Migizikwe was a strong, pioneering woman who lived with integrity and fought for justice. She was the first female tribal court judge and helped establish tribal sovereignty. She valued education, raising good men, spirituality, traditions, and healing people. Despite facing adversity, she became a respected leader through her strength, wisdom, and building the future.

1. OGITCHIDAKWE
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. VALUES
RAISING GOOD MEN

7. 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."

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. BIIMADIZIWIN
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. 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

11. 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. It was her strength.
She ran away at night and stole a horse. She will ride all night. She
would hide during the day. She did that everyday until she arrived at
Belcourt, North Dakota. When she got home, her Mishom told
Kookum, that she will never go away again.
Betty ended up graduating from Turtle Mountain High School as
Valedictorian. Her good friend Danny Jerome was Salutorian.

12. TRIBAL LAW & SELF-GOVERNANCE
I was chief judge, and I acted as an appeals court
judge for the tribe. It was the most important job I
ever held for my people, being their judge in the
courthouse. In 1968, I was involved in writing a code
of ethics 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. Later I began
to write codes for Unites States Government.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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 Native
American Indian Court Judges Association.

17. LEADERSHIP & WISDOM
She now sees a need for tribal elders to be a part of the
modern system. By using elders to hold tribal governmental
officers accountable for their actions, Laverdure envisions a
more ethical and moral tribal governmental system coming
into view. She also sees a need for Native American
students to learn from their elders as well as college studies
and believes that they need to return to Indian country to
continue the fight to build sovereign tribal governments.

18. DOING YOUR BEST
Laverdure always remembered the advice of her
grandmother when things got tough. "She always
said to be the best at whatever it was you did, if you
were going to be a manure shoveler, be the best
manure shoveler there ever was! That is what I would
like to teach my kids."

19. 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. 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.

20. 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.
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.

21. A GRANDSONS INDIAN MATH
3 people in my life are my moral compass.
2 of them are gone now.
Even at the age of 40 I still have questions.
So going forward I will continue to rely on
the wisdom of the women in my family.
It's who I've always turned to.

22. 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. She became expert at carving
pipe stems from Sumac branches as gifts for other sun dancers,
including for some of her family members.

23. 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. She
instilled in her children the strong appreciation of education, and is proud of
their accomplishments. 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.

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