Late Indian activist helped teach tribes
By Connie Cone Sexton
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 09, 2001
Her Lakota name was Tawacin Waste Win, which translates to: "She has
a good consciousness, a compassionate woman."
Those who knew Patricia Locke said she lived up to her name through the
generosity and wisdom she shared across Arizona and the world.
Locke, who recently died in a Valley hospital at age 73, was considered
one of the most influential members in both the Native American and
Baha'i communities.
She amassed a daunting list of national and international
accomplishments driven by her desire for everyone to have a chance to
achieve their academic and spiritual potential. She brought higher
education to 17 tribes across the country and co-founded the Native
American Language Issues Institute. And, as a leader in the Baha'i
faith, she brought increased stewardship and care for the world's
indigenous people. Locke was also a fierce protector of preserving
Native languages and cultures.
Although she held a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a
master's in public administration, in many ways she was also a master
gardener.
She learned to be patient with her many projects, cultivating them,
knowing when it was just the right time to plant the seed of an idea.
Locke wanted to leave the world with a bountiful harvest of her work,
work that could be taken over by others when she was gone.
Locke had been at a gathering of elders on the San Carlos Apache
Reservation in September when she became ill and was taken by helicopter
to a Phoenix hospital. Her illness progressed and she died of heart
failure Oct. 20.
She had dedicated her life to serving others and often shared her motto:
"All peoples have the same need to love that we do, the same family
ideals, the same need for joy, the same need for understanding."
For the past 20 years, Locke had lived near Wakpala, S.D., on the
Standing Rock Reservation. She was born Jan. 21, 1928, on the Fort Hall
Indian Reservation near Pocatello, Idaho, to John and Eva (Flying Earth)
McGillis. Her tribal affiliation is Standing Rock Sioux, Hunkpapa
Lakota, White Earth Chippewa and Mississippi Band.
As a young child, her family lived in Parker, Ariz., a short time. Her
father worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Locke began her public
life as a steadfast advocate for Native American people.
In the 1970s, she was appointed to the Interior Department Task Force on
Indian Education Policy. There, she helped create legislation giving
tribes the authority to create their own education departments.
In the early 1980s, Locke aided several tribes including the Northern
Ute and Tohono O'odham Nation with education policy, human rights and
environmental issues. In 1991, she received a fellowship from the
prestigious MacArthur Foundation to preserve indigenous languages and
culture.
Locke taught for much of her adult life. Her academic career includes
the University of California at Los Angeles, San Francisco Valley State
College, Alaska Methodist University, Denver University and the
University of South Maine. She also was a frequent lecturer and spoke
several times at Arizona State University and at Maricopa County
Community Colleges.
Friends and family watched her outreach grow to encompass the world when
she began following the Baha'i faith. From 1993 to her death, she was a
member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i. This year, she
was elected vice chairwoman, becoming the first American Indian to hold
office in the assembly.
Dorothy Nelson, judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit, met Locke 12 years ago.
"She was just an outstanding woman who I took to instantly," she said.
"She was a very strong political activist, promoting the rights of
Indians."
The two also shared the Baha'i faith. Nelson said Locke came to see that
the most effective way to bring about changes is to push for human
rights for all people.
She said Locke was a kind, patient woman but "didn't suffer fools
gladly. And yet, she had this marvelous wisdom about not criticizing
people. She would start her sentences by saying, 'Have you considered
this?' She built a bridge with people."
Survivors include son Kevin Locke; daughter Winona Flying Earth;
grandchildren Maymangwa Flying Earth Miranda, Anpao Duta Flying Earth,
Kimimila Locke, Ohiyesa Locke and Waniya Locke; six great-grandchildren;
sisters Frances Milligan and Frances Ayer.
©Copyright 2001, The Arizona Republic
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