Among the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, elder Ramona Bennett Bill is a most notable historic figure and veritable force of nature to this very day. At the Washington State History Museum on the evening of Sept. 18, a full house audience was treated to seeing and meeting her in-person as the museum’s first guest for its new “We the People” series of public programs on the third Thursday of each month.
This event was in celebration of Bennett Bill’s newly published book, “Fighting for the Puyallup Tribe: A Memoir.” In less than 300 pages, she takes readers on a fascinating journey through her life of activism, sacrifice, perseverance, and honorable commitment to her people and all Native Americans in their fight for respect, justice and equality.
Moderated by journalist John Hughes, former chief and head of the Legacy Washington Project in the Washington Secretary of State’s Office, Bennett Bill was also joined onstage by Darrell Hillaire, former tribal council member for the Lummi Nation, founder and director of the Lummi Youth Academy, and executive director of The Children of the Setting Sun…