Alyce Spotted Bear facts for kids

Alyce Spotted Bear (Mandan: Numakshi Mihe, December 17, 1945 – August 13, 2013) was an important Native American leader and teacher. She was a member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.

Early Life and Learning

Alyce Spotted Bear was born in Elbowoods, North Dakota. This town is on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. She went to Dickinson State University and earned a degree in Education in 1970.

Her Work and Leadership

Alyce Spotted Bear was the leader, or chairwoman, of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Tribe from 1982 to 1987. She worked hard to protect the environment and help her people.

Protecting Tribal Lands

One of her main goals was to get money for tribal lands. These lands were flooded when the Garrison Dam was built in 1953. This dam created a large lake. Because of her efforts, the tribe received $149.2 million in 1992. This money helped make up for the lost land.

Her team also supported the Fort Berthold Mineral Restoration Act. This law helped protect the tribe's rights to minerals on their land.

Helping Her Community

Alyce Spotted Bear also made changes to the tribe's rules, called the tribal constitution. These changes gave more power to the Tribal Business Council. This council helps manage the tribe's affairs. She also helped students by providing scholarships for Fort Berthold Community College.

Bringing Back the Buffalo

She cared deeply about her tribe's culture. In 1983, she brought buffalo back to the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. She started with 56 buffalo from Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Buffalo are very important to Native American traditions.

Teaching and Language

After being chairwoman, Alyce Spotted Bear earned a master's degree from Pennsylvania State University. She also started studying for her PhD at Cornell University.

She taught at Fort Berthold Community College. There, she helped create new study programs about Native American cultures. She also worked to save the Mandan language. She led a project to record Edwin Benson, who was the last person to speak Mandan as his first language.

In 2010, President Barack Obama chose her to be on a special committee. This committee advised the government on Native American education. She strongly supported schools that teach children in their native languages.

Her Legacy

Alyce Spotted Bear passed away in Bismarck, North Dakota from cancer.

In 2016, a new commission was created in her honor. It is called the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children. This group looks at challenges faced by Native children. They also find ways to improve programs and help these children.