Clara Nomee was the first woman to lead the Crow Tribe of Montana and it wasn't an easy road.

"When I first ran, men said my place was at home, raising children and taking care of the husband," Nomee said in 1992, two years after she was elected, The Billings Gazette reported.

Nomee bucked the critics and went on to serve five terms as chair. She is credited with settling a land dispute, securing more federal funds for tribal programs and restoring order to the tribe.

"Her 10-year tenure as madam chairman helped to bring stability in Crow tribal government and saw a decade of many achievements that still stand today to reflect the kind of leadership she brought to the Crow people," Chairman Cedric Black Eagle said in a written statement.

Nomee is being buried on Saturday on the reservation.

Nomee

Get the Story:
Former Crow leader Clara Nomee dead at 73 (The Billings Gazette 2/2)
Clara Nomee, first Crow Tribe chairwoman, dies at 73 (AP 2/1)
Crow Tribe's first female chairperson passes away (KTVQ-TV 2/1)

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Clara Nomee, former chair of Crow Tribe, passes on at 73 (2/1)