Obituary:
Jeanette Costo, author, activist, dies at age 92: She wrote and fought passionately for Indian rights. A building at UCR carries her name.
Jeannette Costo fought passionately as an Indian-rights activist for decades and as an outspoken author and editor determined to correct misconceptions about Indians, their history and culture.
Mrs. Costo, an Eastern Cherokee, once refused to give actor Kevin Costner permission to use a book excerpt because she disliked his portrayal of Indians in "Dances With Wolves."
When UC regents renamed a UC Riverside student services building in her honor and that of her late husband, Rupert, in 1994, she used the pulpit to remind them to take care of the students. Mrs. Costo, 92, died Wednesday at her San Francisco home, where she had lived about 50 years. She had suffered a series of debilitating strokes.
The Costos co-founded the American Indian Historical Society in San Francisco in 1950 to promote the culture, education and welfare of American Indians. As authors and editors, they started the book-publishing Indian Historical Press, a scholarly journal and a national Indian newspaper, Wassaja.
In 1986, through the society, they donated their research collection to UCR for the Costo Library of the American Indian and made a donation to endow The Rupert Costo Chair in American Indian History at the university. Joel Martin, a faculty member in the departments of religious studies and history, is the current chairholder.
The couple's university ties dated back to the early 1950s, when Mr. Costo helped circulate petitions that called for a UC campus in Riverside. They chose UCR as a repository because of Mr. Costo's ties to the area and because Riverside was close to more than 30 Indian reservations in Southern California, Mrs. Costo said at the time.
The Costos "were such incredible champions for underrepresented people. They inspired all of us with their commitment to tell the 'real story' of Native Americans and their legacy is in the countless lives they touched through their writings, their lectures and their examples," said James Erickson, former UCR vice chancellor for university advancement, who met the couple 16 years ago and became friends.
Friends knew little about her past other than as a writer for the Detroit Free Press, the New York Times and Cleveland Plain Dealer before she came West and helped then-Hemet News editor Homer King. Mr. Costo was a state highway engineer and leader of the Cahuilla Indians near Anza for more than a decade.
"She dealt with faculty very effectively. She was a match for anyone. She had the strength to challenge anyone," said Erickson.
The Costos crusaded as partners, he sometimes as a spokesman for tribes in Washington, D. C., and she through her writing.
"They were always standing up for their viewpoints, usually with good arguments historically and otherwise," said John Gabbert, a retired Court of Appeal justice who knew the couple.
They attracted national attention in 1987 with a book they edited and helped write, "The Missions of California: A Legacy of Genocide," a scholarly treatise on mistreatment of California Indians by Spanish missionaries, including Father Junipero Serra. The couple opposed efforts to canonize the priest as a saint. They also co-authored "Two Centuries of Dishonor: The Indian Treaties" and "Natives of the Golden State: The California Indians."
Memorial services will be scheduled at UCR at a later date. Byrgan Funeral Services in Burlingame and McWane Family Funeral Home in Hemet will handle arrangements.
The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, California)Friday, February 2, 2001
Jeanette Costo, author, activist, dies at age 92: She wrote and fought passionately for Indian rights. A building at UCR carries her name.
Jeannette Costo fought passionately as an Indian-rights activist for decades and as an outspoken author and editor determined to correct misconceptions about Indians, their history and culture.
Mrs. Costo, an Eastern Cherokee, once refused to give actor Kevin Costner permission to use a book excerpt because she disliked his portrayal of Indians in "Dances With Wolves."
When UC regents renamed a UC Riverside student services building in her honor and that of her late husband, Rupert, in 1994, she used the pulpit to remind them to take care of the students. Mrs. Costo, 92, died Wednesday at her San Francisco home, where she had lived about 50 years. She had suffered a series of debilitating strokes.
The Costos co-founded the American Indian Historical Society in San Francisco in 1950 to promote the culture, education and welfare of American Indians. As authors and editors, they started the book-publishing Indian Historical Press, a scholarly journal and a national Indian newspaper, Wassaja.
In 1986, through the society, they donated their research collection to UCR for the Costo Library of the American Indian and made a donation to endow The Rupert Costo Chair in American Indian History at the university. Joel Martin, a faculty member in the departments of religious studies and history, is the current chairholder.
The couple's university ties dated back to the early 1950s, when Mr. Costo helped circulate petitions that called for a UC campus in Riverside. They chose UCR as a repository because of Mr. Costo's ties to the area and because Riverside was close to more than 30 Indian reservations in Southern California, Mrs. Costo said at the time.
The Costos "were such incredible champions for underrepresented people. They inspired all of us with their commitment to tell the 'real story' of Native Americans and their legacy is in the countless lives they touched through their writings, their lectures and their examples," said James Erickson, former UCR vice chancellor for university advancement, who met the couple 16 years ago and became friends.
Friends knew little about her past other than as a writer for the Detroit Free Press, the New York Times and Cleveland Plain Dealer before she came West and helped then-Hemet News editor Homer King. Mr. Costo was a state highway engineer and leader of the Cahuilla Indians near Anza for more than a decade.
"She dealt with faculty very effectively. She was a match for anyone. She had the strength to challenge anyone," said Erickson.
The Costos crusaded as partners, he sometimes as a spokesman for tribes in Washington, D. C., and she through her writing.
"They were always standing up for their viewpoints, usually with good arguments historically and otherwise," said John Gabbert, a retired Court of Appeal justice who knew the couple.
They attracted national attention in 1987 with a book they edited and helped write, "The Missions of California: A Legacy of Genocide," a scholarly treatise on mistreatment of California Indians by Spanish missionaries, including Father Junipero Serra. The couple opposed efforts to canonize the priest as a saint. They also co-authored "Two Centuries of Dishonor: The Indian Treaties" and "Natives of the Golden State: The California Indians."
Memorial services will be scheduled at UCR at a later date. Byrgan Funeral Services in Burlingame and McWane Family Funeral Home in Hemet will handle arrangements.
The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, California)Friday, February 2, 2001
Obituary:
Jeanette Costo, author, activist, dies at age 92: She wrote and fought passionately for Indian rights. A building at UCR carries her name.
Jeannette Costo fought passionately as an Indian-rights activist for decades and as an outspoken author and editor determined to correct misconceptions about Indians, their history and culture.
Mrs. Costo, an Eastern Cherokee, once refused to give actor Kevin Costner permission to use a book excerpt because she disliked his portrayal of Indians in "Dances With Wolves."
When UC regents renamed a UC Riverside student services building in her honor and that of her late husband, Rupert, in 1994, she used the pulpit to remind them to take care of the students. Mrs. Costo, 92, died Wednesday at her San Francisco home, where she had lived about 50 years. She had suffered a series of debilitating strokes.
The Costos co-founded the American Indian Historical Society in San Francisco in 1950 to promote the culture, education and welfare of American Indians. As authors and editors, they started the book-publishing Indian Historical Press, a scholarly journal and a national Indian newspaper, Wassaja.
In 1986, through the society, they donated their research collection to UCR for the Costo Library of the American Indian and made a donation to endow The Rupert Costo Chair in American Indian History at the university. Joel Martin, a faculty member in the departments of religious studies and history, is the current chairholder.
The couple's university ties dated back to the early 1950s, when Mr. Costo helped circulate petitions that called for a UC campus in Riverside. They chose UCR as a repository because of Mr. Costo's ties to the area and because Riverside was close to more than 30 Indian reservations in Southern California, Mrs. Costo said at the time.
The Costos "were such incredible champions for underrepresented people. They inspired all of us with their commitment to tell the 'real story' of Native Americans and their legacy is in the countless lives they touched through their writings, their lectures and their examples," said James Erickson, former UCR vice chancellor for university advancement, who met the couple 16 years ago and became friends.
Friends knew little about her past other than as a writer for the Detroit Free Press, the New York Times and Cleveland Plain Dealer before she came West and helped then-Hemet News editor Homer King. Mr. Costo was a state highway engineer and leader of the Cahuilla Indians near Anza for more than a decade.
"She dealt with faculty very effectively. She was a match for anyone. She had the strength to challenge anyone," said Erickson.
The Costos crusaded as partners, he sometimes as a spokesman for tribes in Washington, D. C., and she through her writing.
"They were always standing up for their viewpoints, usually with good arguments historically and otherwise," said John Gabbert, a retired Court of Appeal justice who knew the couple.
They attracted national attention in 1987 with a book they edited and helped write, "The Missions of California: A Legacy of Genocide," a scholarly treatise on mistreatment of California Indians by Spanish missionaries, including Father Junipero Serra. The couple opposed efforts to canonize the priest as a saint. They also co-authored "Two Centuries of Dishonor: The Indian Treaties" and "Natives of the Golden State: The California Indians."
Memorial services will be scheduled at UCR at a later date. Byrgan Funeral Services in Burlingame and McWane Family Funeral Home in Hemet will handle arrangements.
The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, California)Friday, February 2, 2001
Jeanette Costo, author, activist, dies at age 92: She wrote and fought passionately for Indian rights. A building at UCR carries her name.
Jeannette Costo fought passionately as an Indian-rights activist for decades and as an outspoken author and editor determined to correct misconceptions about Indians, their history and culture.
Mrs. Costo, an Eastern Cherokee, once refused to give actor Kevin Costner permission to use a book excerpt because she disliked his portrayal of Indians in "Dances With Wolves."
When UC regents renamed a UC Riverside student services building in her honor and that of her late husband, Rupert, in 1994, she used the pulpit to remind them to take care of the students. Mrs. Costo, 92, died Wednesday at her San Francisco home, where she had lived about 50 years. She had suffered a series of debilitating strokes.
The Costos co-founded the American Indian Historical Society in San Francisco in 1950 to promote the culture, education and welfare of American Indians. As authors and editors, they started the book-publishing Indian Historical Press, a scholarly journal and a national Indian newspaper, Wassaja.
In 1986, through the society, they donated their research collection to UCR for the Costo Library of the American Indian and made a donation to endow The Rupert Costo Chair in American Indian History at the university. Joel Martin, a faculty member in the departments of religious studies and history, is the current chairholder.
The couple's university ties dated back to the early 1950s, when Mr. Costo helped circulate petitions that called for a UC campus in Riverside. They chose UCR as a repository because of Mr. Costo's ties to the area and because Riverside was close to more than 30 Indian reservations in Southern California, Mrs. Costo said at the time.
The Costos "were such incredible champions for underrepresented people. They inspired all of us with their commitment to tell the 'real story' of Native Americans and their legacy is in the countless lives they touched through their writings, their lectures and their examples," said James Erickson, former UCR vice chancellor for university advancement, who met the couple 16 years ago and became friends.
Friends knew little about her past other than as a writer for the Detroit Free Press, the New York Times and Cleveland Plain Dealer before she came West and helped then-Hemet News editor Homer King. Mr. Costo was a state highway engineer and leader of the Cahuilla Indians near Anza for more than a decade.
"She dealt with faculty very effectively. She was a match for anyone. She had the strength to challenge anyone," said Erickson.
The Costos crusaded as partners, he sometimes as a spokesman for tribes in Washington, D. C., and she through her writing.
"They were always standing up for their viewpoints, usually with good arguments historically and otherwise," said John Gabbert, a retired Court of Appeal justice who knew the couple.
They attracted national attention in 1987 with a book they edited and helped write, "The Missions of California: A Legacy of Genocide," a scholarly treatise on mistreatment of California Indians by Spanish missionaries, including Father Junipero Serra. The couple opposed efforts to canonize the priest as a saint. They also co-authored "Two Centuries of Dishonor: The Indian Treaties" and "Natives of the Golden State: The California Indians."
Memorial services will be scheduled at UCR at a later date. Byrgan Funeral Services in Burlingame and McWane Family Funeral Home in Hemet will handle arrangements.
The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, California)Friday, February 2, 2001
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