In 2004, the Wyoming State Legislature enacted House Bill HB0094, establishing the second Friday of May as Native American Day. This day is observed by public schools, state and local governments, and other organizations throughout Wyoming. This year, the American Heritage Center is honoring Nellie (Nell) F. Scott, the first woman to serve on the Arapaho Tribal Business Council.
Nell Scott joined the Tribal Business Council in 1935, becoming its first female member. She served for thirty-seven years, becoming president of the council by 1940.
During her presidency, Nell was instrumental in several important political dialogues. In May 1941, she traveled with the Arapaho and Shoshone Tribal Business Councils to Washington D.C. to participate in discussions with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These discussions focused on issues such as, the Land Use Program, Grazing Permits, and a proposed division of the Wind River Reservation. The council planned their visit from April 30, for approximately a week to ten days, aiming to resolve various issues and to be heard on the reservation division proposal. During these conferences, Nell advocated for the Arapahos’ desire to establish a separate agency should the reservation be divided.
Nell’s advocacy in Washington continued beyond this trip. On March 15, 1947, she participated in hearings before the Subcommittee on Indian Affairs of the Committee on Public Lands. She testified regarding a bill to authorize the segregation and expenditure of trust funds jointly held by the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes.
In her testimony, she highlighted the dire need for funds among the Arapaho, stating that the tribe’s population of 1,395 members faced severe hardships due to lack of funds, leading to starvation. She poignantly remarked:
We wonder who is starving the Indians. It is the Indian Office, or the Government itself that is starving the American Indian.
Nell also highlighted the irony faced by returning tribal soldiers who fought for freedom and democracy in World War II, only to find their families suffering at home. She strongly advocated for the immediate release of funds owed to the Arapaho to alleviate these dire conditions on the reservation.
For 37 years, Nell was a fierce advocate for her tribe, taking multiple trips from Wyoming to Washington, DC, to lobby for legislation benefiting the Arapaho Tribe and addressing the challenging living conditions on the reservation. She also pushed for the separation of the Wind River Reservation between the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes, especially regarding federal funding.
The photo below, taken in 1935, commemorates Nell becoming the first woman to serve on the Tribal Business Council. She continued to serve the tribe in various capacities, including as president of the council, until her retirement in 1972.
Post contributed by Processing Archivist Brittany Heye.
Resources consulted:
“The Proposed Division of the Wind River Reservation,” Montana State University library, Collection #2204.
United States Congress, House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Trust Funds, Shoshone, and Arapaho Indian Tribes: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Indian Affairs of the Committee on Public Lands, House of Representatives, Eightieth Congress, First Session, on H.R. 1098, a Bill to Authorize the Segregation and Expenditure of Trust Funds Held in Joint Ownership by the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes of the Wind River Reservation. 1947. U.S. Government Printing Office.