LaDonna Harris
Encyclopedia
LaDonna Vita Tabbytite Harris (born 1931) is a Comanche
social activist from Oklahoma. She is the founder and president of Americans for Indian Opportunity.
, on her family's allotment land
. Her parents were William Crawford, of European-American descent, and Lilly Tabbytite, who was Comanche. Her parents separated shortly after her birth, so she was raised by her maternal grandparents, John and Wick-kie Tabbytite. She grew up on her grandparents' farm, near Walters, Oklahoma
during the Great Depression
. Comanche
was her first language.
She married her high school sweetheart, who was the future Oklahoma
Senator
Fred R. Harris
,. The Harrises had three children together. Their first child, Kathryn Harris (now Tijerina) was born in 1950, their son Byron Harris was born in 1958, and their third and last child, Laura Harris, was born three years late in 1961. Like their mother, the Harris kids have grown up to careers of stature. Kathryn is the New Mexico Director of External Affairs for the University of Phoenix; Byron is a technician in television production in Los Angeles
; and Laura works with their mother as the Executive Director at Americans for Indian Opportunity. Although Fred and LaDonna ultimately were divorced, they have maintained a friendship.
regain control of Blue Lake, and she helped the Menominee
tribe gain federal recognition after their tribe had been terminated by the US federal government.
In 1980 she was the Vice Presidential
nominee of the short-lived Citizens Party as the running mate of Barry Commoner
; however, she was replaced on the ballot in Ohio
by Wretha Hanson
.
, Independent Sector
, Council on Foundations
, National Organization of Women, National Urban League
, Save the Children
, National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing, and Overseas Development Corporation. Currently, she served on the boards of Advancement of Maori Opportunity, Institute for 21st Century Agoras, National Senior Citizens Law Center, and Think New Mexico. She serves on the advisory boards of the National Museum of the American Indian
, American Civil Liberties Union
, Delphi International Group, and National Institute for Women of Color.
about Harris' life is being filmed "LaDonna Harris: Indian 101", by director/producer Julianna Brannum.
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
social activist from Oklahoma. She is the founder and president of Americans for Indian Opportunity.
Background
Harris was born on February 15, 1931 in Temple, OklahomaTemple, Oklahoma
Temple is a town in Cotton County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,146 at the 2000 census. The town is named for the celebrated trial lawyer of Texas and Oklahoma Territory, Temple Lea Houston , the youngest son of General Sam Houston....
, on her family's allotment land
Dawes Act
The Dawes Act, adopted by Congress in 1887, authorized the President of the United States to survey Indian tribal land and divide the land into allotments for individual Indians. The Act was named for its sponsor, Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts. The Dawes Act was amended in 1891 and again...
. Her parents were William Crawford, of European-American descent, and Lilly Tabbytite, who was Comanche. Her parents separated shortly after her birth, so she was raised by her maternal grandparents, John and Wick-kie Tabbytite. She grew up on her grandparents' farm, near Walters, Oklahoma
Walters, Oklahoma
Walters is a city in Cotton County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,657 at the 2000 census. The city, nestled in between twin creeks, is the county seat of Cotton County...
during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Comanche
Comanche language
Comanche is a Uto-Aztecan language spoken by the Comanche people, who split off from the Shoshone soon after they acquired horses in around 1705...
was her first language.
She married her high school sweetheart, who was the future Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Fred R. Harris
Fred R. Harris
Fred Roy Harris is a former Democratic United States Senator from the state of Oklahoma. He served from 1964 until 1973.-Biography:...
,. The Harrises had three children together. Their first child, Kathryn Harris (now Tijerina) was born in 1950, their son Byron Harris was born in 1958, and their third and last child, Laura Harris, was born three years late in 1961. Like their mother, the Harris kids have grown up to careers of stature. Kathryn is the New Mexico Director of External Affairs for the University of Phoenix; Byron is a technician in television production in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
; and Laura works with their mother as the Executive Director at Americans for Indian Opportunity. Although Fred and LaDonna ultimately were divorced, they have maintained a friendship.
Political activism
Harris helped the Taos PuebloTaos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
regain control of Blue Lake, and she helped the Menominee
Menominee
Some placenames use other spellings, see also Menomonee and Menomonie.The Menominee are a nation of Native Americans living in Wisconsin. The Menominee, along with the Ho-Chunk, are the only tribes that are indigenous to what is now Wisconsin...
tribe gain federal recognition after their tribe had been terminated by the US federal government.
In 1980 she was the Vice Presidential
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
nominee of the short-lived Citizens Party as the running mate of Barry Commoner
Barry Commoner
Barry Commoner is an American biologist, college professor, and eco-socialist. He ran for president of the United States in the 1980 US presidential election on the Citizens Party ticket. He was also editor of Science Illustrated magazine.-Biography:Commoner was born in Brooklyn...
; however, she was replaced on the ballot in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
by Wretha Hanson
Wretha Hanson
Wretha Hanson is the director of the Franz Bader Gallery in Washington, D.C. and was the former wife of George Wiley. In 1980 she was the alternate Vice Presidential nominee of the short-lived Citizens Party as the running mate of Barry Commoner for the state of Ohio; for most states, the...
.
Community involvement
In the past, Harris served on the boards of the Girl Scouts of the USAGirl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
, Independent Sector
Independent Sector
Independent Sector is a coalition of nonprofits, foundations and corporate giving programs. Founded in 1980, it is the first organization to combine the grant seekers and grantees....
, Council on Foundations
Council on Foundations
The Council on Foundations, formed in 1949, is a nonprofit membership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. Members of the Council include more than 1,750 independent, operating, community, public, and company-sponsored foundations, and corporate giving programs in the United...
, National Organization of Women, National Urban League
National Urban League
The National Urban League , formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States. It is the oldest and largest...
, Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
, National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing, and Overseas Development Corporation. Currently, she served on the boards of Advancement of Maori Opportunity, Institute for 21st Century Agoras, National Senior Citizens Law Center, and Think New Mexico. She serves on the advisory boards of the National Museum of the American Indian
National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is a museum operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native Americans of the Western Hemisphere...
, American Civil Liberties Union
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
, Delphi International Group, and National Institute for Women of Color.
Literature and film
In 2000, Harris published her autobiography, LaDonna Harris : A Comanche Life ISBN 0-8032-2396-X. A documentaryDocumentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
about Harris' life is being filmed "LaDonna Harris: Indian 101", by director/producer Julianna Brannum.
External links
- LaDonna Harris, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture