Beatrice Menase Kwe Jackson is a Tsimphean/Nichola Anishinawbe originally from Yakima, Washington. She is a Grandmother of the Three Fires Midewewin Lodge. Her responsibilities include insuring the continuance of the teachings passed on from past generations on into the future. She is an eighteen-year Sun Dancer, carrier of the water prayer, a veteran of Standing Rock, and a principal keeper of Anishinaabe wisdom and traditions.

Beatrice retired as Helping Healer for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. She was a Montessori Teacher for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe for five years previously and a Tribal Outreach worker for Uniting Three Fires Against Violence in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Her formal educational background includes a BA in Social Work from Michigan State University and a BS Degree from Ferris State University in Education. Beatrice studied/apprenticed in native practices for many years with elders of the community. She is a producer and director of several movies and a member of the Snow Bird Singers hand drum group and the Women of Traditions Hand Drum Group. She enjoys hunting, gathering, and living a traditional lifestyle. She resides in Ionia, Michigan.

TSN Conference 2026

January 22nd, 2026 (Thursday) // 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm // East Patio // Water Ceremony // Join us as Beatrice Jackson and Panoka Walker lead us through this traditional practice that continues to be a deeply cherished and meaningful part of our annual gathering. You will be guided through the mental, physical, and spiritual connection to water as we collectively honor this sacred gift through song, movement, and contemplation. As we dedicate our lives to the betterment of the natural world and connections with one another, we take this time to appreciate water’s role in the universe, flowing endlessly through ourselves and everything around us. “When a prayer is said and a song is sung, the water becomes sacred, and can heal body, mind, and spirit.” Dress warmly as this will take place outside on the banks of the Red Cedar River and note that photography is prohibited.