Hannah Paul Solomon

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Hannah Paul Solomon (born Hannah Mardow; October 10, 1908 – September 16, 2011) was an Alaska Native community leader and artist. She was the first woman mayor of Fort Yukon and helped organize the Fairbanks Native Association. Her traditional beadwork is held in several museums, and she was inducted into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame in 2012.

Early life
- Born in Rampart on the Porcupine River near the Canadian border; first language was Gwich’in.
- Adopted by the Mardow family.
- Attended a one-room Bureau of Indian Affairs school in Fort Yukon.

Community work
- Helped organize the Fairbanks Native Association and the Fairbanks Native Community Center, with her friend Poldine Carlo.
- Served on the board of the Gwichyaa Zhee Corporation and was active in Doyon Limited, Tanana Chiefs Conference, and the Alaska Federation of Natives.
- Served on Fort Yukon’s city council in 1960 and became the town’s first female mayor.
- In 1991, gave an oral history interview to the University of Alaska Fairbanks library.

Art and recognition
- Known for traditional beadwork; learned to sew as a child.
- Beadwork is in the Rasmuson Museum in Anchorage and the Alaska Native Medical Center, among others.
- A video about her art was shown at the Sheldon Jackson Museum in 1988 and 1990.

Personal life
- Married Paul Solomon in 1927; they had 14 children, including activist Jonathon Solomon. He died in 1973.
- Hannah Solomon died in 2011 at age 102 in Fairbanks.
- The Fairbanks Native Association presents a Hannah Paul Solomon “Woman of Courage” Award each year.