Warning: This story contains information and descriptions related to missing and murdered Indigenous relatives.
On a sunny Friday in July, the office of the Yakama Nation tribal council was packed with tribal members dressed in ribbon skirts and shirts. The sounds and sights that mark the beginning of every council meeting were present: a blessing, the ringing of a bell and hands moving up and down to the sound of the drum. But this particular meeting was special.
In the center of the council meeting area stood a maroon-framed honorary doctorate from Washington State University. The university recognized Yakama elder Patricia ‘Patsy’ Whitefoot for her dedication and fiery commitment to educating youth, and for her tireless efforts to address the epidemic of Murdered Missing Indigenous Relatives (MMIR).
“For me, it’s all about working with our students, but it’s also a recognition of our ancestors,” said Whitefoot, 75. “You know for me, the elders, our elders, and our ancestors are the ones that hold us together. They’re the ones that created the foundation that we stand on.”
Whitefoot’s work has made an enormous difference in her community, according to Zoe Higheagle Strong, Nimiipuu, vice provost for Native American relations and Programs & Tribal Liaison to the WSU president. Higheagle Strong nominated Whitefoot for her outstanding contributions to education and beyond.
“Patsy Whitefoot was not only an extraordinary visionary and transformative Native education leader who has served from rural tribal communities to state, regional, national and international levels,” said Higheagle. “But she has also tirelessly advocated for and addressed critical issues of cultural, health and human justice rights, such as fighting for the rights of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and finding people that go unnoticed and are invisible.”
‘A life of selfless service’
The process of getting an honorary doctorate begins with a nomination by a university employee. Nominees selected by a committee then go to the Board of Regents for approval.
WSU president Kirk Schulz drove to Yakama Nation from the Pullman campus, near the border with Idaho, to personally present Whitefoot with her honorary degree.
Although WSU has awarded honorary doctorates for 135 years, Schulz said it’s not always an annual occurrence.
Schulz praised Whitefoot’s dedication to developing statewide curricula, which include information specific to the cultures of Native nations with cultural ties to the land each school district occupies. The information also informs government and teachers’ understanding of names, symbols and images used in school’s mascots.
Schulz also praised Whitefoot’s commitment to her Native community which has resulted in an improved quality of life for society at large.
“Patricia’s work and indeed her life embodies the core aspiration of WSU’s mission to serve the public good,” Schulz said. “I’m honored to be here to recognize the work. Today, Patricia Whitefoot, in recognition of your life of selfless service and the power invested in me as president of WSU, it’s my true honor to celebrate you here today, presenting this Washington State University honorary doctoral degree.”
‘We all belong to one another’
Whitefoot grew up in White Swan, Washington, a small, quiet town on the Yakama Reservation.
Her traditional name is Twapat, which was her great-great-grandmother’s name. Whitefoot has spent most of her life educating and fighting for her community and the greater community of Indian Country.
In 1987, her younger sister, Daisy May Heath, disappeared at age 29. Her family filed a missing persons report – but it took several years for police to find a body.
After the loss of her sister, Whitefoot dedicated decades of her life to increasing awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives in Washington state, across the nation and the globe.
Washington State has the second-highest number of cases in the nation involving missing and murdered Indigenous relatives.
In 2009, former President Barack Obama appointed Whitefoot to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education. She served two terms as president of the National Indian Education Association.
“It takes patience and endurance to continue to do the work that needs to be done,” said Whitefoot. “It has also been that our children are a part of this, they are part of who we are. We all belong to one another.”
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