Sadie Neakok was considered the “mother” of the Inupiaq village of Barrow. Sadie Neakok was an optimist who was willing to stand up for what she believed. She was known as an educator, foster parent, subsistence rights advocate, and traditional seamstress. As Alaska’s first Native woman magistrate, Sadie Neakok walked a challenging path. She worked constantly to reconcile demands that often clashed. Sadie said that the best way to solve most of our problems is to be honest with other people, to care about them and to show love. The advice that she gave to women no matter where they lived was to get involved with their community and work to make it a better place.

When asked about what was the best part of her work, Neakok responded, “Gaining the respect of my people.”

Photo credit: The family of Sadie Neakok