2019 Honorees
Congratulations to our 2019 Enduring Spirit Award honorees Yvette Joseph (Colville Confederated Tribes), Patty Kiuswa-Gaiser (Cowlitz), Polly Olsen (Yakama), and Teresa Taylor (Lummi).
Yvette Joseph, Colville Confederated Tribes
Yvette Joseph has advocated toward improving the health and human services of tribes nationally and at the local level. As a professional staff member to Senator Dan Evans, Yvette had a chance to work with Speaker of the House Tom Foley to advocate for the creation of the Seven Nations Healing Lodge. This treatment center is the flagship of the Indian Health Service and the first youth and family treatment program in the nation. While working for the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Yvette Joseph was responsible for the staff assistance needed to enact four reauthorizations of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. Yvette Joseph has also worked to support the winning campaigns of Congressman and U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Idaho Attorney General Larry Echohawk, New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland, and Washington State Representative Debra Lekanoff. Yvette enjoys working behind the scene helping others to realize many of the policy goals that have been advanced in Native voting rights, protection of murdered and missing Native women, amendments to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, and in establishing Native American veterans home loan programs.
Patty Kinswa-Gaiser, Cowlitz
Patty Kinswa-Gaiser is an incredible example of strength, success and resilience. She has overcome many personal hardships. She persevered through a domestic violence relationship to become Tribal Council Chair of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, as well as a member of the Cowlitz Health Board and Youth Board. She is indefatigable. She travels to three Cowlitz Health clinics monthly to support patient services to youth and adults receiving mental health and/or substance use disorder services. She has worked on the LCWAC Board for several years. She was recently asked to serve on the Executive Council of the King County Family Treatment Court. She also works with staff to educate clients on Cowlitz culture, sharing songs and helping them make drums. Many of the hundreds of Native Americans that Cowlitz serves in the urban areas of Seattle and Vancouver have been stranded from their home reservations for generations and need cultural support and acceptance. Our youth patients are often struggling with emotional regulation. But Patty is generous, welcoming and encouraging to Native patients regardless of how connected they are to their own culture. Patty's work has not been documented or appreciated in the press. She continues to work without typical public accolades.
Polly Olsen, Yakama
Polly Olsen is member of the Yakama Nation and a graduate of the University of Washington, where she has dedicated 20 plus years of service to the institution, as well as un-tiring service to the Seattle Native community. In 2007, she joined Indigenous Wellness Research Institute—a budding research center focused on reducing and, ultimately, eliminating health disparities in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. As IWRI grew in size and outreach, she served as Community Relations Director, overseeing outreach initiatives for IWRI as well as managing the K-12 educational programs pipeline. She has also functioned as a liaison between Tribal and Indigenous communities, as well as organizations and academic institutions, facilitating conversations between people who share similar goals but different approaches. She served as leader-advisor on traditional and cultural protocols, enhancing IWRI’s and the UW’s collaborations in the areas of higher education, research, and community partnership-building with Indigenous communities. Before joining the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute in 2007, Olsen was the director of the Native American Center for Excellence in the UW School of Medicine for six years. She was President of the Board of Directors for the Seattle Indian Health Board from 2012-2014. She was the Executive Director of the Association of American Indian Physicians, and is currently the Tribal Liaison for the Burke Museum.
Teresa Taylor, Lummi
Teresa has committed years of her personal time, energy and love for volunteer services to help build healthy communities for all people to live in. In 2009 Teresa Taylor was at the Native American Caucus (NAC) Washington State Democratic Meetings where she ran to represent WA State as a Delegate to attend the Democratic National Convention and won! Upon her return from the DNC National Convention, Teresa ran for the Secretary for the Native American Caucus and won! She served in that position for 8 years where she helped “Get out the Native Vote.” In 2015 she decided to run for the Ferndale City Council and WON. There have been many walls built between Lummi and the City of Ferndale, WA, but Teresa is working hard to build bridges between the two communities. In December 2018 she was appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to a 5 yr term on the Whatcom Community College Board of Trustees. Teresa also served on the Bellingham YWCA Board of Directors supporting homeless women and their needs for 10 years. Teresa has served on many community committees as listed above, but probably the one thing that most people don't know about her is the way she volunteers to counsel and educate community members on an individual basis. Teresa has a special positive "aura glow" around her and is an inspiration to all who know her.