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Marie C. Cox
1971
Born
Marie Cerday

(1920-01-17)January 17, 1920
Lawton, Oklahoma,U.S.
DiedMay 10, 2005(2005-05-10)(aged 85)
Midwest City,Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupation(s)Native American, children's and women's rights activist
Years active1970–1990
Known forfounding the North American Indian Women's Association and foster care reform
Spouse
James M. Cox
​
(m.1938)​

Marie C. Cox(January 17, 1920 – May 10, 2005) was aComancheactivist who worked on legislation for Native American children. She received many accolades for her efforts including the 1974 Indian Leadership Award from theBureau of Indian Affairsand state recognition that same year as the Outstanding Citizen of Oklahoma from GovernorDavid Hall.She was named as an Outstanding Indian Woman of 1977 by theNorth American Indian Women's Association,and served on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education from 1983 to 1990. In 1993, she was inducted into theOklahoma Women's Hall of Famefor her work with foster children and the founding of the North American Indian Women's Association.

Early life

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Marie Cerday was born on January 17, 1920, at theLawton, OklahomaIndian Hospital to Herlinda (née Portillo) and Dave Cerday.[1][2]She attended the Ft. Sill Indian Boarding School and later went toWaltersHigh School. Cerday went on to further her education, studying atCentral State UniversityinEdmond,Oklahoma. On June 6, 1938, in Lawton, Cerday married James M. Cox.[1]James was the grandson ofChiefQuanah Parkerand later served as chair of theComanche Nation.[3]

Years of activism

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In 1970, Cox founded theNorth American Indian Women's Association(NAIWA) and served as its first national president.[3]She identified the goals of the organization as improvement of home and community, healthcare and education, and intertribal communication, as well as cultural preservation and fellowship.[4]It was one of the first national organizations of Native American women and sought intertribal solutions for women's issues.[5]In 1971, the organization held its first conference inFt. Sill,Oklahoma,[4]followed a few months later by one inAlbuquerque,New Mexico, establishing education as its focus for the coming year.[5]Cox served as national president of the organization through 1973.[6]

In the early 1970s, Cox began touring Native American communities throughout the United States collecting data on the needs of Indian children. She specifically focused on institutionalized children, who were part of theFoster Care System,ingroup homes,or those living inAmerican Indian boarding schools.The study, conducted by the NAIWA and funded by theBureau of Indian Affairs(BIA), was made for the U.S. Congress.[7]In 1972, Cox served on theHealth, Education and Welfare(HEW) Department's National Action for Foster Children Committee, which evaluated the care given to children under the program. She signed the Bill of Rights for Foster Children, drafted in 1973, which was ratified by Congress and attended the White House Conference on Mental Retardation.[7][8]In 1974, she received the Indian Leadership Award from the BIA for her work as chair of the National Action for Foster Children Committee, drafting the Foster Children's Bill of Rights, and her direction of studies on how the BIA handled native children's care.[9]That same year, she was recognized by Oklahoma GovernorDavid Hallas the Outstanding Citizen of Oklahoma.[1]

In 1975, Cox was a speaker inWindow Rock, Arizona,at the Southwest Indian Women's Conference.[10]More than 800 native women attended the conference, which looked at both political and cultural mechanisms that fostered discrimination against Native American women, but their goals were to empower women within their traditional tribal identity.[11]In 1977, at a banquet hosted at theChilocco Indian Agricultural Schoolby the NAIWA, Cox was honored as the "Outstanding Indian Woman of 1977" for her work in establishing the NAIWA and with children's needs.[3]That same year, she attended the NAIWA conference which was investigating thesterilization of Native American womenby theIndian Health Service.Other issues examined included the provisions of theIndian Child Welfare Act,[12]which had long been a focus for Cox.[9]

In 1983, Cox was appointed by PresidentRonald Reaganto succeed Nadine Chase on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education.[13]She was reappointed in 1985,[14]1987,[15]and 1989, serving until she was replaced in 1990 byTerry Neese.[16]In 1984, Cox was appointed to the board of theChild Welfare League of Americaand in 1988 she served as a member for the Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission.[1]In 1993, Cox was inducted into theOklahoma Women's Hall of Fame[17]and in 1999 she and her husband James were interviewed as part of theMuseum of the Great PlainsOral History Project.[18]

She died inMidwest City,Oklahoma, on May 10, 2005, aged 85.

References

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Citations

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  1. ^abcdNewsOK 2005.
  2. ^Lassen County Times2009,p. 15.
  3. ^abcWelch & June 16, 1977,p. 23.
  4. ^abLee 1971,p. 6.
  5. ^abPrather 1971,p. 13.
  6. ^Native American Rights Fund 1973,p. 37.
  7. ^abThe Fairbanks Daily News-Miner1973,p. 7.
  8. ^Navajo Times1975,p. 11.
  9. ^abThe Lawton Constitution1974,p. 2.
  10. ^The Hobbs Daily News-Sun1975,p. 17.
  11. ^Niethammer 2004,pp. 207–208.
  12. ^Welch & June 15, 1977,p. 1.
  13. ^Reagan 1983.
  14. ^National Advisory Council on Indian Education 1986,p. 11.
  15. ^The Los Angeles Times1987,p. 5.
  16. ^Bush 1993,p. 1229.
  17. ^The Tulsa World1993.
  18. ^Neeley 1999.

Bibliography

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