Beatrice Medicine (1923-2005) was a prominent Native American anthropologist, educator, and advocate for Indigenous rights. A member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, she was born in Wakpala, South Dakota, and belonged to the Lakota people.

Medicine earned her bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University, a master’s from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her work centered on Native American cultures, education, gender roles, language preservation, and social justice. She was particularly influential in studying the experiences of Native American women and the intersections of culture and identity.

Throughout her career, she taught at numerous institutions, including Dartmouth College, the University of Washington, and California State University, Northridge. She also served as a consultant to various government and tribal agencies, always working to bridge the gap between academic anthropology and Native communities.

Medicine was widely respected for her integrity, activism, and scholarship. She authored many influential publications, including her book Learning to Be an Anthropologist and Remaining “Native,” which reflects on her dual role as both an academic and an Indigenous woman.

Her contributions were recognized with many honors, including SfAA’s Bronislaw Malinowski Award in 1996. Today, she is remembered as a trailblazer who championed Indigenous voices in academia and beyond.