Dolly Akers facts for kids

Dolly Akers (born March 23, 1901 – died June 5, 1986) was an Assiniboine woman. She made history as the first Native American woman elected to the Montana Legislature. She also became the first woman elected to the Tribal Executive Board for the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. These tribes live on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana.

Early Life and Family

Dolly Smith Cusker Akers was born in Wolf Point, Montana. Her mother, Nellie Trexler, was an Assiniboine tribal member. Her father, William Smith, was Irish-American. Dolly grew up on the Fort Peck Reservation.

As a teenager, she went to a special school called the Sherman Institute. This was an Indian boarding school in Riverside, California. After finishing school at age sixteen, she returned to Montana. In 1917, she married George Cusker. They ranched near Poplar, Montana, and had a daughter named Alvina.

George Cusker passed away in 1941. Dolly later married John Akers in 1944. She became a widow for a second time in 1959. Dolly Akers died in Helena, Montana, in 1986.

Dolly Akers' Political Journey

Dolly Akers dedicated her life to helping her people. She worked hard to make sure Native Americans had a voice.

Speaking Up for Her Tribe

In 1920, Dolly went to Washington D.C. She worked as an interpreter for her tribe's leaders. This meant she helped them talk with the U.S. government. In 1923, she went back to D.C. with two tribal leaders, Bear Hill and Dave Johnson. She helped them ask for money for schools.

While there, Dolly also spoke up for Native Americans to become U.S. citizens. At that time, not all Native Americans were citizens. The Indian Citizenship Act was passed in 1924. This law gave voting rights to all Native Americans. Some Native Americans worried this law might make them lose their tribal ways. They also feared it could weaken their tribal independence.

First Woman on the Tribal Board

Dolly's first husband, George Cusker, was on the Tribal Council Executive Board. Dolly often went to meetings in his place. Because of her knowledge, she was later appointed to the board herself. This made her the first woman to hold this important position.

Serving in the Montana Legislature

In 1932, Dolly Akers was elected to the Montana state government. She ran as a Democrat but later became a Republican. She won almost all the votes in Roosevelt County. This county had mostly white American residents.

Dolly was only 23 years old when she was elected. She became the first Native American to serve in the Montana legislature. During the 1933-34 legislative session, she was the only woman serving. She was chosen for the Federal Relations Committee. She also worked as a special helper for the governor. She helped him talk with the U.S. Secretary of Interior.

Lifelong Advocate for Native Rights

Dolly Akers stayed involved in politics her whole life. She visited Washington, D.C., 57 times as a tribal representative. She was also a member of the Fort Peck Tribal Council for about forty years.

Her career had some challenges. At one point, there was a vote to remove her from the tribal council. However, this decision was later overturned.

Dolly often questioned how the Indian Bureau managed tribal resources. She believed tribes should manage their own affairs. She felt they should have the same rights as non-Native people. In 1952, she asked, "Why should Indian people be forced to live under a law made some 80 years ago?"

In the 1970s, she was elected to the Fort Peck Tribal Housing Authority. She worked hard to get money for housing on the Fort Peck Reservation. She succeeded in getting federal funds. Later, some tribal council members questioned how she gave out these funds.

Dolly lived on a large ranch in Montana for part of her life. She worked as an advocate for seven different reservations in the state. She helped people understand the problems faced on reservations, especially by young people. She believed that many problems came from young Native people not learning about their heritage and language.

Dolly supported a policy called Termination. This policy aimed to end the U.S. government's special agreements with tribes. The goal was to help Native Americans join the larger American society. Looking back, Dolly was most proud of two things:

• Helping tribes get the right to hire their own lawyers.
• The 1968 Indian Civil Rights Act, which gave Native Americans more constitutional rights.

Dolly Akers was also appointed to the Montana FHA advisory committee.

Images for kids

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  Dolly Akers