[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 8945] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]RECOGNIZING GRACE THORPE ______ HON. HILDA L. SOLIS of california in the house of representatives Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Ms. SOLIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of Grace Thorpe, an environmental justice activist who fought to protect the Native American community who passed away on April I, 2008 at the Claremore Veterans Center. Ms. Thorpe dedicated herself to the improvement of health and the environment for the Native American community. As a result of her efforts to prevent the Sac and Fox leaders from accepting grants for storage of nuclear waste in nation territory, many Native American tribes were able to establish Nuclear Free Zones. Ms. Thorpe later served as the Director for the National Environmental Coalition of Native Americans, as well as on the advisory council for Native American affairs at Greenpeace. She authored ``Our Homes Are Not Dumps: Creating Nuclear Free Zones'' and brought awareness about the environmental injustices in the Native American community. Ms. Thorpe was also a dedicated public servant. She served in the Women's Army Corps during World War II in New Guinea, the Philippines and Japan, and was awarded a Bronze star for her performance in the battle of New Guinea. She further served as a Tribal District Court Judge and was a Congressional Liaison to the American Indian Policy Review Commission in the U.S. House of Representatives. She earned her Bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, obtained a paralegal degree from the Antioch School of Law while in Washington, DC, and was an Urban Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I applaud Grace Thorpe's achievements and important contributions in bringing environmental justice and awareness to the Native American community. These contributions will not be forgotten. ____________________