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Remembering Ingrid Washinawatok El-Issa
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| Ingrid
Washinawatok El-Issa |
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Her
Early Life
Ingrid Washinawatok was born on the Menominee Reservation
in Wisconsin on July 31, 1957, to parents James and Gwendolyn
Washinawatok. She grew up on Menominee near Neopit, Wisconsin,
and also in Chicago. She was given the name Peqtaw Metamoh
when she was a child. It means Thunderbird Woman.
At
age 14, Ingrid began helping her father, Jim, work for Menominee
rights on the reservation--in particular, re establishing
Menominee as a tribe after it was terminated by the Federal
Government, something that happened to many tribes in the
1950's and 1960's. Three years later in the 1970's, at age
17, she came to New York City as an intern with the International
Indian Treaty Council, which monitors Indian rights in the
Western hemisphere.
Like
many Native people, Ingrid grew up with alcoholism in her
family's background. Like many of us, Ingrid was a COA (Child
of Alcoholics). Later in life, when she was busy with a family
and her work, Ingrid attended some of the gatherings held
by NANACOA, the Native American Adult Children of Alcoholics
support organization.
 Ingrid
graduated from high school in 1975 and attended the University
of Wisconsin. She left to work for the Federation of Native-Controlled
survival schools. In 1980 she attended the University of Havana,
Cuba, where she learned to be a translator of Spanish. Knowing
the Spanish language would come in handy later as she worked
with the indigenous people in South America, Central America,
Mexico, and at the United Nations in New York. In Cuba she
met her husband-to-be, Ali El-Issa.
In
the mid 1980's she helped found the Indigenous Women's Network
(IWN). The IWN is a Native women's advocacy organization that
educates and advocates for revitalization of indigenous languages
and cultures, protection of religious and cultural practices,
as well as land and environmental protection. The Indigenous
Women's Network was founded to assist women of the younger
generation through education of the struggles women have encountered
historically.
Native
Advocacy In 1992 Ingrid was hired as a Program Officer to
the Fund of the Four Directions, a philanthropic organization
supporting indigenous ways of life and languages, founded
by Ann Rockefeller Roberts. In 1998 she was named executive
director of the Fund.
In
1994 Ingrid served as the Chairperson of the United Nation's
NGO (Non Governmental Organization) Committee of the International
Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. She was also an
active member of the Indigenous Initiative for Peace, convened
by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Rigoberta Menchu Tum.
In
the decade of the 1990's, Ingrid was honored with more than
10 awards and honors all resulting from her work in Native
sovereignty, indigenous languages and cultures, Native rights,
education, sustainable development of communities, advocacy,
philanthropy, justice, and peace.
She
was a zealous advocate and activist when it came to promoting
Indigenous cultures and traditions. Ingrid brought her exuberance
and generosity of heart, her considerable skills in the field
of human rights and women's issues, and her passionate desire
for peace and justice to her work.
Ingrid
was recognized as the 1998 Indian Woman of the Year in New
York City and selected by the Rockefeller Foundation as an
Outstanding Leader in the National Generation Leadership Program.
The Rockefeller Foundation is a philanthropic organization
endowed by John D. Rockefeller for the well-being of humankind
throughout the world.
 She
was also recognized by other cultures for her work. She received
an award in 1998 from the Northstar Foundation, which honored
Outstanding Women. The Northstar Foundation memorializes the
historical escapes by the African American slaves who followed
the North Star to freedom. She was the recipient of numerous
awards from the Asian American, Hispanic American and African
American communities.
Ed
Burnstick, Sr., Treaty Six chairman for the Confederacy of
Treaty Six First Nations of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada said,
"Ingrid was one of the most remarkable women I ever met. She
worked hard lobbying for the rights of Indian people. I spent
many hours talking with Ingrid and I had a lot of respect
for her. She dedicated her life to making it better for the
present day Indigenous people and those of the future to make
a better life for them."
In
February of 1999, Ingrid went to visit the Uw'a Indians of
Colombia with two companions--Lahe' ena'e Gay ("Lahe") of
the pacific Cultural Conservancy International, and Terence
Freitas, an environmental activist, in order to establish
an Indigenous education program for Uw'a children and to join
with the UwÃa people in prayer and solidarity. As Ingrid and
her companions were leaving to return home, they were kidnapped
and killed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
She passed into the Spirit World on March 4, 1999.
Towards
the Future
Ingrid is survived by her husband of over 17 years, Ali El-Issa,
her son Maeh-kiw-Kasic ("Maeh-ki"), 17, her mother, sister,
and many aunts, uncles, and nephews. Her father, the late
Honorable James Washinawatok of the Menominee Nation Supreme
Court preceded her in death. Ingrid carried his legacy of
compassion and kindness initiated by the activism and cause
that her father actively supported throughout his lifetime.
After
her death, The Flying Eagle Woman Fund was created to carry
on Ingrid's commitment to Native philanthropy, the sustainable
development of Indian communities, and to support the general
welfare of Indigenous people's worldwide. Her husband Ali
now serves as President of the Fund.
In
December of 2001 the Fund of the Four Directions, Ingrid's
original organization, merged with the Flying Eagle Woman
Fund so that the resources of both organizations could act
as one.
Husband
Ali and son Maeh-ki live in Brooklyn, New York where the family
has lived for 16 years. Ali travels to his work at the Flying
Eagle Woman fund in lower Manhattan each day, about half a
mile from Ground Zero, the site of the September 11 World
Trade Center tragedy. Maeh-ki is a Junior at Fort Hamilton
High School in Brooklyn. He plans to go to college and thinks
about studying political science, philosophy or history--but
like any high school Junior it may be too soon to tell. Maeh-ki
is Vice President of the Indian Youth Council of New York
City and is involved in some of the activities for Indigenous
people at the United Nations.
Ali's
own passion extends to non violence and anti-terrorism. He
and the Flying Eagle Woman Fund feel strongly that the way
to peace is not through war but through diplomacy, negotiation
and a good foreign policy. He explains, "After my wife's
death I left my job to start the Flying Eagle Woman Fund for
Peace, Justice and sovereignty and have been doing this for
the last year and a half in the memory of my wife. We felt
very, very, very sad because we lost mom, sister and wife
to terrorism in something similar to what happened on September
11. We are against the killing of civilians in any part of
the world. We are victims of terrorists too. We used to have
an office a block and a half from the World Trade Center.
When that thing happened I was one mile from the World Trade
Center. When the first building collapsed I just closed the
window of my car and started crying, crying, crying because
I remember what happened to my wife."
Ingrid
Washinawatok El-Issa is much loved. "Her whole life was about
humanity, about respecting people's ability to be who they
are," said Apesanahkwat, the Menominee chairperson in March
of 1999. "She was just a wonderful person, a mom and a sister
and a daughter, an Indian woman who epitomizes all those values
that not many people possess."
She
looked for the good in everybody. She embraced everyone's
involvement in whatever she was working on and found ways
to bring in support. She had the ability to make every person
she met feel that they were special, feel as if they were
a part of her family. Her smiling face and laughter seemed
to be an essential part of her. She carried so much joy as
she went through life.
Ingrid
touched the lives of many people who will remember her positive
energy, charismatic personality, and radiant enthusiasm to
make the world a better place. We will miss her energetic
and zealous presence. Ingrid will be remembered as a remarkable
woman who served her people and others selflessly in life.
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