LaDonna Harris (Staff Photo by Joe Miller. Original Photo 01/15/1970. Published on 1-15-70. 2012.201.B0250.0647, Oklahoma Publishing Company, Photography Collection, OHS)
WOMEN AND ADVERSITY: DONNA HARRIS
FOUNDED AMERICANS FOR INDIAN OPPORTUNITY
NOVEMBER: NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Ladonna Vita Tabbytite’s mother was Lilly Tabbytite, a Native American Comanche, but her father, Donald Crawford, was not Native American. In an interview in 2018, Harris stated that her father left Oklahoma shortly after her birth to find work in California, but he never returned to them. Ladonna was raised by her maternal grandparents in an Indigenous community in Oklahoma. She spoke Comanche until she started school where she learned English.
Ladonna and Fred Harris were high school sweethearts and married while Fred was at University of Oklahoma. When he entered law school there, she supported him. She became an activist when Fred was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1964. She might have started spelling her name with a capital “D” at that time. The couple has three grown children: Kathryn Tijerina, Byron and Laura.
She started a host of “firsts” after moving to D.C.
- Founded Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity
- First wife of a senator to testify before Congress to argue for funding to support indigenous tribal organizations
- Created the first Native American-education course required for all members of Congress. Harris taught the course for 30 years.
- Founded Americans for Indian Opportunity
- Founder of National Women’s Political Caucus
- First indigenous woman to run for vice president in 1980
Bio
- 1931 – Born Ladonna Vita Tabbytite, February 15 in Temple, Oklahoma, Comanche Nation
- 1949 – Married Fred. R. Harris
- 1964 – Fred was elected to the U.S. Senate
- 1965 – LaDonna founded Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity
- 1968 – President Johnson appointed her to the National Council on Indian Opportunity
- 1970 – Founded Americans for Indian Opportunity and continues to be its President
- 1970 – Founding member of Common Cause
- 1970 – Founding member of National Urban Coalition
- 1980 – Vice presidential candidate on the Citizens Party
- 1981 – She and Fred divorced
- 2000 – Harris wrote her autobiography, LaDonna Harris: A Comanche Life
- Since 1970, Harris has lived in New Mexico
More Information
www.aio.org
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV-8lSmeLuE|
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEsoUHMkqKI
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