Draft:McCloud Family
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| McCloud family | |
|---|---|
| Native American family | |
| Place of origin | Western Washington, United States |
The McCloud family is an Indigenous American family prominent in the civil rights history, treaty rights activism, and modern tribal governance of the Nisqually Indian Tribe and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians in Western Washington. Descending from matriarch Janet McCloud and patriarch Donald McCloud Sr., the family achieved prominence during the Fish Wars of the 1960s and 1970s, a localized civil disobedience movement that led to the landmark 1974 Boldt Decision reaffirming tribal treaty fishing rights.
Following the federal court ruling, the family transitioned from grassroots activism into institutional administration, continuously serving in elected executive, resource management, and cultural leadership roles within tribal governance. Due to their multi-generational influence and historical family ties to treaty advocate Billy Frank Jr., regional historians and journalists frequently characterize the lineage as a prominent tribal family.
Activism and the Fish Wars
[edit]The family's contemporary political legacy began with patriarch Donald McCloud Sr. (a Puyallup tribal member and fisherman) and matriarch Janet McCloud (Yet-Si-Blue; 1934–2003), a Tulalip tribal member and direct descendant of Chief Seattle.[1]
During the early 1960s, Washington state game wardens routinely arrested local Indigenous fishers along both the Nisqually River and the Puyallup River for using traditional net fishing techniques, citing state-mandated conservation laws[1][2]. The McClouds and neighboring families contended that these enforcement actions violated the 1854 Treaty of Medicine Creek. In response, they organized a series of civil disobedience protests known as "fish-ins" across both river systems[2].
In 1964, the McClouds co-founded the Survival of the American Indian Association (SAIA)[3]. Their household served as an organizational headquarters for the regional movement, drawing national civil rights figures, celebrities, and activist groups—including Marlon Brando and the Black Panther Party—to participate directly in demonstrations along the Puyallup and Nisqually rivers[4][3]. During a violent 1965 clash on the river, their young children were directly involved in the confrontations with state authorities[5]. Through family ties, Donald McCloud Sr. was the stepbrother of Billy Frank Jr., linking the two prominent activist lineages in regional tribal affairs.
Notable People
[edit]Following the formalization of modern tribal administration, descendants of Janet and Donald McCloud Sr. transitioned from grassroots protest to reservation governance, educational leadership, natural resource management, and cultural preservation. Notable family members include:
- Nancy Shippentower: (née McCloud) Daughter of Janet and Donald Sr., an activist, community leader, and former Puyallup Tribal Council Member[6]. She spent over three decades working in tribal natural resources and treaty protection. Her career focused heavily on environmental defense, shellfish regulation, and inter-governmental policy for both the Puyallup and Nisqually tribes.
- Laura Sterud: Daughter of Janet and Donald Sr., an activist, community leader, and former Puyallup Tribal Council Member[7]. She is recognized for her extended community leadership, social advocacy, and dedication to historical preservation and regional tribal administrative structures within Western Washington.
- Donald "Mac" McCloud Jr.: Son of Janet and Donald Sr., a frontline advocate for Nisqually and Puyallup fishing rights. He worked extensively in tribal fisheries management, maritime preservation, and tribal compliance, helping to direct infrastructure coordination for community spaces including youth and elder facilities.
- Binah McCloud: Daughter of Janet and Donald Sr., a cultural leader, storyteller, and environmental educator. She serves as the Culture Director at Chief Leschi Schools, focusing on traditional knowledge systems, student success programs, and community initiatives for the Puyallup Tribe.[8][9]
- Julie Van Every: (née McCloud) Daughter of Janet and Donald Sr., a community advocate who was active on the front lines of early regional movements and subsequently worked to manage the preservation and outreach programs of the historical family command center, the Sapa Dawn Center.[1]
- Barbara McCloud-Shanta: Daughter of Janet and Donald Sr., an advocate, organizer, and traditional community pillar who has dedicated much of her life to advancing local Coast Salish visibility, tribal gathering events, and cultural network preservation.
- Sally McCloud: Daughter of Janet and Donald Sr., a legal professional, former tribal prosecutor, and community advocate. Growing up on the front lines of the 1960s civil rights movement alongside her siblings, her legal and professional career included serving as a prosecutor within tribal judicial systems, alongside her ongoing support for Coast Salish cultural continuity and local community networks.[1]
- Jeff McCloud: (Ste-Wa) Son of Janet and Donald Sr., a frontline participant in the historical fish-in protests during his youth who remained an active member of the tribal fishing community and regional cultural circles throughout his life.[5]
- Hanford McCloud: (Hweqwidi) Grandson of Janet and Donald Sr. (son of Donald "Mac" McCloud Jr.).[10]. He is a cultural educator, master cedar weaver, canoe skipper, and former Nisqually Tribal Council member. He acts as a primary liaison between tribal administration and regional environmental groups, serving as a central coordinator for the annual Pacific Northwest Tribal Canoe Journeys to teach youth about Indigenous identity, climate advocacy, and resource management around the Puget Sound and Mount Rainier National Park[11]
Surname Etymology
[edit]The surname McCloud is a North American phonetic variation of the Scottish surname MacLeod. The name entered the family line through 19th-century trade encounters and intermarriages between Scottish fur traders active with the Hudson's Bay Company and Coast Salish women. While the surname is European in origin, the family's political status, leadership authority, and heritage are derived entirely from their enrolled tribal status and Coast Salish ancestry.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "Janet McCloud Obituary (2003)". The Olympian. November 26, 2003. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- 1 2 "Janet McCloud, 1934-2003: Indian activist put family first". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. November 27, 2003. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- 1 2 "Left and Right - A Journal of Libertarian Thought (1965-1968)". Mises Institute. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ Cite error: The named reference
MOHAI_Brandowas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - 1 2 "Jeff McCloud Obituary". The Olympian. March 2, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ "November Honored Elder: Nancy Shippentower". Puyallup Tribe of Indians. December 8, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ "July Honored Elder: Laura Sterud". Puyallup Tribe of Indians. July 23, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ "But Some of Us are Brave". University of Puget Sound. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ Kim, Daniel. "National honors go to 2 WA schools for environmental innovation". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Board of Directors - Hanford McCloud Biography". Nisqually Land Trust. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
- ↑ Feek, Gavin (August 6, 2026). "Stormy seas, history, songs and tradition on this year's tribal canoe journey". The News Tribune. Retrieved August 7, 2026.
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