Navy names ship after prominent Nisqually tribe member

The United States Navy is naming a new Navajo-Class Ship after Nisqually tribal member, environmental activist and treaty rights advocate Billy Frank Jr.

Frank served as chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for more than 30 years and received many honors for his work, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award and the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism.

Frank passed away in 2014. Earlier this year, it was announced that Seattle artist Haiying Wu would be capturing Frank’s likeness in a statue for Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol Building

The Navajo-class ship provides towing, salvage and rescue to support Fleet operations. These ships are traditionally named after prominent Native Americans or Native American Tribes.

This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 1:42 PM.

Jack Belcher

The Bellingham Herald

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Jack Belcher covers transportation and recreation for The Bellingham Herald. He graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in digital journalism in 2020 and joined the staff in September 2022. Belcher resides in Bellingham.