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Member:  Special Trustee's Advisory Board

Helen Sanders

Helen Sanders, who retired several years ago, lives in Oakville, Washington, on the allotment farm that was originally owned by her great-grandmother. Ms. Sanders is a member of the Chehalis Tribe of Southwest Washington.

Over her career, Ms. Sanders owned her own company, M&G Logging, in the 1970s. Other work experience includes employment at the Lucky Indian Casino as Hostess Supervisor of the casino’s restaurant. She also served four years as Secretary of the National Congress of American Indians.

Always a community activist, Ms. Sanders was the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit United States v. Mitchell. The U.S. Supreme Court rendered two decisions in the case. The decisions are referred to as “Mitchell I” and “Mitchell II.”

For her outstanding efforts over the years, Ms. Sanders, a charter member of the Indian Land Working Group, received the ILWG Achievement Award in 2005. She is a recipient of the Washington Women in Timber Award, an organization of which she was president from 1980-1982.

Ms. Sanders, born and raised in Oakville, graduated from Oakville High School. She has one daughter; one granddaughter; two grandsons; and “the twins,” a great-granddaughter and a great-grandson.