Ardith "Dodie" Harris, 1947-2015.

The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians will hold a memorial service on Thursday for Ardith “Dodie” Harris, who was the first person to lead the Michigan tribe following its successful bid for federal recognition.

Harris died on August 1 at the age of 67. She was president of Leelanau Indians Inc., the precursor to the current tribe, and served as the first chair after the Bureau of Indian Affairs recognized the tribe in 1980. She remains the only woman to hold the title to date.

"She saw then how these other tribes, through federal recognition, had housing and so she knew the desperate conditions here and that became what I feel was her life mission: to bring housing and our community back to a good standard," Treasurer Tom Shomin told The Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Harris served in numerous positions within the tribe from 1980 through 2004. She rejoined the council in 2000.

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Instrumental tribal leader remembered (The Traverse City Record-Eagle 9/8)