Making a Difference: My Fight for Native Rights and Social Justice (Volume 19)

New Directions in Native American Studies

by Ada Deer, Charles Wilkinson (Foreword), Theda Perdue (Contributor)

2019 National Native American Hall of Fame Inductee

This stirring memoir is the story of Ada Deer, the first woman to serve as head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Deer begins, “I was born a Menominee Indian. That is who I was born and how I have lived.” She proceeds to narrate the first eighty-three years of her life, which are characterized by her tireless campaigns to reverse the forced termination of the Menominee tribe and to ensure sovereignty and self-determination for all tribes.

Deer grew up in poverty on the Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin, but with the encouragement of her mother and teachers, she earned degrees in social work from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Columbia University. Armed with a first-rate education, an iron will, and a commitment to justice, she went from being a social worker in Minneapolis to leading the struggle for the restoration of the Menominees’ tribal status and trust lands.

Having accomplished that goal, she moved on to teach American Indian Studies at UW–Madison, to hold a fellowship at Harvard, to work for the Native American Rights Fund, to run unsuccessfully for Congress, and to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs in the Clinton administration.

Now in her eighties, Deer remains as committed as ever to human rights, especially the rights of American Indians. A deeply personal story, written with humor and honesty, this book is a testimony to the ability of one individual to change the course of history through hard work, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to social justice.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Indigenous, History, Biography Memoir, Native American, Social Justice

232 pages, Hardcover

Published October 31, 2019

Reviews

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Making a Difference is a testament to Ada Deer's phenomenally important place in Indigenous history. It seems most everyone I know knows who Ada Deer is, at least in name, and it's no surprise. With her important role in Menominee restoration following U.S. federal Termination of the tribe's sovereign rights, she's long been an important name in Native America. Her 1990s service in the BIA as assistant secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs, too, made her name synonymous with shaking up D.C. and making change happen.

This autobiography written with Theda Perdue is a thorough remembering of Deer's long life. Beginning in her childhood in Menominee with her parents and siblings to her college years in the University of Wisconsin system to her work as a social worker, this book has an almost overwhelming amount of detail. Don't get me wrong, it's written in a matter-of-fact style with contextual history and analytical statements about the struggles of Native America. It's like an elder telling a story. Still, it's incredibly difficult to keep track of all Deer has done over her 85 years. Truly, the fact that her many roles and actions become overwhelmingly difficult to keep track of past the halfway point is a testament to just how much work Deer has done for her people, for all Indigenous people in what is now the U.S.

I honestly don't read many autobiographies, but this one was a must-read and I urge you to pick it up too if you have any interest in 20th century American Indian history and Indigenous activism.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve had my eye on this one since it became a staff selection at my library. Since one of the items on our reading challenge this year is to read a staff selection (not your own), I picked it up.
This book made quite an impression on me. Ada Deer’s tenacity in fighting and eventually reversing the government termination of the Menominee was incredible. I can’t imagine having the strength and energy to keep going with all the obstacles and red tape she and her fellow fighters encountered. It’s a really amazing story. It’s also infuriating to see how state and federal government kept finding ways to pull the rug out from under so many different tribes in the country, and how hard it was to fight against it. It’s despicable. I hadn’t heard about termination before I read this—I think a lot of it started when I was still a child—but I still wonder why it isn’t more widely known.

She talks a lot about her mother’s influence. A good chunk of the book is about her family and upbringing. Besides being quite interesting, it was important to understanding where Deer got a lot of her fire.

I recommend reading the introductory material that explains how the book was written—a combination of interviews with Deer and documentation from her period with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (and probably some other stuff I’ve already forgotten). The result is conversational, but well-documented. It gives a detailed account of what happened to the Menominee in Wisconsin, but it also has a wider discussion of what was happening to tribes all over the country.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the SW school community read for this year and I am interviewing Ms. Deer on 11/4. Ms. Deer was born into such impoverished circumstances, but managed to make a huge impact on the world. A large part of her success if attributable to her mother who found ways to enrich Ms. Deer's and her siblings lives when they were young children.

As a book, the text is less personal that I would have hoped. She describes important work in her struggle for Menominee restoration and work with the BIA, but in many places it feels more like a choronology and less like a story.

I am looking forward to talking with her to discover more details and personal reactions to some of the amazing moments of her life.

[Phoebe S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. An utterly incredible memoir where Ada's grit, determination, sense of humor, relatability and thoughtfulness shines through. From commiserating with Ada's struggles in home economics, laughing at her puns she made during her run for Congress, to being enraged at the ways in which the federal government still tries to infringe upon Indian sovereignty, even after the era of outright termination, it was all incredibly informative, and the meditations on why such problems such as ambivalence towards education from Native people existed (hint: colonialism) were incredibly thought-provoking. I read this book to learn about Menominee termination and restoration, but it taught me so much more, and gave me unexpected glimpses into brief Hollywood stardom and the Queen's Jubilee. Nobody can say Ada Deer's life was uneventful, that's for sure.

This was created through a process of interviews, and I think that's partially responsible for why it works so well. The tone feels conversational and fluid, like Ada invited you to her home in Madison and you're having a chat, and even though I took copious notes because it was just so interesting, I still felt that tone throughout the book.

About the only critique I'd have is how Ada treats the Menominee opposition when she talks about tension over the restoration plan. Granted, she probably knows better than I do, but she comes across as a bit dismissive of their concerns and I'd definitely like to hear a memoir from someone who had grievances and was on the other side. Still, even there she's gracious, even if those old wounds and tensions are still palpable in her words.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an incredible woman with unfathomable energy and resilience. This memoir is a fascinating look at her life and the work she continues to do without any signs of slowing down even after her “first eighty-three years”.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing woman. She tells her story just like she lives her life- straight to the point, no extra frills, and unafraid to do what needs to be done. Her boldness to see a problem and work to fix it is inspiring! Worth the read!

[Boston64329 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Amazing piece of American Indian history. More people should know about Ada Deer. Her life long dedication to the cause of justice, education of and for American Indians, the end of Termination and the struggle to restore national sovereignty are momentous. It is yet another very and too long history of injustice which is clearly happened through many generations and federal administrations.
Not a long book and easy to read but has plenty of American Indian history through her very active life of advocacy on behalf of her own Menominee and other American Indian nations.

[Nemmie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought two copies of this memoir, one for me and one for my mother (Ada was kind enough to write a message in my mom's copy). We read at the same time and compared notes.

My mom is Menominee, like Ada - they lived on the same road on the Rez, in fact. My mom was good friends with Ferial (Ada's younger sister). My mom noted several portions about growing up on the Menominee Reservation and Ada's family that were inaccurate or misconstrued. Whether these were exaggerated for dramatic effect or just not remembered/noted correctly (Ada is, after all, in her 80s at the time of writing), I am unsure.

Even given that, however, it is important to focus on the incredible career of Ada Deer. She is a force that made real change in the lives of many, many Native Americans. Her legacy is incredible and we are lucky to have had her serve in our government on behalf of our people. I really enjoyed reading her story.

[Isabelle Leventhal]

This memoir of the first Native Head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs was super interesting and informative. I think we often talk about Native American history as the trail of tears/ending when they were sent to reservations but that's obviously not the case. To hear about the termination of their Federal aid, the allotment attempts, and how similar things happened to different Native Nations was really interesting. Especially since it was all taking place in Wisconsin. I also thought hearing about all of her early work as a Social Worker and programs like the Waite House and PRIDE gave great insight into how policy can facilitate the building of communities.

Super recommend esp for health and human services policy nerds.

[Priya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this memoir because I was inviting Ada to speak at an event I organized, and I am so honored to have met this remarkable woman and learned about her life experience. The work she has done for her Tribe, and in service has been incredible.

If you want to hear her live in action, check out her talk during this keynote event at Red Rocks Amphitheater in October 2019.

[Harry Allagree · Rating 4 out of 5]

By any account, Ada Elizabeth Deer, who died on August 15, 2023, was a true mover & shaker in the the cause of all indigenous people. Thankfully, she left this book, published in 2019, as a sort of memoir of her astounding career.

The book is full of details of all that Ada Deer accomplished up to her retirement in 2007, though she entitled the last chapter "Still an Activist". She won many battles for good among Indian tribes, and lost a lot of others due to the selfishness and greed for power of many politicians & others in leadership positions. As she ends her book, she notes a warning for some serious issues still to be addressed. "This current crisis, like much of my public life, involves principles that I hold near and dear. American Indian tribes retain sovereignty and have the right to determine their own future. American Indians also have the right to education, health care, housing, and employment. Securing these rights is a constant struggle, but if Indian people and Indian tribes work together, we can protect our common good and confront our common enemies...As I reflect back over my first eighty-three years, I am appalled that a third of American Indian children still live in poverty. Crime, poverty , and suicide rates on reservations remain disproportionately high, and too many reservation schools are underachieving...We as individuals cannot simply take up air and space. We need to work as individuals, communities, and tribes to create a better world...Ignorance, racism, and greed continue to threaten Native people, tribes , and resources. We must remain vigilant, prepared to defend our rights and ready to make a difference."

[Andrew Wehrheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading about the life and experiences of Ada Deer. She has experienced and accomplished so much in her life. I was challenged and enriched by the perspective of someone who struggled for social justice within the systems of power.

I tend to have more of a radical lens, skeptical of participation within systems of power. But I was left in admiration reading about her commitment to her Menominee people, to all Indigenous peoples, and to all oppressed people, as well as by her accomplishments (amidst many losses and heartaches) in the fight for social justice.

This book also gives a lot of space to the Menominee struggle to restore their tribal status after the federal government officially terminated it in 1961. I am a resident of Wisconsin and a student of history and Native American studies so I found it particularly valuable in its in depth treatment of this epic struggle and victory for the Menominee people. The history of US-Indian policy is one of blunder after blunder on the part of the federal government. Ada Deer was an integral part of organizing the Menominee people to fight to regain their tribal status, and they succeeded in 1973.

I highly recommend this book to all Wisconsinites, to all students of history, to all those who aspire to positions of influence and leadership, and to all of those interested in Indigenous history and culture.

[Christopher Steussy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book for anyone interested in Native history, politics and culture. I was led here by Tommy Orange and his wonderful novel set in the urban Indian community of Oakland who includes a central character who notes Louise Erdrich as one of his favorite authors. Her recently published and Pulitzer prize winning novel, "The Night Watchman" cites Ada Deer's autobiography in its acknowledgements. I heartily recommend all three but "Making a Difference" is a different sort of read. From her determined efforts to understand more of her mother's and father's history and her recollections of her childhood hauling water and doing homework by lantern light her story ultimately leads down a fascinating path which takes her to DC and an appointment in the Clinton administration. These chapters really get into the weeds of details that few of us know anything about about re: sovereignty, the BIA and various tribes. A gripping story. As a history teacher of 20 plus years here in America I am not surprised, but still appalled at how much I learned here.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a memoir of a Native American woman who grew up in the mid-20th century at a time when the federal government was terminating tribes, sending indigenous children to boarding schools, and shrinking the reservations that had once been deeded to the native peoples. This is the story of her life and how she became a political leader both of her people in Wisconsin and within the federal government during the Clinton administration. Some elements of her life formed the basis of "The Night Watchman" by Louise Erdrich, which I read at about the same time. This was good, non-fiction context for that novel, which was loosely based on experiences of Louise Erdrich's family members during the 1950s.

[Chris Mercado · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative, yet not always exciting read...

This is a mix of a memior, a history of her tribe/nation (Menominee), and a history of Native American/Indigineous Peoples Rights Movement.

Hearing about her life, especially her early life was very interesting. The book was informative throughout, however toward the end, sometimes it got a little dry and a little choppy, as she went through some parts of her life, it just felt a little disconnected.

[Ryan Dent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great piece of history that is important to learn about, especially as someone who lives in Wisconsin. It gives you firsthand views of the onerous methods that the American government used to step upon the Indigenous peoples of this country. Ada Deer was certainly a woman I would've liked to meet. This book also has a great account of activism, particularly Indigenous activism, shaped the United States as we know it today. I really recommend this, especially if you're a Wisconsinite.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading for every American. There is a chapter in this autobiography that is one of the clearest descriptions of how American policy towards our Native nations has adversely affected Native people at every turn. Deer has led a fascinating life of service. I only regret that I hadn't read this 20 years ago.

[Molly Sinderbrand · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was well-written and interesting. Usually autobiographies aren't page-turners, but this one was! She was an incredible person who did so much, yet is not recognized for all her work. What I liked most was how much practical advice and knowledge she imparted. I think every social work student should read this.

[David Brehmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s not the most elegantly written memoir, but that takes nothing from the character of Ada Deer. It’s an inspiring story of tenacious activism and constantly pushing for progress no matter how small or how much pushback. It also serves as a succinct primer on the appalling treatment of Native Americans both past and current.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got to page29. Maybe if I read further, I'd get to a more exciting time in her life.

[Mellisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational and enlightening

I learned so much from reading about Ada Deer’s life and work. An important piece of history that needs to be taught.