Maria Pearson

Maria Darlene Pearson or Hai-Mecha Eunka (lit. "Running Moccasins") (July 12, 1932 – May 23, 2003) was an activist who has successfully challenged the legal treatment of Native American remains. A member of the Turtle Clan of the Yankton Sioux (which is a federally recognized tribe of Yankton Dakota), she was one of the primary catalysts for the creation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Her actions led to her being called "the Founding Mother of the modern Indian repatriation movement" and "the Rosa Parks of NAGPRA". Provided by Wikipedia