A fitting tribute: Street outside PSU’s Native center renamed after Indigenous leader Rose Hill

Marking an effort dating back to 2018, the street outside Portland State University's Native American Student and Community Center (NASCC) will soon bear the name of the driving force behind its creation.

Portland City Council voted unanimously, with two councilors absent, to rename the stretch of SW Jackson Street between SW 5th and SW Park avenues to SW Rose Hill Street. Thursday's vote was the culmination of a years-long effort by Indigenous staff, students and community members to advocate for the renaming.

"For years, students and elders have had to enter a space designed for Indigenous healing and student success on a street named after Andrew Jackson, the architect of the Indian Removal Act of 1830," said PSU President Ann Cudd. "Renaming this street after itway Rose Hill is a deeply fitting tribute. She was a Cultural Keeper and former NASCC Student Coordinator who mentored generations of Indigenous students."

In tribal custom, the word "itway" is placed before the name of someone who has died as a sign of respect. Hill, who passed away last October at age 82 , lived long enough to see the renaming process set in motion.

"My friend was a coalition builder, educator and passionate leader," said Tabitha Whitefoot, who worked tirelessly alongside Hill in helping make the NASCC a reality. "Modern Native Americans need to see recognition of our people - people who've been living in this city, working with the community and making our lives better. She's a 21st century hero. She loved and influenced so many of the young leaders in Indian Country today."

Hill began advocating for a dedicated Native center as early as 1985 while she was a student at PSU. Momentum picked up in the 1990s when she returned to PSU as the Native American student services coordinator, helping organize Native faculty, staff, alumni and community members to bring the center to fruition.

"She used every opportunity to create intergenerational participation at PSU and in other institutions to bring us into places like this to make us know that we belong and we can be in these seats and hold leadership positions," said Andrea Robideau, a community advocate who first met Hill as a middle schooler. "Future generations are going to come to Portland State University and they're going to know that there's a place to receive them and they can let down their barriers, let down their guard and open up to learning."

In 2021, a renaming committee was formed and a community-driven process identified a list of 12 names of Indigenous leaders, places and living things significant to the region and campus community to honor. Hundreds of community votes narrowed the list down to finalists - with Hill emerging as the clear favorite in 2023.

Because the campaign began while Hill was still living - and because PSU requested to rename only the blocks directly outside the center rather than the entire street - the proposal required exceptions from standard city code. Organizers gathered more than 2,500 signatures from Portland residents in support of the change.

"Renaming this street in her honor sends a powerful message to Indigenous students and future generations: You belong here. Your history matters. Your leaders matter, and your contribution to this community deserves recognition," said Modesta Minthorn, PSU's executive director of Tribal Relations. "This is also an opportunity for Portland to demonstrate that honoring Indigenous people must be more than words spoken during public ceremonies. It must be reflected in the decisions we make, the places we name and the history we choose to celebrate."

It's expected to take six months for the new signage to go up and another six before the old signs can come down - another hard-won exception from the city's standard five-year overlap. For the community, that wait is a reflection of the very persistence and patience that Hill exemplified.

"As somebody that worked at PSU for eight years and did a lot of events at the NASCC, it is such a beautiful space," Councilor Candice Avalos said. "It is such a great way to unite the community, and I'm glad that the street will now be able to reflect the work of itway Rose Hill."