Native American leaders

Billy Frank Jr. (March 9, 1931 – May 5, 2014) was a Native American environmental leader and advocate for treaty rights. As a member of the Nisqually tribe, Frank led a grassroots campaign in the 1960s and 1970s to secure fishing rights on the Nisqually River, located in Washington state. His efforts centered around promoting cooperative management of natural resources. Frank served as the chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for over thirty years.During the Fish Wars, Frank organized a series of "fish-ins." These events culminated in the landmark Boldt Decision, which affirmed that Washington state tribes were entitled to fifty percent of the annual fish harvest.In recognition of his contributions, Frank was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in November 2015. The Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge was renamed in his honor in December 2015. Billy Frank Jr. continues to be considered to be a bridge between Western and Native American societies in regards to environmental sustainability.

Clinton M. Pattea (November 11, 1930 – July 5, 2013) was an American activist and politician, who served as the longtime President of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, a predominantly Yavapai Indian reservation in Maricopa County, Arizona, until his death in 2013. Pattea, who also served on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Tribal Council for more than forty years, was an early proponent of the Native American gaming and casino industry on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.Pattea was an early proponent of gambling, specifically small slot-machine operations, on Native American reservations. The installation of slot machines on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation was opposed by the state of Arizona, under then-Governor Fife Symington, who declared the operations illegal. Pattea refused to give up the slot machines. The standoff between Pattea and Symington eventually led to compact negotiations, leading to the legalization of Native American gambling in Arizona. There are now approximately twenty-four Native American casinos throughout Arizona, as of 2013.Pattea died from an illness on the morning of July 5, 2013, at his home in Fountain Hills, Arizona, at the age of 81. His family had held a celebration of his life in June 2013 as his health had deteriorated. His death was announced by Fort McDowell Yavapai Vice President Bernadine Burnette.