Standing Tall: The Lifeway of Kathryn Jones Harrison

by Kristine Olson, Mark O. Hatfield (Foreword)

How does a woman survive a concerted campaign to deny her humanity, by the government at the national level and by her foster parents and spouse at the most intimate level? Standing Tall , the biography of Oregon tribal leader Kathryn Jones Harrison, recounts the Grand Rondes' resurgence from the ashes of disastrous federal policies designed to terminate their very existence. The tribe's revival paralleled -- and was propelled by -- Harrison's determination to overcome daunting personal odds.

Harrison's life story puts a human face on the suffering wrought by twentieth-century U.S. Indian policy. Historic and contemporary photographs enliven the text and depict the trauma of forced assimilation. Former Senator Mark Hatfield's foreword places Harrison in the annals of Native leaders, where her generosity of spirit shines through as she seeks to contribute to the communities that threatened to engulf her tribe's homeland.

The Grand Rondes have achieved national renown as the "little tribe that could," and at the forefront for over two decades stood four-foot eleven-inch Kathryn Harrison. Her pragmatic and farsighted leadership through the burgeoning casino economy and the demands of cultural repatriation resonated throughout Indian Country to Capitol Hill and New York's American Museum of Natural History. Yet the company of everyday women -- ancestors, lifelong and newfound friends, and tribal colleagues -- was what sustained her. Harrison's story models the survival skills of adaptability, endurance, patience, and sheer grit coupled with the courage to stand up to confront crusading power.

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2005

Reviews

[lilly!!]

so special to learn from kathryn jones harrisons life! i hope everyone, especially teachers, who have spent any time on Grand Ronde lands are able to appreciate her work and understand the history of the area. this isnt just the story of her experiences but also of her famly, her people, being in community, and generations of love through activism 🫶

[Cassidy Brown]

Kathryn Harrison has led an impressive and successful life from a harrowing start. She was orphaned at age 10, married to an alcoholic for 30 years and had 10 children, and lived a penniless migrant life before coming home and emerging as a respected tribal elder and political force after decades of hard work. As Olson points out, Kathryn's story mirrors that of her tribe and other Native American tribes around the nation. This is an interesting read to learn about challenges Native Americans have faced over the last century and continue to face as well as to learn about the life of an incredible woman.

Style-wise, I found the writing a little dry and it sometimes read as though it were directly dictated from someone's recollections. Minor reminiscences were allowed to meander on for a paragraph while important events were sometimes glossed over with few details. But, the biography is engaging regardless and worth the read.