Indigenous activist Simone Senogles remembered for advocacy and heart

Simone Senogles, 54, a founding member of MMIW 218 and operations director for the Indigenous Environmental Network, died unexpectedly Sept. 20 in Bemidji, Minnesota, according to the Bemidji Pioneer. Born into the Migizi (Eagle) clan, Senogles carried the names Chinoodinikwé and Miskomakwakwe and had a long-standing connection to Red Lake Nation. Over 25 years, she led initiatives on food sovereignty, environmental justice and Indigenous women’s rights, including directing the documentary “Regaining Food Sovereignty.”

Senogles also helped create the first U.S. Indigenous Feminist Organizing school and served on the governing board of Grassroots Global Justice. Her wake was Sept. 25, with traditional services Sept. 26 in Red Lake led by spiritual leader Naabek Liberty.

Colleagues remembered Senogles for her mentorship and community presence. “It’s our responsibility to reciprocate that good energy that she put out into the Earth and into the communities that we work to uplift, to continue to embody all the positive things that Simone was like,” MMIW 218 organizer Audrianna Goodwin told the Bemidji Pioneer.