For the Reporter

Jacqueline Johnson, a student in the Master’s in Communication: Native Voices program at the University of Washington, received the Honorable Claudia Kauffman Scholarship at a ceremony on campus last Saturday.

The scholarship is in recognition of Kauffman’s achievement in becoming the first Native American woman elected to the state Senate. She served the 47th Legislative District.

Johnson said this scholarship will help her flourish as a filmmaker and inspire others, especially women. She aspires to be a filmmaker who can document lifestyles through the lens of her community, the Makah Nation, to spread and preserve knowledge. She is researching urban Native youth identity in the Pacific Northwest, and the various definitions of the term “urban Indian.”

The scholarship is intended to encourage other Native Americans to follow Kauffman’s example of community service.

“This is an honor, and I am hopeful this will inspire Native students to continue to seek higher education at every opportunity,” Kauffman said.

Kauffman, a member of the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, has long been dedicated to native youth and education. She serves as chair of the Seattle Indian Services Commission and is vice chair of the Green River College Board of Trustees.

Kauffman’s life of volunteering was recognized in 2009 with the Washington Governor’s Award for Excellence. In 2013, Kauffman was given a Distinguished Community Service Award from the UW’s Multicultural Alumni Partnership.