Jean Gleason (1946 – 2010)

Jean Gleason entered politics at an early age and was a strong advocate for people’s rights. She was president of the Yukon Indian Women's Association and a founder of the Whitehorse women’s shelter Kaushee's Place in 1980. Between 1982 and 1986, Gleason served as president and vice-president of the Native Women's Association of Canada. Gleason spearheaded native language studies in Yukon schools and was a chief negotiator for the Kaska First Nations. She was elected chair of the Kaska Dena Council (1987-1993 and 2000-2002) and was the Council of Yukon First Nation's implementation director during the Umbrella Final Agreement process. She led a delegation to Ottawa to protest a section of the Indian Act revoking the status of aboriginal women who married non-aboriginals. She focused on the language issue when she was director of the Yukon Indian Cultural Education Society. A busy mother of three, she also organized what became the annual Yukon Native Hockey Tournament. At the end of her life she was putting together a society called Eagle Women to raise funds for youth and Elders' programs.¹⁾