In 1978, Marie Potts (1895-1978) was recognized as the California State Indian Museum's first Honored Elder. The annual event will run tomorrow until 1:30 p.m.*
*closing earlier than originally planned due to predictions of extreme heat.
The Federated Indians of California (FIC) formed in 1946 to press a land claims case before the federal government. Inspired by the Indian Claims Commission Act (1946) and the failures of the CA Indians Jurisdictional Act (1928), they sought (unsuccessfully) to unify all California Native nations and landless Indians under a single claim. Although this goal proved unattainable, their political activism fostered important mid-century strides in cultural revivification and self-representation.
