Joe DeLaCruz facts for kids
Joe DeLaCruz (Joseph B. DeLaCruz, July 16, 1937 – April 16, 2000) was an important Native American leader. He was the president of the Quinault Tribe in Washington for 22 years. People said he knew a lot about almost every Native American tribe in North America. His ideas and programs became examples for other Native American groups to follow.
Early Life and Education
Joe DeLaCruz grew up on the Quinault Reservation in Taholah, Grays Harbor County, Washington. He was the oldest of ten children. In high school, he was the student-body president and played four different sports. During summers, he fished with his grandfather on the Quinault River. He also drove a school bus and worked at a local lumber mill.
After high school, Joe DeLaCruz served two years in the United States Army in Germany. Later, he went to Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. After college, he worked for the federal government in Portland.
Leading the Quinault Tribe
In 1967, Joe DeLaCruz returned to his home reservation. He became the tribal business manager. In 1971, he was elected president of the Quinault Tribe. He held this important position for 22 years.
During the early 1970s, Joe DeLaCruz was very active in Native American rights movements. He took part in protests at Fort Lawton in Seattle, Washington, in 1970. These actions helped create the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation and the Daybreak Star Cultural Center.
He also helped organize a protest in 1971 at the Chow Chow Bridge. This protest stopped logging companies that were cutting down trees on tribal lands. Joe DeLaCruz fought for the Quinault people to manage their own natural resources. He also worked to protect Native salmon fishing rights and control over their coastal beaches.
Under his leadership, the Quinault Tribe hired its own juvenile counselors, police officers, and foresters. This helped the tribe manage its own community services. He also helped create the Centennial Accord. This agreement set out how the tribes and the State of Washington would work together as separate governments.
National Leadership and Legacy
Joe DeLaCruz was also a leader on a national level. In 1977, he was elected president of the National Tribal Chairmen's Association. In 1981, he became president of the National Congress of American Indians, serving for four years. From 1984 until he passed away, he was the chair of public policy at the Center for World Indigenous Studies.
Joe DeLaCruz passed away in 2000 from a heart attack. To honor his work, the Joe DelaCruz Center for Advanced Studies in Tribal Government was created. This center is part of the Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute (NIARI) at The Evergreen State College. It continues his legacy of supporting tribal government and leadership.
