Emmett Oliver, founder of Paddle to Seattle and citizen of the Quinault Nation, embodied leadership. As an educator and advocate for Indigenous Peoples, Oliver’s efforts were instrumental in spawning the American Indian Movement and the cultural renaissance catalyzed by the annual Canoe Journey.
As an Indian boarding school superintendent and Indian college teacher, Oliver dedicated his life to improving educational programs for Native students. As a Coast Guard Reserve officer, he led a Coast Guard leadership institute in the San Francisco Bay Area, and served as chairman of the Bay Area Native American Committee.
Oliver was interim director of the Indian Student Cultural Center at UCLA, director of the Indian Student Program at the University of Washington, and director of Indian Education for the state of Washington. He passed away March 7 at the age of 102.
The library is dedicated to the memory of Secwepemc Chief George Manuel (1921-1989), to the nations of the Fourth World and to the elders and generations to come.
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