Ada Deer’s mother taught her to study the spiritual traditions of her Native American tribal life and to commit herself to public service and social justice. “You are here to help people,” she would say. This is the dramatic story of how Ada led the Menominee people in overturning the federal government’s “termination.” In this groundbreaking victory, she used our country’s democratic process to reverse this injustice against her people. Thanks to Ada’s efforts, the tribe has come back from near collapse to restored physical and cultural well-being. “We have a saying that the hard work and determination of our people will benefit the next seven generations to come,” says Ada.