The University of Wisconsin-Superior’s Indigenous Alumni Speakers Series will continue with Patricia Northrup on Monday, November 18, at 3 p.m. in the William “Pope” Wright Student Center. This event is free and open to the community.

A 2023 graduate with an interdisciplinary degree with focus areas in art, business and Indigenous Studies, Northrup was born and raised on the Lower Sioux Indian Community in southern Minnesota, near Redwood Falls. She is an enrolled member of the Mdewakanton Dakota Tribe and one of seven children.

After dropping out of high school in 11th grade, Northrup worked a few odd jobs, including as a hotel maid and in a potato chip factory. She ultimately found her niche in the field of chemical dependency, where she spent most of her career. But returning to school was always on her mind.

After earning an AA degree, Northrup enrolled at UW-Superior, and at 73 years old, graduated with her degree.

While Northrup retired from the workaday world back in 2012, she has plenty of goals and dreams yet to accomplish.

“I want to be an advocate to support other people to return to school – particularly Indigenous people,” she said. “I also want to encourage people to learn their Indigenous language. Mine is Dakota. I also want to get back into birchbark basket making.”

Highlighting the stories of Indigenous alumni of UW-Superior and honoring their accomplishments and perspectives, the Indigenous Alumni Speakers Series will continue December 3 with Jason Schlender. Events are sponsored by the UW-Superior Indigenous studies program, Indigenous Cultures Resource Center, Alumni and Friends Foundation and Social Inquiry Department.

The William “Pope” Wright Student Center is in Old Main, Room 232.