Las Vegas Sun

November 28, 2009

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Editorial: Recalling a Nevada activist

Friday, June 2, 2006 | 7:19 a.m.

Maya Miller's name may not be familiar to many Southern Nevadans. But the Washoe Valley woman who died Wednesday at the age of 90 was an icon for those involved in environmental issues, women's rights and other progressive causes.

Miller died at her home - a place that, according to the Associated Press, was "a gathering spot" for activists who often turned to her for support and advice. A fierce defender of the welfare of women and children, Miller's activism didn't always sit well with government officials.

While lobbying the Nevada Legislature on behalf of welfare mothers in 1971, Miller lambasted lawmakers for being rude to women. Security guards escorted her from the building.

Her anti-war advocacy during the Vietnam era landed her on then-President Richard Nixon's "enemies list."

Showing her loyalty to causes over groups, Miller resigned her post as a national board member of the League of Women Voters in 1969 after the group failed to support an anti-war resolution. She was founder of the Women's Campaign Fund in Washington, D.C., and was among the early supporters of Emily's List, a group that promotes women in federal, state and local political races. Most recently, she opposed plans to build a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

Miller's lifelong devotion to helping those whose interests otherwise fell through the cracks resulted in societal improvements that will endure long after her passing. As is her work, her name is worth remembering.

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