Leadership Honoring Awards

2016 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
Rich Purser

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
No Award Extended in 2016

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
Paul Lumley

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
No Award Extended in 2016

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Pat Courtney Gold

2015 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
Iris Friday

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
Kevin Lenon

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
Jeromy Sullivan

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
Cornel Pewewardy, PhD

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Suzie Bennett

2014 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
Ralph Forquera

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
Ramona Bennett

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
No Award Extended in 2014

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
Denise Juneau

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Emmett Sampson Oliver

2013 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
Annette Bryan

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
Deborah Parkertsi-cy-altsa

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
Robert Elofson

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
Virginia Beavert, PhD.

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Levina WilkinsSmartlowit

2012 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
Johnpaul Jones

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
Julie Johnson, Sa’Leit’Sa

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
Brian Cladoosby, Speepots

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
Martina Whelshula

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Chief Delvis Heath, Sr.

2011 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
Bruce Thomas

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
John McCoy

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
Eric J. Quaempts

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
Jamie Valadez

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Leonard Forsman

2010 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
LaVerne Wise

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
Charla White Eagle 

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
Kelly Gemmell-Bruce 

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
Marlene Spencer Simla

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Delbert Miller

2009 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
Bill Tovey 

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
Native Vote Washington 

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
Roy Sampsel 

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
Michael Pavel, Ph. D 

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Cheryle Kennedy 

2008 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
Donald B. Ivy

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
Jenine Grey

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
Elouise Cobell

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
Denny Hurtado

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Charlene Krise

2007 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
John Halliday

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
Claudia Kauffman

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
Bob Kelly

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
Ryan Wilson

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Janeen Comenote

2006 Awardees

The Antone Minthorn Economic & Community Development Award
Valerie Fast Horse 

The Pearl Capoeman-Baller Civic Participation Award
Nichole Maher

The Billy Frank Jr. Natural Resource Protection Award
Micah McCarty 

The Patricia Whitefoot Education Award
Tina Begay 

The Fran James Cultural Preservation Award
Jewell James 

2005 Emerging Leadership Awards

Potlatch Fund launches our Leadership Honor Awards by recognizing five outstanding leaders in our five areas of interest – economic development, civic participation, natural resource protection, education and cultural preservation. The Leadership Honor Awards will be named for the five inaugural honorees and, annually hereafter, bestowed on accomplished emerging leaders. We recognize and congratulate the following nationally recognized leaders for their achievements and for serving as role models to emerging leaders.

Economic & Community Development

We honor Antone Minthorn, a Cayuse tribal member, for his leadership in economic development as chairman of the board of trustees of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and in his previous position as chair of the Tribes’ general council. Antone has played an influential leadership role in the establishment of a strong Reservation economy that also benefits the city of Pendleton, Umatilla County, and the surrounding region, including restoration of water and salmon to the Umatilla River after an absence of 70 years, adoption of a major salmon policy to stop salmon extinction in the Columbia River Basin and reacquisition of the Tribes’ land. 

Civic Participation 

We honor Pearl Capoeman-Baller, a Quinault tribal member, for her leadership in civic participation as the president of the Quinault Indian Nation, chairwoman of the Quinault Business Committee, and executive director of the Nation’s Administrative Unit. We congratulate Pearl on her leadership, beginning at the age of 19 years when she was first elected to the tribal council and thereafter serving as tribal secretary, vice president and, since 1993, president. We recognize Pearl for her civic participation in the Washington State Tribal Leaders Association, National Congress of American Indians, Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, National Indian Health Board, National Tribal Development Association and the Elks Club. 

Natural Resource Protection 

We honor Billy Frank Jr., a Nisqually tribal member, for his leader¬ship in natural resource protection as the chairman and spokesperson of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission in which he serves as a key representative for the 20 treaty tribes of Western Washington on fisheries matters and is responsible for dealing with local, national and international fisheries organizations. We recognize Billy for his unyielding stance and his perseverance to protect Indian treaty fishing rights, which has landed him in jail more than 40 times. His leadership helped lay the foundation for the legal affirmation of Indian treaty fishing rights in United States v. Washington (the “Boldt Decision”) that was decided in 1974 and was finalized in 1976 when the United States Supreme Court declined to take the case. 

Education

We honor Patricia Whitefoot, a Yakama tribal member, for her leadership in education as the director of the Indian Education Demonstration Project for the Toppenish School District. Project goals include increasing the literary readiness skills of Native children to prepare them for kindergarten and increasing the academic skills of Native high school students to better prepare them for post secondary education. Patricia’s leadership in education is reflected in many leadership roles including her appointment to the Yakima Valley Community College board of trustees in 2004 and the Heritage University board of directors. 

Cultural Preservation

We honor Fran James, a Lummi tribal member, for her leadership in cultural preservation to revive and continue the traditional weaving and basketry skills of the Lummi people. We pay tribute to Fran for learning traditional basketry skills from her Lummi grandmothers and aunts, and for her years of basket weaving, including twined and coiled baskets, and the Lummi style of cedar bark plaited baskets, hats and other items. We congratulate Fran, along with her son Bill James, for teaching classes since 1983 at Northwest Indian College, which, in February 2005, established a Cultural Arts Endowment named after Fran and Bill.