Catherine Herrold Troeh (January 5, 1911 – June 28, 2007) was an American historian, artist, activist and advocate for Native American rights and culture, especially in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (PNW; ) is a geographic region in Western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though no official boundary exists, the most common ...

. She was a member and elder of the Chinook tribe and a direct descendant of the great chief, or tyee, of the Chinook people, Comcomly.

Early life

Troeh was born in Ilwaco,

Pacific County, Washington Pacific County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,365. Its county seat is South Bend, and its largest city is Raymond. The county was formed by the government of Oregon Territory in ...

, 24 minutes after her identical twin sister, Charlotte. Both sisters went on to attend school at St. Vincent's Hospital in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, sometime around the year 1933. Catherine Troeh later enrolled at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

and received a bachelor's degree in public health. Troeh worked as a nurse for several

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

area hospitals and for the Seattle Health Department. She also opened and owned an antique store in Burien, Washington.

Activism

Troeh was an active member of the Chinook Indian Tribe. She was the only woman to join the newly formed Chinook Tribal Council in 1952. She wrote a Native American-focused newsletter, which was distributed at least once a month during her lifetime. Troeh was a major advocate for federal recognition of her Chinook tribe. In addition, she worked closely with Washington's Duwamish tribe. She attended the opening and celebration of the Duwamish's new tribal

cultural center A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Africa * ...

and

longhouse A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. Many were built from lumber, timber and ...

on June 23, 2007, just days before her death. Troeh collaborated with a number of important Native American activists in Washington, including her older sister, Betsy Trick, Pearl Warren, and University of Washington

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...

professor Erna Gunther. Together the women founded an organization called the American Indian Women's Service League (AIWSL) in 1958. The American Indian Women's Service League was created in response to a growing trend of Native Americans moving from reservations and to large cities beginning in the 1950s. The main purpose of the league was to help counsel newly arrived Native Americans on the cultural differences and new challenges of modern American urban life that were not faced in their reservations. The AIWSL gradually evolved into several other Native American organizations, including the Seattle Indian Health Board, the United Indians of All Tribes, and the Seattle Indian Center. Troeh served on the board of the Seattle Indian Center until her death. In addition to her work as an activist, Troeh was a strong promoter of Native American culture. She collected Native American artifacts. Troeh often signed her letters "member of the Chinook Tribe Allottee 1865 Quinault reservation." Her unusual way of signing letters referred to the which were granted to her by the U.S. federal government.

Death

In 2007, Troeh died in Burien, Washington at the age of 96.

References

External links

Historic longhouse groundbreaking for Duwamish tribeSeattle Indian Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Troeh, Catherine 1911 births 2007 deaths 20th-century Native American artists 21st-century Native American artists Identical twins Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Native American activists People from Burien, Washington People from Ilwaco, Washington American twins University of Washington School of Public Health alumni 20th-century American women 20th-century American people 20th-century Native American women 21st-century Native American women