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Ingrid Washinawatok inspired campers with her indomitable spirit during her time at Miniwanca Girls Camp in the 1970s.

As an adult, Ingrid was a rising Menominee leader who championed Indigenous sovereignty, human rights, education, and environmental protection. She dedicated her life to advancing Indigenous peoples’ rights worldwide and earned numerous honors.

In 1999, the U’wa tribe in Colombia invited Ingrid to help establish a school to preserve their language and culture and defend their land from oil exploration. During this trip, she and two colleagues were kidnapped and killed by FARC rebels.

Friends from her Miniwanca years, including Sharna Sutherin and Rhonda Rogers Armor, have established a scholarship fund to honor Ingrid’s life and continue her legacy.

The Ingrid Washinawatok Scholarship provides full tuition for a young person to attend the National Leadership Conference for the entirety of the four-year program. The scholarship prioritizes Indigenous young leaders, particularly those connected to the Menominee Nation, who are high school students. As of Feb. 6, generous donors have given $34,648 to the fund.

Sharna, Rhona, and Ingrid were part of the Older Girls class of 1976. Here, Sharna and Rhonda share why they decided to honor their friend’s legacy in this way.

How did Ingrid influence your life?

Sharna: When I first met Ingrid, she was Ingrid White. One summer, she announced that she was now Ingrid Washinawatok. Her family was active in the movement to regain sovereignty of their traditional Menominee land. As you can imagine, not everyone at camp reacted positively to her proclamation. She was not deterred and continued her gracious journey.

She did not mock the appropriation of Native traditions by AYF, but simply stated her own traditional values. She led by example, not criticism, and that example helped me truly understand “My own self, at my very best, all the time.”

I was a closeted lesbian at the time, and Ingrid’s pride, self-acceptance, fearlessness, love of others, and graciousness changed the course of my life.

Rhonda: Ingrid’s influence on my life can’t really be condensed to one thing, and it’s hard to explain how I feel her presence and sense her spirit with me so often. There’s a line in a Mary Oliver poem that, although it’s not the meaning the poet intends, helps explain: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” This is Ingrid’s challenge to me – to us– every day. I hear her calling to discover, celebrate, share, and be my best self and to not be afraid.

Why is this scholarship fund the best way to honor Ingrid’s memory?  

Rhonda: Ingrid’s life is a beautiful picture of the AYF mission becoming reality.

Sharna: The AYF has a long tradition of promoting diversity and opportunities for young people to expand their experiences. Right now, NLC is the most diverse summer program opportunity. Ingrid is a part of a historical connection between the Menominee people and AYF dating back to the 1940s. This scholarship creates the opportunity for continued connections.

Why should others support this scholarship?

Rhonda: Encouraging young leaders seems more critical now than at any time in our history. Supporting this scholarship is an investment in the world we want to see and want for our children and young loved ones.

Many of us couldn’t have experienced Miniwanca without financial assistance. Giving to Ingrid’s scholarship is a way to honor what we were given and make it possible for others to have that life-changing experience.

Sharna: This scholarship offers donors an opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of Indigenous youth. Funding programs that promote healthy relationships with diverse individuals is key to a better world, along with encouraging young people to make a positive difference in their communities. Together, we can support future world leaders who carry AYF’s legacy with them.