Portland State University is honoring the life and service of Native elder and tireless student advocate Rose Hill, who passed away last month.
The driving force behind the creation of PSU's Native American Student & Community Center (NASCC), Hill dedicated her life to supporting Indigenous students and strengthening Portland's Native community. Now, PSU is working to cement her legacy by renaming the street outside the NASCC in her honor — an effort that continues as PSU gathers the 2,500 signatures required to make the name change.
Hill passed away on Oct. 11 at the age of 82 after a yearslong battle with acute myeloid leukemia. A memorial will be held Dec. 13 from 12-6 p.m. at the NASCC. An enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Hill first arrived in Portland in 1979 and earned her bachelor's degree in education from PSU in 1985.
Her advocacy for a Native center on campus began while she was a student and coordinator of PSU's United Indian Students in Higher Education, even petitioning then Mayors Bud Clark and Vera Katz. After working with several local Native community organizations, she returned to PSU in 1992, beginning a 15-year tenure as coordinator for Native American Student Services. Here, she became a beloved mentor and advocate for thousands of students.
Longtime friend SandeBea Allman says Portland State held a special place in Hill's heart.
"She was advocating for them, helping them with that next step, helping these young people from their reservations or from across the country feel a place of home, a place of welcome, making sure they were fed, making sure other members of the community were aware of the need of supporting the students," Allman shared during an October 2024 city council meeting for the renaming. "Every time she spoke at something, it was about supporting the students."
Aerial view of PSU's salmon-shaped Native American Student & Community Center.
Through it all, she continued to advocate for a dedicated space on campus that would honor Native culture, strength and community.
"When I got the job at PSU, I posed the question again: 'Why don't we have a community center for our students and community?'" Hill had said. "And this time, it seemed to grab hold, and we just ran with it. It was really an amazing thing. We involved the students, the community and the tribes."
That vision finally came to fruition in 2003 with the opening of the NASCC.
"It takes a lot of people to build a center and to be involved the way that we were for many years to get that beautiful center built," she said.
In 2008, Hill joined the Native American Rehabilitation Association Northwest, where she worked until her passing — first as a family partner for children's mental health programs and later as a culture keeper, creating spaces of mutual respect, understanding and healing.
Take action: Portland residents interested in supporting the renaming effort are encouraged to sign the petition, share it with others and send completed forms to communityimpact@pdx.edu.