Female Aviation Grad Is First For Standing Rock Lakota Tribe

Standing Rock Lakota Tribe member Elspeth Thomas is a certified commercial pilot and working on her flight instructor certification.

Kimberly Johnson

Friday, December 03, 2021 at 05:30 PM ET

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Though she has always called Grand Forks home, Thomas’ mother was born and raised on the Standing Rock Reservation, and Elspeth has been an enrolled member of the tribe since birth. Courtesy: University of North Dakota

Key Takeaways:

Elspeth Thomas will be the first woman from the Standing Rock Lakota tribe to graduate from the University of North Dakota's aviation program.
She holds a commercial pilot certificate with multiple ratings and is training to become a flight instructor, navigating challenges as a first-generation aviation student.
Thomas is committed to inspiring and mentoring other Native Americans to enter the aviation field, driven by a desire to give back to her community.

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When aviation student Elspeth Thomas graduates from University of North Dakota next summer, she’ll not only be certificated as a commercial pilot, she will also be the first woman from the Standing Rock Lakota tribe to study aviation at the university, according to the school.

Demographic data for UND’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences underscores the accomplishment. Women comprise about 15 percent of students at the Grand Forks, North Dakota, school.