Upcoming Biography of Judge George Boldt

The biography by Legacy’s chief historian, John C. Hughes, will be published on the 50th anniversary of the Boldt Decision, which had international implications for indigenous peoples seeking redress from their governments. “That was our Super Bowl,” remembers Ramona Bennett, the legendary former chairwoman of the Puyallup Tribe. Hughes, the former editor and publisher of The Daily World at Aberdeen, covered the 1973 trial for the newspaper. 

Judge George Boldt

As a cub reporter in 1966, his beat included the Quinault Indian Nation, a key plaintiff in the treaty tribes’ lawsuit against the state. The biography explores Boldt’s childhood in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, his exploits as a champion debater at the University of Montana, his emergence as one of Seattle’s leading lawyers and legal adviser to Governor Arthur Langlie, and the headline-making trials over which he presided before the fishing rights case—notably the tax evasion indictment of former Teamsters president Dave Beck and the controversial trial of the “Seattle 7” Vietnam War protesters. 

Support for Legacy Washington through the ALL Foundation helps create printed exhibits, books, lesson plans, and other materials that share the rich stories of Washington state.

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