2002 Honorees

Congratulations to our 2002 Enduring Spirit Award honorees Adeline Garcia (Haida), Joan Staples Baum (Ojibwe), Maiselle Bridges (Puyallup/Squaxin), Gina George (Yakama), and Jeannie Halliday Thomas (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs).

Adeline Garcia, Haida

Adeline Garcia is a belongs to the Raven Double-Fin Killer Whale clan. Adeline grew up in the village of Hydaburg & Craig and graduated from Ketchikan High School in 1943. She was the first in her family to receive a high school diploma. Adeline has been involved in the Indian Community and in the promotion of educational opportunities for over 50 years. She is a charter member and one of the founders of the American Indian Women’s Service League.

Adeline served as the president of the board of directors of the Seattle Indian Health Board. Adeline passed away in January of 2004

Joan Staples Baum, Ojibwe

Joan is a grandmother, an urban leader, and the founder and Director of the Tahoma Indian Center in Tacoma. She volunteers for the Chief Seattle Club serving the urban homeless Native American and Native Alaskan peoples. Joan also served as co-chair for the Native American Task Force for the Church Council of Greater Seattle.

Maiselle Bridges, Puyallup

As a grandmother and treaty fishing rights activist arrested for fishing after her husband was jailed, Maiselle worked closely with other Native women to bring civil rights arguments to the forefront. She has long been a powerful advocate for Indian education, and she founded the Wa He Lut Indian School at the Frank’s Landing Indian community near the Nisqually reservation in 1974.

Gina George, Yakama

Gina is a mother, student at Heritage College in Toppenish, community volunteer and Field Director for the Salmon Corps Program, working with young adults on projects ranging from fencing, stream surveys and salmon habitat restoration along the Yakima River. Gina’s values are rooted in her traditional upbringing.

Jeannie Halliday Thomas, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs

(posthumously awarded)

In 1965, Jeannie and her husband were instrumental in the establishment of the Seattle All-American Indian Dancers. Jeannie worked to establish the Long House Preschool, advocated for the educational needs of Native youth, and was the first director of the American Indian Heritage Program. She was actively involved in Indian education and cultural preservation on the Yakama reservation serving as director of the Johnson O'Malley Program. Jeannie remained a dedicated and strong advocate for Native people until her death on March 20, 2002.