Mildred Cleghorn

Mildred Cleghorn (December 11, 1910 – April 15, 1997) was first chairperson of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe.[2]

Mildred Cleghorn
Eh-Ohn, Lay-a-Bet
Chiricahua Apache leader
Personal details
BornDecember 11, 1910
DiedApril 15, 1997
Resting placeFort Sill Post Cemetery, Lawton, Oklahoma [1]
Spouse(s)William G. Cleghorn
ChildrenPenny Cleghorn
EducationHaskell Institute; degree in home economics, Oklahoma State University, 1941
Known forFirst chairperson of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe; educator and traditional doll maker

Mildred Imoch Cleghorn, whose Apache names were Eh-Ohn and Lay-a-Bet, was one of the last Chiricahua Apaches born under a "prisoner of war" status. She was an educator and traditional doll maker, and was regarded as a cultural leader.[3] She worked as a home extension agent and as a home economics teacher. She served as tribal chairperson from 1976 until 1995 and focused on sustaining history and traditional Chiricahua culture.[3]

Mildred Cleghorn and her dolls were participants at the 1967 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.[4]

On June 10, 1996, Indian plaintiffs including Elouise P. Cobell, Mildred Cleghorn, Thomas Maulson and James Louis Larose, filed a class action lawsuit against the federal government for its failure to properly manage Indian trust assets on behalf of all present and past individual Indian trust beneficiaries.[5]

Mildred Cleghorn did not live to see the results of the lawsuit, which became known as Cobell v. Salazar. It was settled for $3.4 billion in 2009, in the Indians' favor, a week after what would have been Mildred Cleghorn's 99th birthday.[6]

References
  1. "Mildred Imach Cleghorn, b. Dec 11, 1910, d. Apr 15, 1997 - Overview -". Histopolis. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  2. Dill, J.S. "Mildred Cleghorn" ...On the Passing of Elders (Retrieved 4 July 06)
  3. Everett, Dianna. "Cleghorn, Mildred Imoch (1910-1997)" Archived 2009-12-13 at the Wayback Machine Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture. (retrieved 1 February 09)
  4. 1967 Festival of American Folklife Finding Aid
  5. "Background of the trustee relationship and lawsuit". Char-Koosta News - Official Newspaper of the Flathead Indian Nation. 2010-12-16. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  6. Delcour, Julie (2009-12-13). "Cobell v. Salazar: Riding into the cavalry and surviving". Tulsa World. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
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