Betty Migizikwe Laverdure

1. OGITCHIDAKWE
Warrior Woman
Honorable Retired Judge
Betty Migizikwe Laverdure

2. For Migizikwe, Eagle Woman
Author Louise Erdrich
Once in a rare while the Creator will impart
Greatness and kindness both, in one human heart.
Sometimes, mysteriously, sweetness and pure love
Are allowed to exist with smart and tough.
Today the best among us is not erased
But made again, young and strong, in that fierce embrace
Of gracious power, and her namesake's wings.
How she loved us, how she loved us all.
So may we love each other now.

3. IN HONOR OF MIGIZIKWE

4. VALUES
STRENGTH
SIMPLICITY

5. VALUES
EDUCATION
RESPECT

6. GGGGrandaughter
of a Chief
"Besides being captain, incommon
with the others, [Jean Baptiste
Wilkie] was styled the great war
chief or head of the camp; and on
all public occasions he occupied
the place of president."

7. A HORSE THIEF
Forced to go to residential school, she was
determined to go home to her beloved Turtle
Mountains. She planned, carefully how to go
across two states without being caught, because
if they were caught, their hair would be shaved
off. Her hair was naturally curly and way past her
waist.

8. A HORSE THIEF
She ran away at night and stole a horse. She
rode all night. She would hide during the
day. She did that everyday until she arrived
at Belcourt, North Dakota.
Betty ended up graduating from Turtle
Mountain High School as Valedictorian.

9. PIPE MAKER & PIPE CARRIER & PEACE MAKER
Culture, heritage and tradition were always important
to Betty. She was active in the Midewiwin Medicine
Lodge, was a Medicine Bundle and Pipe carrier, and
participated for many years in the Eagle Sun Dance.

10. PIPE MAKER & PIPE CARRIER &
PEACE MAKER
She became expert at carving pipes
and pipe stems from Sumac branches
as gifts for other sun dancers,
including for some of her family
members.

11. SPIRITUALITY
“The ceremonies made me and my family see
and feel life and creation in a holistic way. We
learned to communicate with the natural
world and the spirit world as a way of life; we
learned that it was a duty the Great Spirit gave
human beings to maintain.”

12. TRADITIONAL ROLES
She was a proud member of the Bear Clan of the
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. In that role, she
took to heart, more than most, her duty to protect the
rights and dignity of her people, and, in fact, any
populations considered to be marginalized and
vulnerable. Her interpretation of that role was to serve
as an educator, advocate and Chief Tribal Justice.

13. “We are a healing people,
so it is up to us if we are
going to make time to live
the life our ancestors did
by giving thanks. We are
so lucky to have each
other and to be still able to
gather up and do our
ceremonies.”
BIIMADIZIWIN

14. “As long as we are still
lighting our Sacred
Fires, as long as we are
lighting our Sacred
Pipes, the Great Mystery
can hear and feel our
respect for Life and the
Universe.”
BIIMADIZIWIN

15. TRIBAL LAW & SELF-GOVERNANCE
“I was chief judge, and I
acted as an appeals court
judge for tribes. It was the
most important job I ever
held for my people, being
their judge in the
courthouse.

16. TRIBAL LAW & SELF-GOVERNANCE
“In 1968, I was involved in writing our first
tribal code that was later used as a model in
different states. In 1977, I went to work for the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, and we used that code
as a model for other tribes in the nation.”

17. TRIBAL LAW & SELF-GOVERNANCE
“Back then, there weren't very many tribal courts and
those that were there, were under federal or state laws
and policies,'' Laverdure said. “So, I began thinking about
that and started working on the codes. Those codes have
since become the backbone of the current tribal court
systems in much of Indian country.”

18. BEING A PIONEER & VISIONARY
Laverdure said it was an uphill battle, but one she loved.
"A lot of people thought we were wasting our time, but
we saw the 1965 Civil Rights Act coming up and knew we
had to do something. The tribal courts didn't allow
lawyers in the tribal courtrooms back then. I could see
that we needed our own court system and I decided to
start writing some laws for our courts.”

19. BEING A PIONEER & VISIONARY
Laverdure and other tribal
judges pioneered the tribal
court system. They saw the need
for new tribal legislation as the
Indian Civil Rights bill was on
the horizon in the late 1960s
and formed a Tribal Judges
Association.

20. BEING A PIONEER & VISIONARY
• Laverdure was the one of fifteen staff that started the Turtle
Mountain Tribal & Community College. Dr. Larry Belgarde, the
first president for the college noted that all they had as a
resource was vision.
• She was involved in the drafting of the Indian Child Welfare
Act.
• She was a charter founding member of the National American
Indian Court Judges Association.

21. BE EDUCATED, LIVE WITH INTEGRITY, FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
Betty cherished the value of integrity,
cultural dignity, justice, the search for
knowledge, and facing adversity with
humor, courage, determination.

22. BE EDUCATED, LIVE WITH INTEGRITY, FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
Betty has often said that her life’s
greatest work has been her children
and she is most proud of their
accomplishments, including careers in
law, medicine, higher education, and
civil service.

23. A GRANDSONS TRIBUTE
Survived poverty, residential school system, etc. Educated in
law, a judge, authored legislation, authored this countries first
tribal constitution, helped found a college, represented all
indigenous people internationally.

24. A GRANDSONS TRIBUTE
Yet her greatest accomplishment was that of a
mother. Native women are the backbone of our
society. They are the authors of change in our
society.

25. A GRANDSONS TRIBUTE
Migizikwe made change when women weren't allowed to and
men were to corrupt or lazy to. The resurgence of Native
people will never be with the bluster, incompetence, and
destruction by men but with the diligence, patience, and
dignity of women.

26. A GRANDSONS TRIBUTE
Migizikwe set a high standard. But all standards
are meant to be surpassed. Our elders suffered to
give us opportunity. Shame on us if we "choose"
not to seize it.
Migizikwe’s Oldest Grandson, Douglas Gourneau Jr.

27. FUTURE BEING BUILT THROUGH LIVING

28. WOMEN, VALUES, COURAGE, COMPASSION,
LOVE, LEADERSHIP, POWER,
FUTURE BEING BUILT THROUGH LIVING