IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 173 

Recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, 

Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 5, 2019 

Ms. HAALAND (for herself, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. COLE, Mrs. CAROLYN

B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. CASE, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. HECK, Ms. 

GABBARD, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. LEE of 

California, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. 

MOORE, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. LUJA ́N, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. YOUNG, 

and Mr. CORREA) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Natural Resources 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women 

in the United States. 

Whereas the United States celebrates National Women’s History Month every March to recognize and honor the 

achievements of women throughout the history of the 

United States; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have helped shape the history of the United 

States since before its inception; 


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•HRES 173 IH 

Whereas drawing on many Tribes and Native Nations’ matriarchal practices, American Indian, Alaska Native, and 

Native Hawaiian women played an important role in influencing early suffragettes in their advocacy, ultimately 

leading to the passage of the 19th Amendment granting 

women the right to vote; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have broken glass ceilings in the fields of 

science, technology, and engineering, including— 

(1) Mary Golda Ross (Cherokee Nation), who was 

the first female engineer in the history of Lockheed Corporation, worked on the Agena Rocket program and 

other interplanetary space travel as an aerospace engineer and was recently honored on a special $1 United 

States coin; 

(2) Floy Agnes Lee (Santa Clara Pueblo), who 

worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II 

and pioneered research on radiation biology and cancer; 

and 

(3) Isabella Kauakea Yau Yung Aiona Abbott (Native Hawaiian), who was the first woman on the biological sciences faculty at Stanford University, and was 

awarded the Gilbert Morgan Smith medal from the National Academy of Sciences in 1997; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women activists led the fight for civil rights, including 

Elizabeth Peratrovich (Tlingit Nation), whose advocacy 

led to the passage of the first antidiscrimination law in 

the United States; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have worked tirelessly for legal advances for 

American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian 


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people despite real barriers in the legal profession, including— 

(1) Eliza ‘‘Lyda’’ Conley (Wyandot Nation), the first 

Native plaintiff to present a case before the Supreme 

Court in 1909; 

(2) Emma Kailikapiolono Metcalf Beckley Nakuina 

(Native Hawaiian) who served as the first female judge 

in Hawaii; and 

(3) Diane Humetewa (Hopi Tribe), the first Native 

American woman to serve as a Federal court judge; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have served on their respective Tribal Councils, court judges, and leaders, including Wilma Mankiller 

(Cherokee), the first woman elected to serve as Principal 

Chief of the Cherokee Nation, who fought for her Tribe; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women serve in the medical profession, stretching 

back to Susan La Flesche Picotte (Omaha Tribe), who 

was the first American Indian/Alaska Native person to 

earn a medical degree in 1889; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have long contributed to the arts and culture 

of the United States, including Maria Tallchief (Osage 

Nation), who was the first prima ballerina of the New 

York City Ballet in 1942 and later a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have accomplished notable literary achievements, including author Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins 

(Northern Paiute) who wrote and published one of the 

first Native American autobiographies in 1883; 


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•HRES 173 IH 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have been key to efforts of culture and language, including Esther Martinez (Ohkay O ́wıˆngeh Pueblo), who persevered to ensure the continuation of the 

Tewa language and whose legacy is honored in the ‘‘Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation 

Act’’; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have served and continue to serve the country 

in the military, with over 6,000 American Indian, Alaska 

Native, and Native Hawaiian women in active service; 

Whereas there are currently 28,000 American Indian, Alaska 

Native, and Native Hawaiian women veterans; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women overcame significant historical barriers to 

women’s enlistment in the military, including Minnie 

Spotted Wolf (Blackfeet Nation), the first Native American woman in the United States Marine Corps in 1943; 

Whereas American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women struggle for equity and are paid just 63 cents 

for every dollar paid to White men; 

Whereas more than 4 in 5 American Indian, Alaska Native, 

and Native Hawaiian women have experienced violence in 

their lifetime, and more than half of American Indian, 

Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women have experienced sexual violence; and 

Whereas despite significant challenges including the chronic 

lack of Federal funding in Indian Country and unequal 

pay, disparities in education, unmet health care needs, 

and civil rights violations, American Indian, Alaska NaVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:23 Mar 06, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR173.IH HR173

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tive, and Native Hawaiian women continue to break 

through and thrive: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) celebrates and honors the successes of 

3 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawai4 ian women and the contributions they have made 

5 and continue to make to the United States; 

6 (2) recognizes that policy and societal changes 

7 are needed to ensure that American Indian, Alaska 

8 Native, and Native Hawaiian women live safely and 

9 freely and can realize their full potential; and 

10 (3) urges the United States Government and 

11 Congress to uphold its trust responsibility to Amer12 ican Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian 

13 women and to all Indian Tribes. 

Æ 


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