Evelyn Stevenson, 1939-2015.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana set flags at half-mast and closed headquarters on Monday to mourn the passing of attorney and advocate Evelyn Stevenson, who died on March 12 at the age of 75.

In 1977, Stevenson was one of the first two Native women admitted to the Montana Bar. She soon became the tribe's first in-house counsel and worked for the tribe for more than 30 years.

“She was a trailblazer in so many ways,” Pat Smith, another former tribal attorney, told The Ronan Valley Journal. “There are so many paths she traveled.”

Stevenson was known nationwide as an advocate for the Indian Child Welfare Act. Se help write the law, which Congress enacted in 1978 to keep Indian children from being taken out of their communities.

"It’s just really a significant page-turning in our history with her loss," Chairman Vernon Finley told The Missoulian.

A scholarship in Stevenson's honor has been established at Salish Kootenai College. Donations can be made to the SKC Foundation.

Get the Story:
Legal trailblazer leaves a legacy (The Ronan Valley Journal 3/18)
From Alcatraz to Halls of Congress, CSKT's Evelyn Stevenson left her mark (The Missoulian 3/14)
Montana tribal advocate, attorney passes away (KTVQ 3/13)