Councillor Tina Abrams would like to share the following, “It was erroneously stated that I was the first and only Indigenous recipient of a NYS Senate Woman of Distinction honor, when Maxine Dowler received this award from Senator Pat McGee in 2003. This was pointed out by her son Mark Printup, and I much appreciated his submission.”
Maxine Dowler – NYS Senate 2003 Woman of Distinction: Maxine Dowler (pictured) is an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation, more specifically the Beaver Clan, who has surmounted many obstacles faced by Native Americans, including discrimination, poverty, and alcoholism. One of the first women in her community to receive a higher education, Ms. Dowler has been an educator, school board member and a Title IV Indian Education Program Administrator. Retiring after 30 years of teaching, Ms. Dowler currently serves as a consultant and public speaker, while also serving the Seneca Nation community as a member of the Planning and Advisory Committees for Indian Education.
Ms. Dowler personally battled cancer, addiction, and heart disease all while raising two children as a single mother. Ms. Dowler raised many others in her clan with a traditional Seneca kinship approach combining traditional Iroquois values and the writings and words of her elders.
Recently Ms. Dowler has been honored as a National Elder on the National Caucus of American/Indian & Alaska Native School Boards. Ms. Dowler continues to build bridges, creating a dialogue for native and non-native cultures to work together, all while maintaining a healthy sense of humor and unwavering belief in the potential of our youth.
