GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan (February 11,2002) Resourceful Women: A Student Conference Celebrating Women's Contributions, Past and Present, sponsored by Aquinas College's Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies Center, is being held on Saturday, March2, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in the Jarecki Center for Advanced Learning. Lunch will be served in the Donnelly Conference Center at a cost of $5 per person. Parking is located at 159 Woodward Lane S.E. For more information about the conference, contact Dr. Susan Haworth-Hoeppner, Director of the Jane Hibbard Idema Women's Studies Center (459-8281 ext. 4115).
The program will begin at 9:00 a.m., with Winona LaDuke's keynote address titled "Politics, Motherhood, and Activism." Following her speech, LaDuke will conduct the workshop "Grassroots Community Organizing, Environmental Justice, and Developmental Issues." At the same time, Miriam Pederson, Aquinas Associate Professor of English, will lead the workshop "Words of Witness: A Writing Workshop." The workshops run from 10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Immediately following the workshops at 11:30 a.m., the Best Resourceful Women Student Paper Award will be presented. Lunch will follow from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. The papers submitted for the competition will be read during the afternoon. The conference closes at 3:30 p.m.
LaDuke, 2000 candidate for United States Vice President on the Green Party ticket with Ralph Nader, is Anishinaabe from the Makwa Dodaem (Bear Clan) of the Mississippi Band of the White Earth reservation in northern Minnesota. At Harvard University she became involved in Native American environmental issues and at the age of 18, she spoke in front of the United Nations regarding Indian issues. After graduating from Harvard, LaDuke moved to the White Earth reservation and is the director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project. The mission of the project is to facilitate recovery of the original land base of the reservation, as well as to preserve and restore traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency and community development.
Author of several books and articles, LaDuke lives on the White Earth Reservation with her two children and is currently working on a book concerning native environmentalism. She is the spokesperson for the Chippewa people of Northern Minnesota and an organizer of the Honor the Earth National Tour, and active with the White Earth Recovery Project and the Indigenous Women's Network. She teaches courses on Native Environmentalism at the University of Minnesota and in other university settings.

Editor's Note: LaDuke is available for advanced interviews. For information, please call 616/459-8281 ext. 4115 or ext. 4418.