Ross, Esther Ruth, 1904-1988

Esther Ross was a member of the Stillaguamish tribe.

Born September 2, 1904 in Oakland, California, in 1926 she moved to the Puget Sound area and became an active member in the tribe. She was elected secretary, a position she held throughout most of her life, and became one of the driving forces among the Stillaguamish to restore the vitality of the tribe, win compensation for lands taken by the U.S. government in 1855, and to achieve formal recognition for the Stillaguamish from the federal government. The Stillaguamish, along with the other tribes who were the plantiffs in Duwamish et al v. U.S. Court of Claims case, lost the claim for compensation in 1935 for lands taken by the United States under the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855. Later, the Stillaguamish were awarded $48,000. In October of 1976 the Stillaguamish were formally recognized by the U.S. government. Ross died August 1, 1988.