Winona LaDuke is a Native American economist, environmentalist, and writer, known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation, as well as sustainable development.
Born August 18, 1959, in Los Angeles. Her father was from the Ojibwe White Earth Reservation in Minnesota, and her mother of Jewish European ancestry. Due to her father's heritage, she was enrolled with the Ojibwe Nation at an early age, but did not live at White Earth, or any other reservation, until 1982. She started work at White Earth after graduating from college, when she got a job there as principal of the high school.
Soon after, LaDuke became an activist for numerous causes, including the Indigenous Women's Network, the fight to recover lands for the Anishinaabe through White Earth Land Recovery Project, environmental efforts of Honor the Earth, and Dakota Access Pipeline protests.
In 1996 and 2000, LaDuke was the vice-presidential candidate of the United States nominee of the Green Party, with running mate Ralph Nader for president.
April 12, 1994 - Native American environmentalist and writer Winona LaDuke speaks at the Woman's Club of Minneapolis on the difference between indigenous and industrial ways of thinking. She also discusses feminism, environmental racism and broken treaties.
September 7, 1994 - MPR’s Leif Enger reports on The Tamarac Refuge area, and White Earth Reservation’s attempts to reclaim land for the Native American tribe. Segment includes numerous interviews and views from tribal members, wildlife management, politicians, and nearby Detroit Lake residents.
September 8, 1994 - MPR’s Dan Gunderson reports on restoring the Anishinabe land of White Earth. Both tribal government and a land recovery project are working to regain control of reservation lands.
December 28, 1994 - MPR’s Joelle Audette profiles Native American enivironmentalist activist Winona LaDuke, who is involved in a land recovery project for the White Earth Indian Reservation. Report includes interview with LaDuke on her various activities.
August 30, 1996 - MPR’s Gary Eicthen interviews Winona LaDuke, vice-presidential pick of Ralph Nader in the 1996 election. LaDuke, a Native American of the White Earth Reservation, is an environmentalist and writer.
July 14, 2000 - MPR’s Lorna Benson interviews Ojibwe activist and White Earth band member Winona LaDuke, who is running mate for Green Party presidential hopeful Ralph Nader. The two ran together on the Green Party ticket four years ago but weren't able to capture any electoral votes. LaDuke says this time around, she and Nader are planning a much more aggressive campaign.
September 22, 2000 - MPR’s Laura McCallum interviews Winona LaDuke, vice-presential candidate for Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader. LaDuke discusses the Green Party platform and local support in Minnesota.
November 10, 2000 - Some Democrats are blaming The Green Party and Ralph Nader, in part, for the closeness of the presidential election. They say Nader and his backers cost Al Gore thousands of votes in Florida and other states in Tuesday's election. Nader's running mate, Winona LaDuke, says that the criticism of Nader is misplaced.
July 27, 2001 - Tom Robertson reports on the people of White Earth in northwestern Minnesota trying to bring back the lake sturgeon. The tribe is working to restore the fish and reclaim its heritage. Officials on the White Earth Indian Reservation say when the sturgeon disappeared, so did an important part of their culture.
March 8, 2005 - White Earth has become the first reservation in the country to ban the introduction or growth of genetically modified wild rice seeds. Now, some White Earth Band members want to take it one step further. They want the Legislature to ban genetically modified wild rice statewide. Wild rice experts with the University of Minnesota, however, say the tribe's worries are unwarranted. The lakes and rivers on the White Earth Indian Reservation in northwest Minnesota are an ideal habitat for wild rice, and an important cultural food to the Ojibwe people.