📚✏️DID YOU KNOW about these five incredible Indigenous activists and leaders from across Turtle Island and Abya Yala? On this Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting five remarkable women who helped advanced Indigenous rights and set a strong example for all. These activists are Nora Thompson Dean, Wilma Mankiller, Tarcila Rivera Zea, Rigoberta Menchu, and Nina Pacari Vega.
Nora Thompson Dean (1907-1984), also known as Weènchipahkihëlèxkwe, was a member of the Delaware tribe and one of the last fluent Unami speakers. She was a Lenape herbalist and teacher who helped preserve Lenape culture. https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/nora-thompson-dean
Wilma Mankiller (1945-2010) was a Cherokee activist and the first woman to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1985. Mankiller began advocating for tribal sovereignty and Indigenous rights in Oakland, California, inspired by the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz Island.
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/wilma-mankiller
Tarcila Rivera Zea (1950-present) is a Quechan activist from Peru and a member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. She is a leader of the Indigenous women’s movement and founded CHIRAPAQ in 1986 to strengthen Indigenous rights and empower rural Indigenous women. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2017/4/in-the-words-of-tarcila-rivera-zea
Rigoberta Menchu (1959-present) is a K’iche’ Guatemalan human rights activist and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992. She is recognized for her advocacy for Indigenous rights during the Guatemalan Civil War. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rigoberta-Menchu
Nina Pacari Vega (1961-present) is a Kichwa activist, politician, and lawyer from Ecuador. Since the 1980s, she has led the Indigenous women’s movement and worked to help Indigenous communities gain official recognition of their rights and cultures. https://www.yachana.org/research/pacari.pdf
#IPDphilly #DidYouKnow #Indigenous #WomensHistoryMonth #IndigenousWomen #IndigenousActivists #TurtleIsland #NoraThompsonDean #Lenape #WilmaMankiller #Cherokee #USA #TarcilaRiveraZea #Quechan #Peru #RigobertaMenchu #K’iche’ #Guatemala #NinaPacriVega #Kichwa #Ecuador #AbyaYala
