Joycelyn Marie Shingobe

January 4, 1952 - January 25, 2021

Biidwewekwe, Joycelyn Marie Shingobe, 69-year-old resident of Garrison, MN passed away on January 25, 2021 at the Saint Cloud Hospital in Saint Cloud, MN. A Funeral Ceremony will be held at 10 AM on Friday, January 29, 2021 at the District 1 Community Center on the Mille Lacs Reservation with Obizaan officiating. Visitation will begin at 6 PM on Thursday, January 28, 2021 at the District 1 Community Center on the Mille Lacs Reservation. Interment will be in Woodland Burial Grounds. Biidwewekwe, Joycelyn Marie Shingobe, was born on January 4, 1952, in Cloquet, Minnesota, to Joseph and Susan (Mitchell) Shingobe. She received her associate degree at Brainerd Community College and a bachelor’s degree in American Indian Studies from Metropolitan State University. She later received her Master’s in Tribal Administration & Governance (MTAG) from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Biidwewikwe was a skilled orator and preservationist of Ojibwe history and culture, with an emphasis on The Mille Lacs Band history, past, present, and future. A skilled craftswoman, she remembers her time spent with her Grandmother, Jenny Mitchell, and Cecilia Dorr as the inspiration and beginnings for her continued artistry and further contributions to her fellow Anishinaabeg. Biidwewikwe began her career in education working for Head Start, and throughout her professional career, she remained a champion for education for young and old. Eventually, she was appointed the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Commissioner of Education, where she oversaw the band’s educational programs and services. A true leader in her community Joycelyn always advocated for education from Early Head Start to Higher Education and donated to various charities. She was Mide and a drumkeeper. She made moccasins for all kinds of ceremonies, even shared her talent with those willing to learn. Joycelyn enjoyed beading, quilting and proudly assisted her son Jourdaine with traditional harvesting such as ricing and maple sapping. She liked to spend her time reading, attending various ceremonies, being with family, and keeping up with the WWE on TV. Joycelyn loved to celebrate birthdays and holidays with family by going all-out with food and creating a memorable feast for everyone. She loved the birds and made sure she always hard birdseed to fill up her bird feeders around her house and caring for her cats. Biidwewekwe is survived by her mother, Susan M. Shingobe; sons, John Benjamin and Jourdaine Wedll; daughters, LeAnn (Mark Solis) Benjamin and Lorelei (Ernest) Boyd; grandchildren, Heather, Amber, and Joseph; great-granddaughter, Nyah; brother, Kelvin Shingobe Sr.; sister, Charlene Shingobe; and many loving relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her father, Joseph Shingobe; brother, Kenneth Mitchell Sr.; grandparents, Sam and Jenny Mitchell; and special nieces, Kelly Mitchell and Justine Shingobe.