Kathryn Jones Harrison

Kathryn Jones Harrison (March 28, 1924 – May 21, 2023) was a leader of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon.[1]

Kathryn Jones Harrison
Born(1924-03-28)March 28, 1924
Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.
DiedMay 21, 2023(2023-05-21) (aged 99)
Alma mater

Early life and education

Kathryn May Jones was born in Corvallis, Oregon, on March 28, 1924.[2] Her parents died from an influenza pandemic was she was ten years old. She was abused in foster care in Buxton, Oregon, before she attended Salem's Chemawa Indian School.[1] During the 1970s, she enrolled at Lane Community College's School of Nursing.[1]

Career

After graduating from Lane, she worked at Lincoln City Hospital. She lived near the Siletz Reservation and was elected to serve as secretary of the Tribal Council.[1] In 1976, she testified before Congress, advocating for federal tribal recognition. She returned to Grand Ronde to advocate for tribal status, which was granted in 1983. She has been credited with helping to pass the Reservation Restoration Act of 1988 and establishing Spirit Mountain Casino.[1]

Personal life and recognition

Kathryn Jones married Frank Harrison, a classmate from Chemawa. The couple had ten children.[1]

Harrison received an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from Portland State University and was named Alumna of the Year by Lane Community College.[1][3] She has also been named an Oregon History Maker by the Oregon Historical Society.[4]

On June 10, 2021, the superintendent of the Corvallis (OR) School Board recommended that Jaguar Elementary (formerly Jefferson Elementary) be renamed Kathryn Harrison Elementary.[5] A naming ceremony took place at the school on May 5, 2022, with Kathryn in attendance.[6]

Harrison died on May 21, 2023, at the age of 99.[7]

Bibliography
  • Olson, Kristine (2005). Standing Tall: The Lifeway of Kathryn Jones Harrison, Chair of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community. Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 9780295985824.

See also

References
  1. Olson, Kristine. "Kathryn Harrison (1924- )". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  2. "Revered Restoration figure Kathryn Harrison walks on at 99 years of age". Smoke Signals. May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  3. Karten, Ron (January 14, 2013). "Kathryn Harrison to receive honorary degree". Smoke Signals. Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  4. Karten, Ron (September 12, 2012). "Oregon Historical Society to honor Kathryn Harrison". Smoke Signals. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  5. "School Name Recommendations Submitted to School Board". Archived from the original on June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  6. "Event to honor Kathryn Harrison postponed". Archived from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
  7. Rhodes, Dean (May 22, 2023). "Revered Restoration figure Kathryn Harrison walks on at 99 years of age". Smoke Signals. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.