Kathryn Harrison

Kathryn Harrison was the Chairwoman of the Confederate Tribes of Grand Ronde in Oregon. She has the distinction of being the first woman ever elected to the position of Chair on the Tribal Council. Kathryn has served on the Tribal Council for the past ninetten years, and has brought substantial improvements to the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. For example, she provided testimony before a Congressional Hearing in 1983 in an effort to regain federal recognition of the Tribe and reservation lands. Kathryn also assisted the Tribe in obtaining a Gaming Compact with the State of Oregon.

Kathryn was one of the recipients of the Oregon Commission for Women’s 1999 “Women of Achievement” award. Her community service has also included participation on the Oregon Women’s Political Caucus and the League of Women Voters. In 1995, the League gave Kathryn the “Distinguished Service Award.” This same year she was also named one of four “Women of Achievement” by the YWCA, which stated that Kathryn is “Best known for her spirituality.”

However, it is from her family that Kathryn receives her greatest satisfaction. She reveals that, “As a mother of ten, grandmother of eleven, and a great-grandmother of twelve, I would like to say, ‘My proudest achievement is my family.’”