Sherman Alexie, a writer, poet, and filmmaker of Spokane and Coeur d’Alene descent, has become one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Native American literature. Born on October 7, 1966, in the small town of Wellpinit, Washington, Alexie grew…

John Trudell, a member of the Santee Sioux Tribe, was a powerful activist, poet, and musician whose life was deeply intertwined with the struggle for Indigenous rights. Born on February 15, 1946, in Omaha, Nebraska, Trudell’s early life was marked…

Vine Deloria Jr., a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, was one of the most influential Native American scholars, writers, and activists of the 20th century. Born on March 26, 1933, in Martin, South Dakota, Deloria became a fierce…

Dennis Banks was a prominent Native American activist and a co-founder of the American Indian Movement (AIM), born on April 12, 1937, in the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota. A member of the Anishinaabe tribe, Banks became deeply involved…

Wilma Mankiller was a groundbreaking leader and the first woman to serve as Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, a role she held from 1985 to 1995. Born on November 18, 1945, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Mankiller faced numerous challenges throughout…

Winona LaDuke, an Ojibwe activist, environmentalist, and writer, was born on August 18, 1959, in Los Angeles, California, but grew up on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota. LaDuke is a passionate advocate for Native American rights, environmental justice, and…

Russell Means, an Oglala Lakota leader and activist, was born on November 10, 1939, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Raised in a time of significant injustice and neglect toward Native American communities, Means became a passionate…

Sonia Sotomayor, born on June 25, 1954, in the Bronx, New York, is the first Latina to serve as a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Raised in a working-class Puerto Rican family, Sotomayor faced many challenges growing up,…

Beto O’Rourke, born on September 26, 1972, in El Paso, Texas, is an American politician and former U.S. Congressman known for his progressive stance on issues such as healthcare, immigration reform, and climate change. O’Rourke first gained national attention in…

Maria Elena Durazo is a prominent labor leader and political activist who has dedicated her career to advocating for workers’ rights, particularly for immigrant and Latino workers. Born in 1959 in the United States to immigrant parents from Mexico, Durazo…