Background
She was born in Keshena, Wisconsin.
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Ingrid Washinawatok
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Career
She was murdered by FARC guerrillas in Colombia. Ingrid Washinawatok was an award-winning lecturer who spoke worldwide on behalf of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. She co-produced the film documentary, Warrior.
She was the recipient of numerous awards from the Native American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and African American communities.
"Ingrid was known as a tireless defender of the rights of Indigenous peoples," said Mary Robinson, then United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. On February 25, 1999, while traveling with the U’was, the three activists were kidnapped by guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
A week later Washinawatok and her colleagues were found murdered, their bodies dumped across the border in Venezuela. After initial denials, the FARC stated that "Commander Gildardo of the FARC"s 10th Front found that strangers had entered the U"wa Indian region and did not have authorization from the guerrillas.
He improvised an investigation, captured and executed them without consulting his superiors."
In 2003, Nelson Vargas Rueda was extradited to the United States for prosecution in the case.
He was the first FARC member ever extradited to the United States of America. However, the case was dismissed when two witnesses failed to appear. The Menominee Nation honored her with a full warrior’s funeral, and she received a memorial in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, in New York City.
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Ingrid Washinawatok, along with Hawaiian activist Lahe’ena’e Gay and environmental activist Terence Freitas, were asked by the U"wa People of Arauca Department, Colombia, to help set up a school to protect their culture and language, and to help them to defend their lands against oil exploration by Occidental Petroleum.
Membership
Washinawatok was the Chair of the non-governmental organization Committee on the United Nations International Decade of the World"s Indigenous Peoples, a delegate to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, an non-governmental organization representative in consultative status to the United Nations for the International Indian Treaty Council, and a member of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations.
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Born
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Died
February, 1999 (aged 41) -
Nationality
United States