UN International Forum Of Germany

A Voice of Sovereignty

In 2021, Chief Midegah stepped onto an international stage not as a petitioner, but as a bearer of law older than any modern state. Invited to speak at the United Nations International Forum in Germany, he addressed the gathering on Indigenous sovereignty speaking plainly, firmly, and without apology.

He spoke of identity not as paperwork, but as inheritance. Of sovereignty not as permission, but as continuity. At the heart of his address was a truth carried by Indigenous nations across generations: the right to claim the tribal identity of one’s father. He framed lineage as living law transmitted through blood, responsibility, and memory unchanged by borders, registries, or external approval. The message was clear: Indigenous identity is not granted by institutions; it is carried forward by the people themselves.

Chief Midegah represented the Red Bear Pembina Chippewa Indians with the blessing of acting Gichi-Ogimaa Ma'Lingaan. There, his leadership and advocacy were formally recognized. In a gesture of respect across nations and traditions, he was honored by a German prince, an acknowledgment not merely of an individual, but of the sovereign people he represented.

The moment stood as a convergence of worlds: an Indigenous chief carrying ancestral law into modern international halls; a European royal figure recognizing that authority without condition. It was not symbolic theater it was recognition. Recognition that Indigenous sovereignty endures. Recognition that lineage is not erased by time. Recognition that nations survive through those willing to stand and speak for them.