Henry Owl

Henry McClain Owl (August 1, 1895 – March 1, 1980), was a Native American educator, activist, and historian. He was a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and was the first Native American and first person of color to attend the University of North Carolina. He received his master's degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Chapel Hill) in 1929. He also went by the name Henry Harris.

Early life and education Owl was born on August 1, 1895, in the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina. He was the son of Daniel Lloyd Owl, a Cherokee blacksmith, and Nettie Harris Owl, a Catawba traditional potter. He is listed on the Baker Roll as having a Cherokee blood quantum of half, and having a full Catawba mother. His older sister was Lula Owl Gloyne.

He joined the United States Army and rose to the rank of sergeant in 1918. Owl attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1928 to 1929, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in history. Owl's goal in writing his thesis was to combat racist myths and stereotype around Native Americans. Although the Indian Citizenship Act gave all Native Americans citizenship in 1924, voting was still regulated on a state-by-state basis. Owl subsequently testified before congress on this issue, resulting in legislation that granted citizenship and suffrage to all Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian members.

Bureau of Indian Affairs Owl worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a teacher and principal on reservations in North Carolina, Montana, and South Dakota. He later worked as a Veteran's Administration counselor in Seattle and as an inspector at Boeing. Due to fear of discrimination, when working outside reservations, Owl began using his wife's last name, "Harris."

Legacy In 2011, the UNC American Indian Center created the Henry Owl Fund to support Cherokee language and culture instructional programs, as well as the Henry Owl Graduate Fellowship, which included a language immersion program at the Museum of the Cherokee People.

He was inducted into the Lenoir–Rhyne University's hall of fame in 2012 for his participation in the football (1925–1927) and baseball (1926–1928) teams.

In 2014, UNC Chapel Hill alumnus Andrew Vail created the Henry Owl Scholarship fund to provide needs-based funds to undergraduate American Studies majors.

In 2021, UNC Chapel Hill renamed their Student Affairs building in his honor: the Henry Owl Building.

Owl's daughter, Gladys Cardiff, is a poet and former professor at Oakland University in Michigan. Her father inspired her to pursue education and excellence in all aspects of life.

Works Owl, Henry McClain (1929). "The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Before and After the Removal." Thesis (M.A.) – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.