Elders Corner

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The elders of the Hoopa Valley Tribe have always played an integral role in the overall community atmosphere and wellness of the families of the valley. Historically the Hupa people considered all relatives a member of the family, and it was the role of the oldest people to care for the young children while the adults and older children performed the day-to-day activities that were required to make the family units flourish. Elders were responsible for passing on the rich oral history, language, and tradition to the younger generations. Many of the younger generations were taught to respect the advice and wisdom of the elders of our community, and that tradition continues today. In modern days the elders play a much similar role in our culture. They are looked to for advise in traditional matters that appear in our Tribal Court system, and in both economic and environmental development planning through a Cultural Committee. They still play a vital part in the individual families throughout the valley in both caring for the young children as well as preparing them for young adulthood.

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Minnie McWilliams

Hoopa Tribal member Minnie McWilliams, age 87 has been a lifetime resident of the Hoopa Valley and despite hardship, said her life has been very good. Minnie was born on January 1, 1916 to the late Ned and Louisa Jackson. She had 6 siblings- three brothers and three sisters, two of whom (Jimmy Jackson, and Charlotte Colegrove) are still living in Hoopa.

Despite being raised in Hoopa, Minnie still claims her Redwood Creek Tribe, from her mother’s side. Minnie attended the Indian boarding school in Hoopa until she was 11 years old. She then moved to Riverside, California, where she attended high school at the Sherman Institute. That’s where Minnie became interested in cosmetology. She said she and her friends would always do each other’s hair in the beauty parlor at Sherman. Upon graduating high school, she took her board exam in Los Angeles. After working as a cosmetologist for several years, Minnie decided to come home to help take care of her father.

“My father was blind,” explained Minnie. “We (brothers and sisters) used to take him to the doctor in Eureka to try to help him get his sight back.” Soon after the move Minnie decided to go back to work. The Hoopa native went from making people look beautiful as a cosmetologist, to welding at a shipyard in Eureka. Minnie said welding isn’t just a man’s job, and she took great pride in her work. “I would show off my work to some of the men there,” said Minnie.

While working as a welder Minnie became pregnant and was forced to quit, something she did not want to do. Minnie moved back to Hoopa to take care of her daughter. She said she was staying at home almost all the way to the top of Bald Hill. When her daughter was only three months old, she grew very ill. Minnie took her to the hospital, but said it was too late. Her daughter had passed on.

The Hoopa elder had a total of eight children in her lifetime, but now has only one left- her son Arthur Jones, who was raised in Hoopa as well. “I always wanted kids,” said Minnie “and now I have a lot of grand kids. It makes me happy visiting with them.” The kind-hearted woman has nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, with two more on the way. Minnie, who was named after her aunt, was proud to say that one of her great-granddaughters is named after her.

Family was and is the most sacred thing in Minnie’s life. She spoke of when her mother Louisa, was still living. “My mother was beautiful. She had long, curly hair and she always looked beautiful,” Minnie described. Despite her father’s blindness, Minnie recalled his kind heart. She said he used to walk out of the shed when she was little, and he would cut kindling and wood and bring it into the house to keep the family warm.

Minnie also spoke of her grandmother, the late Mary Ann Jackson, a woman she described as “a little woman with a lot of love.” She also reminisced about a friend and classmate Ruby Jarnaghan, and the late Boots Masten.

Kindness is a perfect word to describe Minnie. She has even sent money to help feed children in need from other countries. “If I see somebody that needs help, I help them,” she said.