Janet McCloud facts for kids

Janet McCloud (also known as Yet-Si-Blue; March 30, 1934 – November 25, 2003) was an important Native American and indigenous rights activist. She worked hard to protect the rights of Native American people. Her activism helped lead to a major court decision in 1974 called the Boldt Decision. This decision was very important for tribal fishing rights. Because of her work, some people called her "the Rosa Parks of the American Indian Movement." She also helped start a group called Women of All Red Nations (WARN) in 1974. The first meeting of the Indigenous Women's Network happened in her backyard in Yelm, Washington in August 1985.

Janet McCloud's Early Life

Janet Renecker (Yet-Si-Blue) was born on the Tulalip Reservation on March 30, 1934. She was the oldest of three sisters. Her family was related to Chief Seattle. Janet grew up in a family that faced many challenges.

Her family moved often when she was young. They lived in places like Tulalip, Taholah on the Quinault Reservation, and later in Seattle. She often found comfort in churches and foster homes. Because of this, she spent much of her youth in the city. She was not always connected to her tribal customs and traditions during these years.

Janet married and divorced when she was young. Later, in the early 1950s, she met Don McCloud. He was a Nisqually tribal fisherman. They soon married and had eight children together.

Fighting for Fishing Rights

On January 6, 1962, state game wardens raided a group of Native Americans fishing on the Nisqually River. They arrested five men, including some of Janet McCloud's relatives. They were accused of illegal fishing.

Native American tribes had treaties with the U.S. government. For example, the Treaty of Medicine Creek from 1854 guaranteed their fishing and hunting rights. These rights were for their traditional lands and waters. However, state officials often challenged these rights.

In the 1960s, the number of salmon and steelhead fish began to decrease. The state started to control tribal fishing more. They wanted to save fish for commercial and sport fishing. State courts supported these actions.

Native Americans began to organize. The McClouds started an activist group called the Survival of American Indians Association. To protest the court orders, members began holding "fish-ins." These events were the start of what became known as the Fish Wars.

Janet McCloud helped organize these protests. She joined her husband, Don, and others like Billy Frank, Jr. and Ramona Bennett. They protested at the Nisqually River and Puyallup River. They used traditional nets that the state called illegal. These "fish-ins" often led to raids and arrests. But they also brought attention to their cause from around the world.

Many Native American elders and activists came to Washington State. Famous people like actor Marlon Brando and activist Dick Gregory joined the fish-ins. They used their fame to support the cause. The Black Panther Party also stood with Native Americans at protests in Olympia.

Janet McCloud also documented the struggle. She was the editor of Survival News. This newsletter shared the Native American side of the fish wars. She used an old mimeograph machine and her children helped her sort and staple the papers.

Her children also took part in the protests. During one fish-in on October 13, 1965, Janet's husband and two sons were fishing. Wardens rammed their boat. Her son, Jeff McCloud, who was not yet 10 and could not swim, fell into the river. A fight broke out on the shore. Native women and children were there to watch. Six people were arrested, including Don and Janet McCloud. Janet refused to eat while she was in jail.

Eventually, the efforts of the Native Americans paid off. On February 12, 1974, U.S. District Judge George Boldt made a ruling. He sided with 14 treaty tribes. He upheld their treaty rights to half of the salmon and steelhead catch in Washington.

Connecting with Native American Spirituality

The Fish Wars not only made Janet McCloud a civil rights leader. They also helped her connect with her native spirituality. While her husband was in jail, Janet had a vision at her home in Yelm. She felt she could not rely on other religions. She saw faces of great chiefs when looking at Mount Rainier. McCloud believed this was a special calling. In the late 1960s, she met Thomas Banyacya, a Hopi spiritual leader. He taught her to find answers through peace.

She became friends with Audrey Shenandoah, an Iroquois Clan Mother. Janet adopted some Iroquois beliefs about nature.

During the 1970s, McCloud shared her message of native spirituality and human rights globally. She traveled to many places. She spoke about the rights of indigenous women and social justice. She also worked to encourage prisons to allow Native American spiritual traditions for inmates.

The Sapa Dawn Center

Janet McCloud made her home and the surrounding 10 acres in Yelm, Washington, a special place. She called it the Sapa Dawn Center. "Sapa" means grandfather. This name honored Don McCloud, who passed away in April 1985. McCloud said that elders believed it was a spiritual place. For over 30 years, they used the land to teach traditional ways. She said it was a place where people could find peace and reconnect with their spiritual selves.

Leaders of the American Indian Movement, like Dennis Banks and Russell Means, visited Sapa Dawn. They came to its sweat lodge before the 1973 Wounded Knee Occupation in South Dakota.

In August 1985, 300 Indigenous women met at Sapa Dawn. They discussed issues faced by native families across North and South America. This meeting led to the creation of the Indigenous Women's Network. This group supports native women, families, and tribal rights. McCloud was recognized as a founding mother of this network. McCloud made sure that Sapa Dawn helped visitors experience traditional ways of life. She once joked about visitors expecting a motel, saying she offered them "tepee number one or tepee number two."

Yet-Si-Blue: The Woman Who Talks

Janet McCloud's uncle, Pete Henry, explained her Indian name, "Yet-Si-Blue." It means "the woman who talks." He said it was the perfect name for her. She had become a strong voice for Native American culture.

Her Passing

In her final weeks, Janet McCloud was unwell due to complications from diabetes and high blood pressure. She passed away on November 25, 2003, at the age of 69. Her family was with her. Her granddaughters dressed her in traditional clothing and wrapped her in a handmade quilt.