Ingrid Washinawatok facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ingrid Washinawatok
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| Born | July 31, 1957 |
| Died | c. February 25, 1999 (aged 41) |
| Nationality | Menominee |
| Other names | O'Peqtaw-Metamoh Flying Eagle Woman |
| Known for | Indigenous rights activism |
Ingrid Washinawatok El-Issa, also known as O'Peqtaw-Metamoh or Flying Eagle Woman, was a proud member of the Menominee Nation from Wisconsin. She was a strong voice for the rights of Indigenous peoples around the world. Sadly, she was killed by a group called FARC in Colombia when she was 41 years old. She was a wife and a mother to her 14-year-old son, Maehkiwkasic, whose name means "Red Sky."
Growing Up
Ingrid was born in Keshena, Wisconsin. Her parents, James and Gwendolyn Washinawatok, started a group to get Menominee Nation land back and stop it from being sold. Her family later moved to Chicago, Illinois. There, Ingrid and her sister, Regina, went to St. Sylvester School. Ingrid finished school in 1971.
While in Chicago, the family used the last name White. But every summer, the sisters stayed on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Both sisters attended Alvernia High School in Chicago. During Ingrid's high school years, her family moved back to Wisconsin. Ingrid then graduated from John F. Kennedy Preparatory High School in St. Nanianz, Wisconsin. Once back in Wisconsin, she convinced her family to use their original name, Washinawatok, again.
Ingrid went to the University of Minnesota. There, she became involved with the American Indian Movement. She later joined the International Indian Treaty Council. She also studied in Cuba, where she learned Spanish and met her future husband, Ali El-Issa.
Working for Human Rights
The International Indian Treaty Council asked Ingrid to move to New York City. She helped manage their office there. Later, she became the executive director of the Fund for the Four Directions in New York. In this role, she helped decide which groups would receive money to support their work. She also started a project to help keep Indigenous languages and cultures alive.
Ingrid was very active in many important groups. She led the committee for the United Nations International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. She also represented Indigenous groups at the UN Commission on Human Rights. She was a board member of the American Indian Community House. She helped start the Native American Council in New York. Ingrid also co-chaired the Indigent Women's Network. She was a member of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations.
Ingrid Washinawatok was a well-known speaker. She traveled all over the world to talk about the rights of Indigenous peoples. She also helped make a film called Warrior. She received many awards for her work. These awards came from Native American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and African American communities. For example, she received the Fannie Lou Hamer Award in 1997 for helping Indigenous peoples. She also got the Frederick Douglass Award in 1995 for her work for justice.
Mary Robinson, who was the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said, "Ingrid was known as a tireless defender of the rights of Indigenous peoples."
Her Tragic Death
In 1999, Ingrid Washinawatok, along with two other activists, Lahe’ena’e Gay and Terence Freitas, went to Colombia. The U'wa people had asked them for help. The U'wa wanted to set up a school to protect their culture and language. They also needed help defending their lands from oil companies.
On February 25, 1999, while traveling with the U’wa people, the three activists were taken by a group called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). About a week later, Ingrid and her friends were found murdered. Their bodies were found across the border in Venezuela.
At first, the FARC denied what happened. But later, they said that one of their commanders had captured and killed the activists without asking his leaders.
Remembering Ingrid
The Menominee Nation honored Ingrid with a special warrior's funeral. A memorial service was also held for her in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. The song "Nuevas Señoritas" by the Indigo Girls was written in memory of Ingrid Washinawatok and another activist, Marsha Gómez.
In 2000, the Flying Eagle Woman Fund for Peace, Justice, and Sovereignty was created. This fund helps Indigenous people become stronger and more independent. It supports communities that want to keep their traditional cultures and ways of life.
Ingrid Washinawatok once said, "The circle of life takes on an even stronger constitution in this day and age." This shows how much she believed in community and traditional ways of living.
See also
- List of kidnappings
- List of solved missing person cases
