Program

National Votes for Women Trail

Subject

People

Location

833 ND-59, Pembina, ND 58271, USA

Lat/Long

48.973007, -97.253745

Grant Recipient

National Collaborative for Women's History Sites

Lawyer, Native American advocate, and suffragist Marie Bottineau Baldwin was born in the small community of Pembina, North Dakota, around 1863. Part of the Native American Ojibwa community, sometimes referred to as the Chippewa, Marie believed in the importance of preserving native customs and the value of education. In 1915 she made history as one of the first Native American women to graduate from Washington College of Law. Following graduation, Marie was admitted to the bar and became an attorney. In addition to this accomplishment she was also a suffragist. In the January 29, 1913 edition of The Evening Star, Marie made the following statement:

As for the Indian women they have had virtual suffrage, also the power of recall, since time immemorial.  Whenever they were dissatisfied with a chief of the tribe all they had to do was to make their wishes known and he was promptly ‘recalled.’

Marie reveals that in Native American society, women enjoyed virtual suffrage and had the power to recall male leaders for generations. Undeterred, Marie along with many others participated in the cause to help women gain the right to vote.