Resilient – Indigenous Leaders & Activists

March 5, 2020March 18, 2020

Elizabeth Peratrovich – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities |ND Voting Rights|References

Courageous- Elizabeth Peratrovich is one of the most influential Alaskan Native people to fight against Jim Crow Laws in Alaska. This Tlingit woman recognized her ability to fight the segregation occurring across her state when she became the leader of the Alaskan Native Sisterhood. She moved away from her village in Klawock to Juneau, where she believed that her and her husband could face the racial discrimination head on. When the legislature was out on an anti-discrimination bill, she organized lobbying forays to the capitol with members of the Alaskan Native Sisterhood and Alaskan Native Brotherhood. It was there that she addressed the Senate with her famous opening line, “I would not have expected that I, who am barely out of savagery, would have to remind the gentlemen with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind them of our Bill of Rights.” She is a courageous leader because she took it upon herself to speak for her people against the outright racism that Indigenous peoples of Alaska were facing. In spite of open discrimination like signs that read, “No Natives Allowed, No Dogs Allowed,” she showed courage by standing her ground before a senate of white men who held the fate of her people in their hands. She stood tall and proud, and eloquently fought for and helped achieve the first civil rights bill to be passed in the United States.

Resilient- Elizabeth Peratrovich stood up against the oppressive treatment of Alaskan Native peoples during the Jim Crow laws of the mid-1900s. The outward racism that was experienced by all Alaskan Natives through laws and social injustices inspired Peratrovich to stand up for her people. Despite the many hurdles she faced as an Indigenous woman she rose up and spoke out to ensure the equal treatment of Alaskan Natives. On February 16th, 2020 Alaska celebrated the 75th anniversary of Elizabeth Peratrovich’s famous speech to the territorial legislature of Alaska which was sponsored by the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood. In a speech honoring her legacy, Alicia Maryott from the Alaskan Native Sisterhood stated “Ms. Peratrovich made it clear that asking for equal rights implies that they’re someone else’s to give…As we honor her today, let’s remember her resilience.” Peratrovich not only navigated the Alaskan legal system in her compelling speech but she utilized the public speaking skills of her ancestors. In a time where Alaskan natives were highly discriminated against she had the clarity to look beyond the current state and push for equality for all native peoples in Alaska. This is how Elizabeth Peratrovich embodied what it means to be a resilient leader as she faced oppression head-on and continued to fight for what she knew to be right.

Inspirational- Elizabeth Peratrovich is one of Alaska’s most inspirational Indigenous leaders. She faced many forms of discrimination during her lifetime but continued to uplift others. The Jim Crow laws of the 1900s encapsulated most aspects of daily life for Alaskan Natives, but Elizabeth inspired others to take a stand against these human rights violations. She is influential to many because of how difficult it was to create the change she did, and yet she was determined to keep fighting. This Tlingit woman inspired many around her while fighting against the oppression of the Native peoples of Alaska. As the grand president of the Alaskan Native Sisterhood in 1945, she addressed the territorial senate regarding the anti-discrimination bill. Her response to the call for action against the mistreatment of her people in the hands of the United States government is an admirable legacy she carries to today. On the day that the Anti-Discrimination Bill was signed, years after her death, the state of Alaska dedicated February 16th to be officially known as Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. Similar to other leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr., she never gave up on her fight for her people. She knew that the discrimination against Alaskan Natives needed to be put to an end. She gave it her all to accomplish her goal; to set into law the equal right for all Indigenous peoples of Alaska, and to make it illegal to discriminate against Native peoples. She inspired many people during her lifetime, and to this day continues to inspire the new generation of American Indians to have the courage to fight for their rights.

March 3, 2020March 13, 2020

Wilma Mankiller – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Healthcare for Indigenous Veterans | References

Compassionate

Wilma Mankiller can be most defined as being compassionate, towards her people and towards herself. She easily could have been another community member but she preferred to handle the issues her tribe was facing. Being the selfless individual she was, Mankiller’s activism involved leading some campaigns for Head Start that is a program for low-income preschool children whose goal is to provide educational, social and health needs where these families lack access. Mankiller’s concern for the next generation shows her care to ensure others are being given the same education regardless of their background. Her compassion lived through her vision most of all. She founded the community development department for the Cherokee nation and became the director. Mankiller helped establish rural water systems and rehabilitate housing for her tribe. This success of putting forth all her effort for her people was seen by the Cherokee people’s principal chief where he chose her as a running mate in the next election. Soon after she became the principal chief and created revenue for her tribe that was used for health care and job training, as well as Head Start programs. All of her energy was used to aid her people young and old. In essence, if it was not for her compassionate spirit Mankiller embodied, the platform she created would not have prospered and many of the events she evolved would not have flourished the way they did.

Photo of Mankiller educating the youth from KQED

Resilient

Throughout her life, Wilma Mankiller has had to face a number of challenges that has prompted her to become the resilient leader she is known to be. From an early age, her family had to relocate to San Francisco where they struggled financially. As she attended college, she became pregnant and had to resume her studies years after. These unexpected difficulties of juggling between her family and school work revealed early on the strength Mankiller carried as she navigated her path as a young adult. Her resilient energy carried as she settled through her divorce and moved alongside her children back to her tribal land in Oklahoma. It was these life turning points Mankiller heavily learned how to overcome any obstacle. As a single mother, she took on being the tribal planner until she faced another scarring challenge when she was involved in a tragic car accident where she lost her best friend. Mankiller’s spirit continued to fight through surgeries eventually leading to better health. Adapting to sudden life events, Mankiller remained persistent to keep going, she became deputy chief then tribal principal chief after winning two elections. As a leader, Mankiller gained her resilience as she never quit despite all the hardships that attempted to push her back down along the way.

Photo of a young Mankiller from Dignity Memorial Obituary

”Keeper of the Village”

Wilma Mankiller’s last name from Cherokee history means “keeper of the village”. Essentially meaning a person who watches over the people. Mankiller’s leadership has earned her the qualifications under this name as she noted during her commencement speech at Northern Arizona University. Although the “keeper of the village” is honored as being the one to overlook the community, Mankiller directed her hopes towards the individuals within the community to take a stance together to make change. Her leadership style was not about one person leading the group but for everyone to be involved in public service if reshaping society was desired. Instead of waiting around, she emphasized the importance that making waves was about going forth and doing it yourself. In order to implement these ideas of going after what you wish to see onto her people, Mankiller became the first female executive on the Cherokee board. During times where females lacked representation anywhere. Her goal as she first accepted a job in tribal government was to reassure herself and others that her own community had the ability to defeat their own problems tackling issues head on such as creating programs to increase revenue for her tribe. This was all while she was still in the community developer position prior to her time as deputy and tribal principal chief. Mankiller established the meaning behind her name early on in her career as she made the moves to take initiative directly.

March 3, 2020March 13, 2020

Tame Wairere Iti – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Tibetan Language Erasure | References

Responsive

Tame Wairere Iti strongly displays the leadership quality of being responsive to his surroundings. This distinguishes Tame Iti’s leadership style from other activists because he has consistently demonstrated that he not only is well aware of all factors that affect his actions, but also of how his actions come across to others. By being responsive to change, Tame Iti has been able to easily adapt the movement he has created to be more readily inclusive and accessible to everyone. Tame Iti was one of the first Maori activists to begin using the internet and social media platforms in the early 2000s as he recognized the potential to mobilize interest in younger and more globally diverse audiences. Furthermore, this has always benefited Tame Iti when organizing and leading events as he often changes the avenue in which his activism is delivered to best match the receiving audience and thereby have the most impact. For instance, after his 2005 arrest, Tame Iti began to create artistic expressions of Maori activism because “art is a form accessible to all”. His pieces still consistently reflect the theme of Indigenous rights, such as one of his most famous pieces of modern art in which “I will not speak Maori” is copied over and over again against a red background, yet these works are still a departure from his earlier and more violent activist strategy. Tame Iti recognized that after his imprisonment, in which he was granted a lighter sentence, subsequent actions of the same manner would result in both the end of his career and a diminished reputation. Although this is just one specific example, it is illustrative of a key quality of Tame Iti’s leadership style.

Tame Iti Art — Tame Iti presenting one of his pieces at an exhibition in London

Resilient

Tame Wairere Iti has always displayed resilience. From the time he was a young kid in primary school, and stood up to his principal by continuing to speak his native language, to when he continued to appeal his sentence in 2012, Tame has been resilient. Iti was arrested and convicted in 2012 for various firearm charges as well as one charge for unlawful possession of Molotov cocktails. He and his partner were sentenced to two and a half years in prison even though some of the surveillance footage was illegally acquired by the police. The legality of the evidence was not taken into account by the judge during the sentencing or trial, but Iti made sure to get justice by using this while appealing the case and his sentencing. His resilience proved effective, and he was released on parole a year early. This is only one example of Tame’s resilience, but he continuously shows it as he fights for the rights of his people. There are constant barriers and people who try to stop him, but nevertheless he continues on with his fight. His resilience also makes it easy for his followers to look up to him, and try to follow in his footsteps.

Courageous

Tame Wairere Iti has always shown great courage. Whether as a child, refusing to give up speaking Maori, or working as an activist as an adult, Tame Iti has always had a powerful ability to not show fear. At age 15, Tame Iti began a life of anti-authority protest, and his courage would serve him well. Beginning with his establishment of a Tuhoe “Embassy” in Wellington in the 1970s, Iti began a career of challenging authority to pursue indigenous sovereignty in ways most people would balk at. Perhaps the most notable example of this was in 2005, when, at a ceremony with many judges and officials in attendance, Iti fired a shotgun into a New Zealand flag, in an attempt to convey what it felt like to be Maori under the New Zealand government. Defacing the flag while government officials look on is not an act the average individual would be capable of doing, nor facing down police, or many of the other things Tame Iti has done on a regular basis in the past 50 plus years. His bravery in the face of those who oppress him and his people make him a great leader and activist, and it has helped him in the fight to get New Zealand to respect Maori sovereignty.

Tame Iti shooting a New Zealand flag — Tame Iti in protest of treaty violation shooting a New Zealand flag

March 3, 2020March 12, 2020

Tame Wairere Iti – Biographical Timeline

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Tibetan Language Erasure | References

March 3, 2020March 13, 2020

John Trudell – Biographical Timeline

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | OK Tribal Gaming Dispute | References

March 3, 2020March 18, 2020

Ramona Bennett – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Little Shell Chippewa Recognition | References

Compassionate

Throughout all of her as a hardworking activist, Ramona never lost sight of what it means to be a leader to her people. A big component of her leadership qualities is compassion; Ramona has always had the well-being of everyone in mind as she fought for more Tribal rights. In 1978, Ramona was able to secure the National Indian Child Welfare Act. This act was solely intended for assisting Native children who would be possibly mistreated by the WA child service laws, which might separate the child from their family. Adding to her generosity and selflessness toward children, she founded the Rainbow Youth and Family Services in 1989. The goal of this organization was to protect Native children from any hate, abuse, neglect, or anything traumatic. More than that, this organization would connect these children to foster parents or to parents who are learning about the process of adoption and would like to take these traumatized children into their families. Ramona’s compassion is not forgotten by many, even after the many years that may pass after she has performed kind deeds for others. When Claudia Kauffman presented Ramona with the 2018 Bernie Whitebear Award, she recalled how helpful Ramona was toward her family. In order to allow Kauffman’s family to attend yearly powwows, Ramona would pick them all up, feed them sandwiches and snacks, and drive them all to the powwows. The compassion that Ramona Bennett has for her Tribe as well as her friends and supporters is remarkable. To this day, Ramona is active in fighting for Tribal rights while still making sure that everyone around her is well-cared for and protected, making her an amazing example of a compassionate leader.

Inspiring

Almost all of Ramona Bennett’s achievements would have never come to fruition had she not been able to rally supporters into action. She inspires her people, and has been inspiring them since back in the 1960s. Ramona led her people in a misunderstanding between her people and the law enforcement that resulted in what is now known as the BIA Takeover of 1972. There were threats made by the U.S. government to break down the doors and barge into the BIA office to arrest the occupants, but Ramona stood strong against these words and performed in such a way that inspired the people with her to stand strong with her. Later, in 1976, Ramona again led her people to seize the Tacoma Cushman hospital, claiming it as the property of the Puyallup Tribe. Alone, Ramona would have been unable to perform such a feat. But she was not alone; she had accrued a following in her time as the Chairwoman of the Puyallup Tribe, and her followers readily marched with their leader to take back their property. Even in recent times, Ramona has been present in the protests against the Tacoma Natural Gas project that will ruin Puget Sound. There is no doubt that a strong activist like Ramona Bennett bolsters the the protestors and makes them fight harder against the gas project. More than that, she gave a speech back in 2012 demanding clemency for Leonard Peltier, adding more fuel to this fiery battle for Peltier. For her entire career as an activist, Ramona Bennett has managed some incredible feats. However, many of these feats were made possible through her ability to be an inspiring character that her people would readily want to follow through thick and thin.

Ramona Bennett with Native Activists meeting outside the Bureau Of Indian Affairs in Washington DC — Ramona and other native activists outside the Bureau of Indian Affairs building in Washington DC in 1976

Resilient

Despite enduring tumultuous hardships, Ramona has continued to advocate for the human rights of Indigenous peoples across America as well as Natives across the PNW. In the face of discrimination and violence, Ramona has accomplished and paved the way for multiple pieces of legislation to be passed. She has faced police brutality and numerous loses and setbacks but has continued to fight for Native rights for over sixty years. When she started participating in fish-ins she was not discouraged in the face of continuous police harassment and brutality. When police came with clubs and riffles, Ramona was arrested along with numerous other protesters, but she was soon bailed out and despite her fear, went back into the fray. In 2013 at a meeting for solidarity with Chief Theresa Spence, Ramona offered her own words on the perseverance of Indigenous activism: “Keep it up, keep shouting, keep fighting. If all you have is your body put it there. Your ancestors did, they fought for every right you enjoy! Freedom of religion, property, resources, and you know what your great great great grandchildren will do the same thing. That’s the indian, that’s who we are, that’s why we’re here.” At the age of 81, Ramona continues to fight for tribal rights today, as her own Puyallup tribe fights against a fracked gas facility being built on their land, and will most likely never stop. Her enduring spirit and unwavering devotion to her cause has inspired many to take up the fight for Indigenous rights and has allowed the Puyallup tribe to flourish. Her never-ending resilience throughout decades of turmoil has not only inspired others in her community but makes her a fantastic leader and shows what can be accomplished with dedication.

November 28, 2017December 9, 2017

Neville Bonner – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Mauna Kea | References

Pioneering

Although Bonner had many valiant and praiseworthy traits, one which truly

Queensland Country Life, Australian of the Year Quality

stands out is that he was a pioneer for his people. Despite being an Aboriginal man during a time of great adversity, Bonner stayed true to his morals in order to become the first person of Aboriginal descent to enter the Australian parliament. The number of ‘firsts’ that Neville Bonner accomplished on behalf of his people is both astonishing and highly commendable; including starting a business and becoming the first aboriginal to be elected to Australia’s senate. Despite little education and no political background, Bonner served as a bulldozer for advancing the rights of his fellow Aboriginal community members. Therefore, it is only appropriate that Bonner should be considered a pioneer of his time.

Because of Neville Bonner, Aboriginal Australians all over the country have one more influential leader to look up and aspire to. Furthermore, Aboriginals are recognized by their country’s constitution, they have laws that safeguard their land and communities, and Australia now protects, rather than rejects them. Like a pioneer, Bonner ventured into uncharted territory and dared to do the unexpected, with little support from the world around him. Today, he is a highly regarded and respected Aboriginal man, who deserves every ounce of recognition for his pioneering of laws that protect indigenous people and land.

Resilient

Bonner at a Land Rights March in Brisbane

Coming from an Aboriginal descent, Neville Bonner was not accepted by the white community. As a result, he was not able to receive the education he deserved. He lived in a discriminatory world in which he was not recognized by his own country’s constitution. Even so, Bonner continued to work hard in order to provide himself and his family a better path than the one society fabricated for them. He worked as a carpenter, managed a dairy farm, and even created his own boomerang manufacturing business before beginning his political career.

As an Aboriginal politician in the Commonwealth parliament, Neville Bonner was resilient in promoting Aboriginal rights and welfare during a time when the rest of the parliament was not willing to help Aboriginal communities. During his time in parliament, other politicians never considered Bonner his equal, often leaving him alone and rarely befriending him. Nonetheless, he was never afraid to express his Aboriginality to his colleagues, even if it meant that he had to vote against his party- something Bonner did over 30 times throughout his political career.

Bonner’s retirement from politics did not prevent him from advocating and speaking for Aboriginal issues. He was never ashamed of his Aboriginal culture, and hoped to remain true to his Aboriginal voice when speaking for his people. Bonner’s legacy continues to inspire Aboriginals today to rise above the stereotypes forced upon them by the government and contribute to the advancement of society.

Adaptable

From a young age, Neville Bonner had the ability to excel in any field or job he

Bonner Showing Off His Company’s Boomerangs

was tasked with. Bonner faced a frequent changing of schooling situations during his youth. The first school Bonner attended was the South Lismore School. He and his siblings were sent home the first day by the Head Schoolmaster because the white families kept their children home. After the death of Neville’s mother, his grandmother moved the family to Queensland where they attended the Beaudesert School. At this school, Neville was able to skip three grades in one year, proving that he was highly adaptable in any situation, so long as he had the right tools.

The trait of adaptability followed Bonner in virtually every job he had acquired. One of Neville’s first jobs was working on a cattle station. He started roughly the time that his wife became pregnant and by the time his son was born he had already become the Head Stockman. Eventually, his son became ill and the three moved to Palm Island. Bonner was forced to find another job on the island and became the Health officer on the island. Despite this completely different occupation, he was able to adapt extraordinarily well. The superintendent of the island tasked Bonner to make bricks to rebuild the infrastructure, or lack thereof. Again, granted the opportunity, Bonner made the best of his situation and was able to build a house for himself out of the bricks. Bonner was always adapting to positions of leadership in every field naturally. The adaptability that Bonner displayed in his various jobs and schooling led him excel in his career as a politician.

November 28, 2017December 15, 2017

Katie John (Athabaskan) – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Atlantic Salmon | References

Strong-Willed

Strong-Willed is great word to use to describe Katie John. She was raised in an environment that many would not be able to withstand. Substance living is arguably one of the best ways for both personal health and the health of the planet. However, substance living requires strong people because it is not easy.

She learned English as a teenager. Learning a new language past the age of ten is proven to be far more difficult than when a child. She was married young and raised so many children. She then helped create a written alphabet for the language that she was raised with. Part of her being strong-willed is the will to keep her language alive, while so many factors of western culture is trying to erase it.

To credit her will once again, she started a court case to have Alaska state permit substance fishing. She was determined and fought for this for the remainder of her life. A huge part of her culture and the way she was raised is substance living. Once again Western culture tries and eliminate an indigenous culture, Katie John saw it as her duty to keep her language and way of living still going.

Frank

John did not mince words, beat around the bush, or play games. Throughout her life, she spoke plainly and directly about the issues she fought for and against. It did not matter who you were, what your status was, or what you thought of her, Katie John just told you what she thought. This was apparent in her leadership in Mentasta Village, where she once told her own son and other tribal members that they had to leave the village for a certain amount of time, and could not come back until they changed their ways.

Katie John watches as Governor Tony Knowles struggles to hold on to a salmon.

Further, when she went to the Supreme Court to fight for substance rights, she did not change the frank way in which she talked, and in fact, seemed to utilize it as a way to break through the formal barriers of the court. After the court case had been determined in favor of her and the tribe, then Governor Tony Knowles could have appealed on behalf of the state of Alaska, and she simply invited him to their fish camp, which was illegal at the time. They spent the day together, and she spoke in her frank manner about the importance of fish to her people and their way of life. However, this is not to say she spoke with humor, or without intelligence, and when the Governor accidentally let a fish fall back into the river, she asked if he had granted it a “gubernatorial pardon.”

Determined

Katie John receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Being that Katie John was well known for obtaining rights for her people, it is clear to see that this job was not easy. Challenges she faced, especially that of being a Native woman, come to show how determined she was when standing up for what she believed in. Katie John knew well what things to take in consideration that would potentially be both positive or negative, but did not let that stop her from reaching her goals.

Katie received many rejections over the period of years in which she fought for her and her peoples rights, that including the one towards the Alaska Board State of Fisheries. This movement that began in 1985 by Katie herself, continues up to this day, even after her passing. This comes to show that although what she fought for was what she believed to be their rights, she was determined to do this not only for the period of time in which she lived, but for the future of her people. Despite many obstacles Katie faced while trying to obtain their rights, she did it all with love and honor and did not stop fighting up until her last days, making her a very respected Native American woman.

November 28, 2017December 17, 2017