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Pearl Warren

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Pearl Warren
Born
Pearl Edna Kallappa

August 13, 1911
Neah Bay, Washington, U.S.
DiedJanuary 16, 1986
Washington, U.S.
Other namesPearl Hall
Occupation(s)Clubwoman, activist

Pearl Edna Kallappa Warren (August 13, 1911 – January 16, 1986) was an American community leader, based in Seattle. A member of the Makah people, she was the first executive director of the American Indian Women's Service League (AIWSL), leading the group from 1958 to 1969.

Early life and education

Kallappa was born in Neah Bay, Washington,[1] the daughter of Joseph E. Kallappa[2] and Fannie Kallappa. Kallappa was an enrolled member of the Makah people, and lived on the Makah Reservation.[3] She attended the Chemawa Indian School.[4]

Career

Warren was the first executive director of the American Indian Women's Service League (AIWSL), and served as the group's leader from 1958 to 1969.[5][6] AIWSL began when several women worked together to organize meals, clothing, and shelter for Native American newcomers to Seattle, often meeting people in need on the street or at bus stations.[7] During her tenure, the group opened the Seattle Indian Center in 1960,[8][9] and began publishing the Indian Center News, later known as the Northwest Indian News.[10] The organization held the first North American Indian Jamboree and Benefit Ball in 1961, and an annual salmon bake fundraiser.[7]

Warren clashed with Bernie Whitebear of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, over funding strategies.[11] She was assistant secretary of the Seattle Model Cities Program, and chaired a national organization, Americans Indians United. In 1968, she testified before a Senate committee hearing on Indian education.[4][7] She represented Seattle on the National Indian Arts and Crafts Board, and served on many committees and boards for city and Catholic Church work.[12]

Personal life and legacy

Kallappa married Carl C. Warren.[9] She had three children,[12] including daughter Mary Jo Butterfield.[5] Warren died in 1986, at the age of 74, in Washington. The AIWSL disbanded in 1980, but the Seattle Indian Center continues to be a resource and support for Native Americans in the Seattle area.[13] The Pearl Warren Building in Seattle's Little Saigon neighborhood has housed a homeless shelter and navigation center since 2017,[14] but these programs are scheduled for relocation, and the building is scheduled for demolition in 2025.[15][16][17]

References

  1. ^ "United Way To Fund Seattle Urban Native Nonprofits". United Way of King County. December 17, 2021. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  2. ^ "Mrs. Daniels, Your Sister Seeks You". The Seattle Star. 1934-03-23. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-08-14 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Pearl E. Kallappa in the U.S., Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940, via Ancestry.
  4. ^ a b United States Congress Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare Special Subcommittee on Indian Education (1969). Indian Education: Hearings, Ninetieth Congress, First and Second Sessions, on the Study of the Education of Indian Children. U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 211–218.
  5. ^ a b Thrush, Coll (2017-03-01). Native Seattle: Histories from the Crossing-Over Place. University of Washington Press. pp. 166–167. ISBN 978-0-295-74135-2.
  6. ^ "Mrs. Warren honored at Seattle dinner". Port Angeles Evening News. 1971-03-21. p. 15. Retrieved 2024-08-14 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b c Smith, Karen (2006). "American Indian Women's Service League: Raising the Cause of Urban Indians, 1958-71". Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, University of Washington. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
  8. ^ Rademaker, Laura; Rowse, Tim (2020-09-09). Indigenous Self-Determination in Australia: Histories and Historiography. ANU Press. pp. 216–217. ISBN 978-1-76046-378-6.
  9. ^ a b Doig, Ivan (1967-10-28). "Seattle's Indian Center: A Coup for Pearl Warren". The Daily Herald. pp. 52, 53, 54. Retrieved 2024-08-14 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Hopper, Frank (May 11, 2023). "The Matriarchs Who Helped Seattle's Urban Native Population". YES! Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  11. ^ Reyes, Lawney L. (2023-01-10). Bernie Whitebear: An Urban Indian's Quest for Justice. University of Arizona Press. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-8165-5250-4.
  12. ^ a b "Mrs. Warren chosen for state's honorary". Port Angeles Evening News. 1971-05-24. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-08-14 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Our History". Seattle Indian Services Commission. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  14. ^ Nguyen, Stacy (2017-04-28). "Seattle Indian Center opposes Navigation Center — American Indian organization that helps homeless individuals really sick of City's broken promises". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  15. ^ Robinson, Chetanya (2024-05-06). "As Navigation Center shelter prepares to leave Little Saigon, its legacy remains contentious". International Examiner. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  16. ^ Moreno, Joel (2024-05-27). "Navigation Center shelter relocation welcomed by some neighbors in Seattle's CID". KOMO. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
  17. ^ "CREST Member: SISC". Puget Sound Sage. Retrieved 2024-08-12.