Atwi(the late), Ruth Howard was born December 28, 1927, and grew up in White Swan Washington. She was raised to honor the foods and the land. Ruth's employment led her to became a Cultural and Language Teacher for the Yakama Nation Headstart and Yakama Language Program. She dedicated her life to the Yakama Tribal way of life as a Toppenish Creek Longhouse Food Gatherer and Yakama Nation Headstart teaching the history and language. She advocated that children are the utmost important resource because they are all going to be our future leaders.
She stated “It’s like medicine to the people” (Mayer, 2012), when she was referring to the gathering of the traditional foods which was what she enjoyed and understood to be Yakama people’s brothers and sisters. All of her life she spent teaching children and the community and has dedicated herself to the traditions, foods and language.
Ruth Howard is featured in the following:
Photographed and Quoted, SINWITKI Newsletter
http://www.streamnetlibrary.org/streamnetlibrary/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/SinWitKi-2004-Spring.pdf
Featured, Yakama Elder of the Year article by Phil Ferolito, April 16, 2004
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-9597803.html
Quoted, A thesis presented to Department of Social Sciences Emporia State University By Susan Mayer (2012)
https://esirc.emporia.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/1009/Susan%20Mayer.pdf?sequence=1