Elouise Cobell Day Celebration: Accountability and Leadership
Join the University of Montana's Native American Studies Department for a celebration of Elouise Cobell's enduring legacy as a Blackfeet leader, activist and advocate for Native American rights.
“Accountability and Leadership: Elouise Cobell’s Legacy in Native Women’s Governance” will feature Native women serving in the Montana Legislature sharing their experiences in leadership, public service and advocacy. Panelists include Sen. Lea Whitford (moderator), Sen. Jacinda Morigeau, Rep. Thedis Crowe and Rep. Shelly Fyant.
The event will begin with an opening prayer and honor song at 1:00 p.m., followed by the panel discussion from 1:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026
1:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Payne Family Native American Center, University of Montana
Free and open to the public.
Sponsored by the Jeannette Rankin Foundation and the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Elouise Cobell Day
Governor Steve Bullock proclaimed November 5th as Elouise Cobell Day. Elouise Pepion Cobell was born in 1945. Along with the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), she led the largest class action lawsuit (1996-2016) against the federal government for the mismanagement of money for lands that the government held in Trust for individual Native Americans across the U.S. Elouise was Treasurer for the Blackfeet Tribe for over a decade. She was determined to right a century of wrongs and reconcile years of injustice. After 15 years of litigation, President Barak Obama announced the $3.4 billion Cobell Settlement. Prior to her passing, Elouise called the UM-PFNAC "a glorious reality - for a better Montana." She urged students to stand up for their rights and "not take anything for granted."