Alfred C. Gillis belonged to the Wintun tribe of
Heroult, Shasta County, California. He was an active member of the Indian
Board of Co-operation and served on its Advisory Board. He also chaired
the local auxiliary of that organization. Gillis frequently toured the
California area with Edward Wharton James, editor of the California
Indian Herald, to promote Indian rights. Often on these tours, Gillis
would entertain audiences with his singing of traditional Indian songs.
Sources:
California Indian
Herald, January, 1923, p. 3; April 23, p. 5; and
June 1924, p. 3, 15.
Note: The spelling of
“Wintun” varies, even within Gillis’s writing.
