS FOR SALE. SO, AS ADA SAID, READ MORE BOOKS. YOU CAN PURCHASE A BOOK AND THEY'LL BE AVAILABLE FOR SIGNING FOR A WHILE AFTER THE PROGRAM. AND A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS OF THAT BOOK SALE ACTUALLY GO TO A SCHOLARSHIP HERE AT THE UNIVERSITY IN ADA DEER'S NAME. SO YOU'LL BE SUPPORTING SCHOLARSHIPS AS WELL. AS WE LEAVE, THE MAD TOWN SINGERS WILL PERFORM A TRADITIONAL TRAVELING SONG FOR ALL OF US TO WISH US SAFE TRAVELS AS WE DEPART FROM HERE. SO THANK YOU FOR COMING. HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
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[DRUMMING AND SINGING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE]