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Washington Women’s Heritage Project records, 1900-2000 
University of Washington Libraries Special Collections 
Lindsay Buxton 
April 24, 1996 
Cassette 4, Side 2 
 
 
Lindsay Buxton  00:00 
A surplus and-- mind you, I'm-- chair of the legal committee, working for a law firm that focused 
on indigent, you know, clientele, and so I had access to the Seattle King County's Bar 
Association and list of attorneys, and we did a lot of collaboration. Anyway, to make a long story 
short-- 
 
Debbie Guerrero  00:37 
Oh, don't make it short [laughs].  
 
Lindsay Buxton  00:42 
We fought with the city, working for a first class facility for the Indian community. We felt that 
we had come of the age where we were sophisticated, urban Indian people, and we wanted to be 
recognized, you know, no more of the storefront Indian. And we dreamed about, Wow, wouldn't 
it be nice if we had our own, you know, community center where we could have cultural 
workshops, and seminars, and dances, you know? Or fundraising events, dinners, you know-- 
 
Debbie Guerrero  01:28 
Graduation. 
 
Lindsay Buxton  01:29 
Gra-- yes! And we would have smoked salmon and you know, we had a beautiful view [laughs]. 
Well, we had a university. The more we brainstormed, the more the fire in our hearts got, and the 
more we thought about it, we said, Why not? I mean, why are we just sitting here, pipe 
dreaming, you know, what we think can be a reality? We were visited by our people from the 
Bay Area, and they encouraged our brothers to occupy Fort Lawton. Yeah, I was really excited. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  02:21 
A noble cause. 
 
Lindsay Buxton  02:22 
It was a beautiful cause. The [inaudible] best girlfriend, Joyce Reyes, would come and tell me 
things that, you know, were going on in the community. Mind you, I had not been involved in 
any community activities. I had no idea that we even had, you know, a... 
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Debbie Guerrero  02:48 
A political voice? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  02:49 
That's right. Any strength. But anyway, as she was telling me about these meetings that was 
going on, you know, with Alcatraz brothers and sisters from the Bay Area, and how militant and 
strong, and how so bright they sounded, you know, and how encouraging they were. It just-- it 
excited me. I felt proud, you know. And we decided to occupy Fort Lawton, and so we got our 
heads together, and we got press releases out, and I was designated as the coordinator, the PR 
coordinator, you know, for this occupation. And it just-- it seemed so right at that time, because I 
had worked with legal services and and KOMO, I had, you know, some insight of how press 
conferences and releases should go, and the contacts, both the legal and the media. It just seemed 
like I was at the right place, at the right time. To show our unity and form the request to 
Washington people, our people had decided to stage a protest in front of the federal courthouse. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  04:31 
Were there-- how many-- about how many people, do you remember? A lot of people by that 
time had gathered? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  04:36 
Oh-- 
 
Debbie Guerrero  04:36 
For the cause? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  04:37 
Oh, thousands-- 
 
Debbie Guerrero  04:39 
Really-- 
 
Lindsay Buxton  04:39 
Of people. For the federal courthouse, it was packed. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  04:44 
Was it?  
 
Lindsay Buxton  04:44 
Yeah, it was the first time that we had-- I had ever seen so many urban Indians and reservation 
Indians, you know, supporting our urban Indian plight. And I was so moved and so proud. I took 
my three children out of school, and I said, Listen, there's going to be this demonstration 
tomorrow. I want you to stay home and we're going to go. I want you to be a part of this. And I 
explained to them that they had Indian blood. I wanted them to be proud. And these were the 
things that were happening. We were being discriminated against. We were a low man on the 
totem pole, if you were, I mean, I just talked to them, like [laughs]-- educating them, and I said, 
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[?A mother's?] angry, and a lot of other people are angry. I took them with me to the federal 
courthouse. They loved it, and it was kind of comical, because the next day, when I wrote their 
excuses, you know, it was simply, Please excuse my child, but my child had to go and protest 
[laughs]. In school, they had to tell their little stories, you know. My children tell me that they 
were really very proud. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  06:19 
Oh good. It instills that sense of pride, doesn't it? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  06:23 
Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we occupied, you know, Fort Lawton. That's really our-- 
 
Debbie Guerrero  06:31 
For how long?  
 
Lindsay Buxton  06:33 
Gosh, it seemed like... 
 
Debbie Guerrero  06:35 
Forever? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  06:35 
Yeah. Sonny Buxton and I had, I think, only been married about six months when this activity 
came along. Sonny was picked up by network. Sonny had decided to go ahead in San Francisco 
and try to find housing for us, you know. And so I was going to help as much as I could. And the 
men at that time-- Indian men at that time, were so moved and inspired, and had bonded. It was 
the first time in a long-- generations, if you will, that urban and reservation Indians had agreed 
on something, and basically that urban Indians were really denied a lot of social services, 
political-ness, simply because we were off reservations. And for an Alaska Native that has never 
been on a reservation, we didn't know what on earth they were talking about-- the city is talking 
about, you know. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  07:56 
Right. You didn't fit any of those classifications, right? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  07:59 
We were just urban Indians, yeah. And that was our plight. And the Duwamish tribe, we had 
learned.... Well, this was Duwamish land, and we had, in research, we had learned that the 
United States Army had signed a treaty with the Duwamish tribe, and when the land was to be 
vacated-- the land used by the military bases was to revert back to the original owners, which 
was the Duwamish tribe. So members of United Indians of All Tribes-- we formed this 
organization called United Indians of All Tribes-- went to the Duwamish council, and the council 
had said, We'll give the land to you, urban Indians. So we occupied it. My job was to let the 
media know when we had actually occupied it, and I was in a position, Well, how am I going to 
know whether you occupied it or not unless I see it, you know? 
 
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Debbie Guerrero  09:24 
Right.  
 
Lindsay Buxton  09:24 
So, I went and occupied too. It was really funny. Funny in the fact that it was a little scary. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  09:37 
I was gonna ask that [tape skips]. 
 
Lindsay Buxton  09:40 
It was exhilarating, scary. I was with a group that climbed up on the east side of the cliffs, and I 
was-- when I walked-- when I climbed up the cliff, clouds were separating. The sun was coming 
out. There was eagles in the air. It was [tape skips]-- From then, all of a sudden, I realized in the 
back, MPs were coming and they had clubs, and they were hitting our people over the head. I 
had taken my headband off and walked away fast, remembering that, you know, one PR 
coordinator and I needed to get to the phone there to advise news media that we had bonafidely 
occupied Fort Lawton, and we had our set of demands, and we had given our proclamation. And 
as I was walking through Fort Lawton, you know, they had residences there, two MPs rushed by 
me, and they said, Lady, you better get back into your house there. There are quite a few wild 
Indians running around here. And I said, Oh, really, you know. And anyway, I got to a phone 
booth. Some Native people came by and drove me back, you know, to our headquarters. And 
from there, we got international coverage. Switzerland, Germany were calling, and the first 
people of color to offer support to United Indians were members of the Black Panthers, the Black 
community. And our warriors had told them that we appreciated their support, but this was an 
urban Indian-- this is something that we had to do ourselves. And the Black Panthers had stated 
that, That's fine, we respect that, and that if you ever need us, we will be there for you. And then 
came, you know, the Chicanos and the Asians, but we had people from all over the United 
States, Hawaii, and Canadian unions came over to support us. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  12:12 
What kind of help and support did they offer? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  12:16 
Food, manning the fort, helping with writings, talking to media, cash. A lot of our people came 
from all over the United States to help with this project. And a lot of them came, you know, by 
Greyhound, or caravan, or train. Plane. A lot of them came with one-way tickets, and so we 
were-- we had hundreds of people here. We were really very concerned. We didn't realize that 
this was going-- we thought it was just going to be a Washington state, but we had people from 
Alcatraz that, you know, had experience, you know, from that occupation effort. It was truly a 
wonderful inter-tribal, urban Indian project. I coordinated their press releases [clears throat], or 
press conferences, and I was honored as being the first woman on the board of United Indians of 
All Tribes. Our men, at that time had declared that this was going to be a warrior, an all male, 
you know, occupation, primarily because I think we all knew that in order to get the city and the 
state to pay any attention to urban Indian needs, we would have to be militant. And we had tried 
very hard to have it be a nonviolent, you know, protest, but I think we all knew that there would 
be confrontations. And of course, with our occupation attempts, some of our people were sent to 
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hospitals, you know. Men and women, elderly people were hit-- were clubbed by the MPs. It was 
quite an event. It was one of the most beautiful movements that I've been privileged to 
participate in, in the fact that I became a little bit more aware of the plight, not just being 
centered in Washington State, but throughout the United States, in Canada. It was truly a labor of 
love. I really regretted that I had to leave for the Bay Area. My husband had been promoted, 
network news, and, of course, my children and I had to-- well, we had to join our-- my husband. 
But before I went to join my husband in San Francisco, my Alaska Native friends that were 
involved with the Alaska Land Claims Settlement Act had called me. They were on their way to 
Reno, Nevada, for the National Congress of American Indians convention, and they had invited 
me to go. And I said, Oh, I can't. I'm in the process of moving, I'm moving back to the Bay Area. 
They said, What? You're not going to be at this important event? Da-da-da and da-da-da. So 
anyway, I thought, Well, this will be my last cause before, you know, I go back and join my 
husband. That was really such an eye opener, and I think one of the most important events in my 
life concerning my own Indian identity, and the fact that when I arrived at the Las Ve-- Reno, 
Nevada Convention Center, I joined my urban Indian friends and associates, you know, in the 
front. And urban Indians have been trying to get voting privileges for the National Congress of 
American Indians, which was predominantly reservation-orientated. And so, I'm up there raising 
my hand with them, you know, voting on this and voting on that. And during the recess, a couple 
of Alaska Native people that I came with on their jet that they chartered, you know, for this 
event, they were seeking the National Congress of American Indian's support for the Alaska 
Land Claims Settlement Act. And they came over and said, Lindsay, we need you to be sitting 
with us. You know, you're an Alaska Native, and we need you as a delegate over here. And that's 
the first time I felt that I was being pulled, and I said, Yes, but I'm living as an urban Indian. 
They said, But you're an Alaska Native. I went to sit with them for a while, and then I would go 
and sit with the urban Indians. And I really felt torn. You know, it was-- 
 
Debbie Guerrero  17:36 
Understandable. 
 
Lindsay Buxton  17:37 
Yeah. Anyway, from that, we did get urban Indians privilege to vote, individual memberships, 
and the Alaska Native delegation did get the National Congress of American Indians to lend 
support, you know, for the settlement after. I returned to Seattle, really trying to digest all the 
events that had taken place, all within, you know, three months, and... I was proud to be an 
Indian woman. I was proud of my involvement. I was proud of my people. That was a turning 
point for me. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  18:35 
That was a turning... 
 
Lindsay Buxton  18:37 
Yeah. From there, my husband and I finally got situated, you know, in Berkeley, Oakland, 
California, and after my children were settled in school, you know, in San Francisco area, I 
realized, Well, my children were at the age now they didn't need me home, you know, 24 hours a 
day. So I went to work for California Indian Legal services. 
 
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Debbie Guerrero  19:08 
What did you do? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  19:09 
Legal secretary. And interesting happening there, the other legal secretaries were predominantly 
Apaches from the reservation, very bright, you know. They did not really like me at first and 
alienated me, and it really hurt me. And anyway, I just figured, well, one of these days, you 
know, something will break. But I felt badly that they didn't include me in their lunches or their 
after-work, you know, gatherings and... But one day, my husband came in-- he's a news reporter, 
came in to do a story on California [?Indian?] legal services, and I helped my son-- my husband 
prepare, you know, for the press conference, and did what I do best and that was coordinate 
things. And I noticed that my coworkers were watching me, and towards the end of the press 
conference, my coworkers were helping me to straighten things out, and it was really because 
they were impressed with my husband that they took another look at me. At... After being with 
California Indian Legal Services, was really very exciting, because that was the beginning of 
making plans for the Native American Rights Fund, which-- NARF, which was to focus on test 
cases for-- in Indian country, and yours truly, was the first office manager for NARF. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  21:13 
Is that right?  
 
Lindsay Buxton  21:14 
Yeah. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  21:16 
How long did you do that?  
 
Lindsay Buxton  21:18 
I was there for less, less than a year, NARF moved its offices from Berkeley, California to 
Denver, Colorado. I wish I could have joined them. My heart still was in Seattle.  
 
Debbie Guerrero  21:33 
Was it? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  21:34 
Yes, it was.  
 
Debbie Guerrero  21:35 
How long did you stay in California?  
 
Lindsay Buxton  21:37 
My husband and I were there for about a good seven years. So when I returned to Seattle, you 
know, on visits, it was exciting to see that United Indians was given land, and were charged $1 a 
year. I was not too happy about United Indians having to become a foundation and, you know, 
go through that whole corporate structure because we seem to have lost a lot of naturalness. But 
this is-- we all had to recognize this is the way of the world, and, you know, we don't fight with 
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bows and arrows anymore, and we had to, you know, compromise a lot. But in 10 years, we 
finally realized our center, you know, being built. I was honored to be one of those to break 
down, you know, for our cultural center. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  22:50 
The cultural center on Fort Lawton? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  22:52 
Mm-hmm, which is now called Daybreak Cultural Center. And again, I was honored to be the 
first spokesperson for the event. You know, opening. I was fairly exciting. [Inaudible] move on 
from that. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  23:23 
Reflecting on your life, what do you think was the happiest time of your life, or the most 
fulfilling? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  23:30 
Most fulfilling actually was my involvement in the community, beginning with United Indians of 
All Tribes. Maybe I can even go back to my job with Seattle King County Legal Services, which 
best arised in poverty law. I think that was when I really... That was a major turning point for me. 
I had a boss who was director, Robert Ashley, of legal services, who would pull me in and tell 
me wonderful stories about Indian men, professional people, women, Indian ballerinas, and 
opera singers, and doctors, lawyers, you know, businessmen. He was forcing me to go to the 
American Indian Women's Service League meeting. You know, turn my life around. Here's 
where I met Joyce Reyes. I was 28 then, and getting involved, going to my first powwow, 
meeting beautiful, articulate, ambitious, independent Indian women was a mind-blowing state for 
me. I was happy. I was happy. Indian involvement. I love working with our people and Indian 
country. I have been mostly focusing a lot of my attention for the last few years with Alaska 
Native issues. I think I'm about ready to go back to United Indian issues. Yeah. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  25:16 
How would you like to be remembered in this life? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  25:37 
Thought I had that figured out [laughs]. An independent, strong, humanitarian, loving, proud 
Indian woman. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  25:51 
Beautiful Indian woman. 
 
Lindsay Buxton  25:52 
Beautiful Indian woman, right. Underscore it, yeah. 
 
Debbie Guerrero  25:57 
Very nice. What do you see in the future, in your life? 
 
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Lindsay Buxton  26:03 
I see myself going back to school. I see myself-- 
 
Debbie Guerrero  26:15 
Do you like school? 
 
Lindsay Buxton  26:16 
I love learning. Too bad they don't give you honorary degrees for hard knocks [laughs]. Yeah, I 
love learning and I love sharing, you know, what I learn. I'm not sure... Like, perhaps I'd like to 
teach. I often thought, you know, focusing on political sciences, I'd like to-- whatever-- 
 
Debbie Guerrero  26:52 
Would be great.  
 
Lindsay Buxton  26:53 
I would like to utilize my experiences, you know, with politics and law. I chuckle to myself 
every now and then when I think about, Well, I might as well go for a master's program, you 
know. And I said, Well, if I'm going to do that, maybe I should, you know, go full speed ahead, 
you know, with a doctor's program. My children are all grown, you know, I have no husbands 
holding me back, and you know, just money right now, is it. I see myself being useful, educated. 
I see myself sharing my experiences, helping young women, you know, adjust to urban Indian 
life. One thing that I do know that I will be encouraging all women not to give up their goals and 
aspirations, even if they fall in love and get married and have children.  
 
Debbie Guerrero  27:54 
That's very good advice.  
 
Lindsay Buxton  27:56 
Yes, I-- yeah. I think that should be our by-word. Yeah.  
 
Debbie Guerrero  27:59 
Yeah. Is there anything that I haven't asked you that you wish I would have asked you about? I 
mean, I know that your children are your life, and I know that you've faced a lot of hardships 
with your son and his cancer, and... I didn't know if I should bring that up, but your strength-- 
I've watched you and your strength, and it was amazing to me. So I know that, you know, your 
spirit is strong inside and but, well-- actually, I should just say, is there anything that I haven't 
asked you that you wish I would have asked you about?  
 
Lindsay Buxton  28:51 
Well, I think you've been very thorough. I think I would be interested on how I would view, you 
know, my children's lives. I'm proud of every one of them. They have had to overcome a lot of 
obstacles, because their mother has gone through an awful lot of growing up, finding her own. I 
believe that whereas, because of my mother's life, despite you know, the hardships, we as women 
are strong, and I look at my children and I have regrets that I couldn't afforded them this or given 
them that time or that energy. Why didn't I spend more time with them?  