Profiles in Leadership – a conversation with Julie Johnson

By Paul Pickett

​Julie Johnson, Neah Bay resident, is a State Committeewoman for Clallam County, Chair of the Native American Caucus of the Washington State Democrats, and was appointed a member of the Finance Committee and to the Executive Committee of the Washington State Democrat Party in January 2025. On February 17, I talked to her about her history of activism in the Democratic Party.

Tell me a bit about your past? Where did you grow up, where have you lived?
I am a Lummi Tribal member and when I was five years old my family moved to Neah Bay, where I spent my childhood. I married a wonderful Makah Man, a former teacher and coach here in Neah Bay. The first 15 years of our marriage we lived in Seattle. When we first moved to Seattle, I could not afford to attend college, so my husband would tape his Seattle Pacific University classes for me for two years. Eventually I attended several colleges: community colleges and University of Washington, as well as Evergreen and Western Washington whenever I could afford a class. Finally, I secured a bachelor’s degree in Social and Health Administration, with a minor in Economic Development. When my husband passed away about 11 years ago, I filled out a master’s degree scholarship application for Antioch University in Seattle. They asked me to submit an essay, I made the finals and then one day, they called me, “You have one hour to write a leadership paper -.”  Turn it in by 2 p.m.!  I won a $17,000 scholarship! Was so surprised!  This helped me get through the first year of my husband’s passing. I worked hard on a master’s degree in Community Organization.

What is your work experience?
I worked for the Makah Tribe as Social and Health Services Director for three years, and then moved into writing competitive grants and contracts. I worked with a Makah team to raise money to build a 250-boat marina, we worked closely with the Corp of Engineers to put in a breakwater to protect the Marina. Before that, I worked for the Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe as Planning Department Director. My job was to raise $1.6 million in research funding to “figure out how to take down the Elwha dams and restore the habitat in the Elwha River.” This was during the late 1980’s when Congressman Norm Dicks and Senator Slade Gorton were elected officials. 

​While conducting research of the history of the Elwha dams, elders of the tribe shared with me how the dams would release water without informing them. I asked “How did you notify everyone living here in the valley, when the water was raising?”  “Oh, we had cowbells, we would ring them when the water came into the valley.”  It was then that I noticed flood water lines in the tribal center in the late 1980’s. 

Representatives and owners of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams and the Japanese Daishowa America owned a pulp and paper mill in Port Angeles, asked to meet with the Elwha Tribal Council with very little notice. The Tribal Council asked me to share some of our concerns. I shared,

​“Your country was bombed, you lost so much, much like the same thing happened to this tribe. Years ago, many tribal members left their Village on Ediz Hook and located on the Port Angeles waterfront to conduct their annual hunting and preparing food for the winter months. When they returned, their whole village was burned and destroyed. They were forced to move from their homeland to this valley. 
The Japanese have been so successful building their economy and marketing their resources and developing a strong economy and foundation for their people. This Tribe wants the same thing for their people. And they want to live in a safe area and restore the habitat of the river.”

​I learned so much working for the Elwha and will always appreciate the four years I worked for them. It was so exciting when we secured our first Head Start funding, LI-HEAP, AoA Senior Citizens Grant. It was like going to school and winning basketball games!  Jerry Charles, Chair of the Tribe was one of our biggest supporters! I so enjoyed working for the Elwha Tribal Council. 

The Makah Tribal Council directed me to negotiate the Self-Governance Compact agreement to take over the operation of the medical clinic, which serves 2,500+ individuals and meets all the same accreditation requirements as the Olympic Memorial Hospital and to raise funds to build a Wellness Center both projects were completed. In taking over the Self -Governance operation of the clinic, 389 budget line items were evaluated & negotiated under the direction Mr. Hubert Markishtum, Chair of the Tribe. 

 I was honored to be elected Vice Chair of the NW Portland Area Indian Health Board, which serves 43 Tribes in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho for five years. During this same time, I worked as the Makah Intergovernmental Director and Grants Writer. I also, represented the NW Tribes on the University of California American Indian Graduate Program Board for 10 years. We worked on developing curriculum for Tribal Health Directors and Area Federal Health Providers to ensure all medical clinics met the federal and state accreditation requirements and like health standards. This was a great learning experience. 

What led you to the Democratic Party?
After I retired from the Makah, I began doing on-site training with college credits for 46 tribes. I learned a lot, but I got tired of so much travel. In 2008, I went to a meeting of a small group of about 25 Democrats in Neah Bay, and they elected me to attend the “Port Angeles” Clallam County Democrat meeting. At this meeting, I was elected as a delegate to the 6th Congressional District Convention. At the 6th Congressional District meeting, I ran and won a position to go to the State and National Democratic Convention to represent our State of Washington. It was an exciting time. Now, I encourage others to run and experience these meetings. 

At the Seattle Airport, on my way to the Denver 2008 National Democratic Convention, I spoke to Senator Patty Murray. I asked Patty ‘What will I learn Denver?’ and Patty said you will learn how to network.”  I realized I knew how to network in Indian Country, and I had much to learn in this arena, so, I have been studying “how non-Indians work together” ever since. 

Attending the Clallam County Democrats was hard at first, I was reminded of racism my husband and I faced when we were first married and we would go to Port Angeles to shop, etc. I was reminded,
we are comfortable with our own people, but stepping into the non-Indian world, reminded me of:

1. When my husband and I were not served in a couple of restaurants here in Port Angeles.
2. When I could cash a check, and my husband could not, because he was darker than me.
3. Having people assume I did not know something, because I am native or grew up on the reservation.  
4. I have been asked, would the CCD support a Native person, a Native candidate?  

I remind myself we have four tribes located in Clallam County. Tribes are the largest employers in Clallam County. Most Tribal members are Democrat. And I ask myself, “Why are they not participating in the CCD?”  I was welcomed into the Clallam County Democrat Party. 

At my first State Democrat Convention in Spokane, I saw only four Natives attending this convention.

We had a meeting and they recruited me to be Chair of the State Native American Caucus, a position I still hold. We developed 10 goals. One included lobbying for “Drop Voting Boxes” on all 29 reservations.

This was accomplished. Another goal was the elevating the Special Assistance to the Governor Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs to the Cabinet level. This was accomplished the second week of February 2025!  I was re-elected as Chair of the Native American Caucus in January 2025 for two years with a room full of Democrats! 

​What has been the highest point for you as a Democrat?
Getting Native people to run and get elected. Our numbers are growing. When I began, ten years ago, Senator John McCoy was the only Native American legislator. Today for the first time there are 3 legislators who are Native in Olympia:  One Senator and two State Representatives. Another highlight was having Debora Juarez, the first native elected to the Seattle City Council since it was established in 1869!  Today we have 14 Natives elected to City Councils and higher positions here in the State of Washington! I am so proud of the Native Leadership here in the State of Washington at so many different levels! 

How do we pass the legacy of the Democratic party to future generations?
Go out and meet young people, all people, invite them in. We want to hear them. Reach them where they are at. I was on the Peninsula College Board of Trustees – the first Native woman. When I started there were 3 or 4 Native students and 1 native teacher. Today, there are about 100 native students attending Peninsula College. It is so important to have Native Instructors and on the Board of Trustees.

It is so important to do regular outreach, talk to our people, meet them where they live, and the key word is “invite native people in person” to attend our events. The Tribal Canoe Journey is a big gathering – it will be hosted by the Elwha S’Klallam Tribe on August 1st this year. It is anticipated 3,000 plus individuals will be attending this event. “Let’s have a Clallam County Democrat Voter Registration Booth” set up. 

I am so impressed with the years of great hospitality at the Clallam County Democrat headquarters on a weekly basis, I hope we will be able to do more outreach to all sections of Clallam County this coming year. 

A strong cultural tradition of all Native people is to “verbally invite” people to events. Hopefully we all can practice this in-person tradition this coming year. 
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