Contact: Nora Naughton, nora.naughton@sierraclub.org
Marquette – Whitney Gravelle, Bay Mills Indian Community President and anti-Line 5 activist, will be honored with the Jane Elder Environmentalist of the Year award at the annual Sierra Club Chapter Awards ceremony next month in Marquette.
Gravelle is considered a passionate leader in the fight to protect the Great Lakes and Straits of Mackinac from oil giant Enbridge, standing alongside the Sierra Club in the years-long fight to shut down Line 5 permanently.
Gravelle graduated from Michigan State University College of Law in 2016 and holds a certificate from the Indigenous Law Program. Since that time, she has teamed up with Native American Rights Fund, Sierra Club, and Earthjustice in the legal battle to protect the sacred land along the Straits and enforce treaty rights, protecting the environment from corporations like Enbridge.
She has previously worked for the United States Department of Justice with the Environment and Natural Resource Division in the Indian Resource Section, served as Chief Judge of Bay Mills Tribal Court, and again as in-house Counsel for BMIC before running for president at the age of 27.
The fight against Enbridge did not start with Line 5 for Gravelle. Following the Canadian oil company’s disastrous 2010 Kalamazoo River oil spill, Gravelle became an advocate for tribal sovereignty, indigenous people tribal treaty rights, and a voice against the potential dangers of oil pipelines.
At the center of Gravelle’s work as an environmentalist is her identity as a citizen and leader of the Bay Mills Tribal Nation, ever reminding us of the intersection between human rights, environmentalism, and social justice.
The Environmentalist of the Year award is named for Jane Elder, a former longtime Sierra Club staffer who has dedicated her career to protecting the Great Lakes.
Sierra Club Michigan’s 2026 Chapter Awards ceremony will be held at The Northern Center in Marquette on July 17 at 5 p.m. In addition to celebrating Gravelle as Environmentalist of the Year, the Michigan Chapter will also recognize:
Legislative Environmental Legacy Award (new in 2026): Given to a legislator who has been a true environmental champion during their tenure. Senator Rosemary Bayer, Senate District 13.
Bunyan Bryant Award: Recognizing outstanding leadership in the field of environmental justice. Rhonda Anderson, Sierra Club Volunteer, Environmental Justice Grassroots Leader, Sierra Club Black Action Team
Marlene Fluharty Award: Awarded to a Chapter member who has served the Sierra Club on at least two levels (Group, Chapter &/or National) over an extended period of time and has made significant contributions or is responsible for a major project which has significantly benefited the Club. Fred Miller, Sierra Club Southeast Michigan Executive Committee, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Conservation Chair
Environmental Journalism Award: Recognizing excellence in environmental reporting or editorials. Broadcast: Lester Graham; Print: Lucas Smolcic Larson, Energy & MI Utilities (MLIVE Investigator Team)
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