Millie Ketcheschawno

Mildred E. "Millie" Ketcheschawno (February 9, 1937 – December 11, 2000) was an activist for Native American rights and a filmmaker who was one of the founders of Indigenous Peoples' Day.

[1] Her advocacy was extended to the film industry when she became one of the writers for the documentary "Alcatraz is Not an Island," which was directed by James M. Fortier and released in 2001.

[4] Born in 1937, Millie Ketcheschawno was from Oklahoma and left her hometown community at Shell Creek to attend an American Indian boarding school in Haskell, Kansas.

[1] After arriving in Oakland, California, and in San Francisco, Ketcheschawno created ties with other Native Americans who advocated for the preservation of Indigenous traditions and provided support to those affected by stereotypes and discrimination.

[6] More specifically, Millie Ketcheschawno would provide leadership to the Indians of All Tribes pan-ethnic movement based in San Francisco.

[1] In 1990 Millie enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Indian studies and film at the University of California at Berkeley, where she graduated with honors in 1995.

In 2001, the documentary Alcatraz is Not an Island which was directed by James M. Fortier, and written by Troy Johnson, Jon Plutte, Mike Yearling and Millie Ketcheshawno, was released.

[1] This was achieved through her leadership position in the Bay Area Native American Council and as the first woman president of the Intertribal Friendship House, a space essential in socialization and networking for Indian activists.

[1] Millie Ketcheschawno was one of the coordinators and founders of Indigenous Peoples' Day in Berkeley, California, along with other important committee members such as Don Littlecloud Davenport and Mark Gorrell.

[12] Other cities in the US also begun celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day, inspired by the movement in Berkeley in which Ketcheschawno played a key role.