Winona LaDuke

Birth Name: Winona H. LaDuke

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: August 18, 1959

Ethnicity:
*paternal grandfather – Ojibwe/Chippewa Native American, French-Canadian
*paternal grandmother – German, Norwegian
*mother – Ashkenazi Jewish

Winona LaDuke is an American economist, environmentalist, writer, industrial hemp grower, and politician. She has worked on Native American tribal land preservation and land claims. She has also been involved in sustainable development; and co-founded Honor the Earth, a Native environmental advocacy organization, which took part in the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. She was also the group’s executive director.

She was the Green Party’s nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1996 and 2000.

While she was not a candidate, she received an electoral vote for Vice President from a faithless elector in the 2016 presidential election. She was the first Green Party politician to receive an electoral vote.

Winona is the daughter of artist, writer, and art instructor Betty LaDuke (born Betty Bernstein) and New Age author Sun Bear (born Vincent E. LaDuke), who also acted in Hollywood films. Her father was born on the White Earth Indian Reservation, in Mahnomen, Minnesota, to a Native American father, of Ojibwe/Chippewa Native and French-Canadian descent; and to a white mother, of half German and half Norwegian ancestry. Winona’s mother was born in New York City, New York, to Polish Jewish/Russian Jewish parents.

Winona was registered at birth with the White Earth Nation. She was raised mostly in Ashland, Oregon, a college and logging town, where her mother worked. She started work at White Earth beginning in 1982, after college. Winona has one child with her former husband, Cree Randy Kapashesit, of Moose Factory, Ontario, Canada.

Winona’s paternal grandfather was Louis/Lewis Philip/Phillip Laduke/La Duke/Leduc (the son of Pierre/Peter Agapit/Agapet Laduke/LeDuc and Élisabeth/Elizabeth/Isabelle “Lizzie” Bellecourte/Bellecourt). Louis was born in White Earth, Becker, Minnesota. Pierre was born in Vermont, the son of French-Canadian parents, from Vercheres, Québec, Joseph-Ulric Leduc, who was from Varennes; and Marie-Marguerite Douaire dite Bondy. Winona’s great-grandmother Élisabeth was born in Minnesota, of Native American, and some French-Canadian, ancestry. She was the daughter of Eustache Wash-tash “O Mon Dah Gah Ne”/Omandahgahnenee Bellecourte/Belcour/Bellcour/Bellecour, who was born in Wisconsin; and of Josephte/Josette Turpin, who was from Red River, Manitoba, Canada.

Winona’s paternal grandmother was Judith B. Heiser/Heisler (the daughter of Charles/Carl Leopold Heiser and Anna/Annie Dahlen). Judith was born in Gladstone, North Dakota. Carl was born in Wisconsin, to German parents. Annie was born in Minnesota, to Norwegian parents.

Winona’s maternal grandfather was Sam Bernstein (the son of David Bernstein and Clara Yomkerer). Sam was a Polish Jewish/Russian Jewish immigrant.

Winona’s maternal grandmother was Helen Peskin (the daughter of Pesca/Phillip Peskin/Peskies and Baila Bedsofsky/Berman). Helen was a Polish Jewish immigrant. Phillip was born in Ciechanow, Ciechanów County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, the son of Moiszes Peskies and Edith. Baila was the daughter of Moishe Berman and Alta Basha. Helen also had roots in Brest, Belarus.

Sources: Genealogy of Winona LaDuke – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Winona LaDuke (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.genealogy.com

Genealogy of Winona’s father (focusing on his own father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com

Winona’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Winona’s father on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Winona’s paternal grandmother, Judith B. Heiser/Heisler, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Biographies of Winona’s mother – https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org
https://www.pcc.edu