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Three decades ago, Bill Kallappa II began his career in education as a playground monitor for the Tumwater School District. Now in his final year of service on the 91ԭ�� 91ԭ�� of Education, Bill — a member of the Makah Tribe and the first adult Native American to serve on the 91ԭ�� — reflects on his career, his legacy, and his advice for young Native students aspiring to leadership in education.

From the Playground to Policy 

Bill spent his childhood on the Skokomish Reservation near Shelton, Washington. The son of a pastor and dairy farmer, he was raised to value his heritage and to give back to his community. He applied those lessons early, first serving as a youth ambassador for the United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) organization and later, after graduating from Shelton High School, as a summer day camp counselor on the Skokomish Reservation. 

His journey into education began when he took a job as an elementary school playground monitor for the Tumwater School District. Soon after, he moved into a paraeducator role, supporting students in special education at both the middle and high school levels. Along the way, he also coached football, basketball, and track. 

From those early days, his Native identity played a powerful role in his work. 

“My culture has been woven into everything I've ever done,” he said. “I was the only Native person in the school. If I did run into Native students—which was rare—there was an instant connection between the student and I. So that helped that student get through it, and it gave me hope to be there and to be representing Native Americans as a whole. I was able to provide a lot of culture to students who otherwise wouldn’t have had that opportunity, so it’s really guided me all along the way.” 

While he enjoyed his work, Bill recognized that if he wanted to have a greater impact, he needed a higher education. He went back to school and earned his teaching degree from The Evergreen State College at age 34. He planned to pursue a master’s degree but paused those plans with the birth of his daughter. 

“When I went back to work, I wanted to work for tribes because I realized working in a regular high school, I was helping a lot of privileged youth do well when they had a really good chance of doing well on their own,” he said. “My heart was with working with Native youth—that was easy for me. That was home cooking.” 

Bill soon became the Education Liaison for the Nisqually Indian Tribe, where he continues to work with K–12 schools and higher education institutions to integrate local Tribal history and knowledge into classrooms. When the state legislature required that all schools teach the John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial curriculum, Bill was pivotal in building partnerships with Yelm and North Thurston School Districts. His leadership helped provide professional development to more than 800 teachers. 

That role opened the door to broader policy work. He later served as a member of the Tribal Leaders Congress on Education, and after impressing his colleagues, they nominated him to represent the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs on the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC) — a state advisory body that identifies and recommends strategies for closing educational opportunity gaps affecting students of color. 

From there, Bill was encouraged to apply for the State 91ԭ�� of Education. 

“It was really Senator [John] McCoy who urged me to apply… He said the representation as a Native American was too hard to turn away from and it was too difficult to say no. He nudged me into leadership. It felt like a shove, but it was a nudge.” 

Recognizing the impact he could make, Bill applied and, in February 2019, was appointed to the 91ԭ�� by Governor Jay Inslee. With his appointment, Kallappa became the first adult Native American to serve on the 91ԭ�� and later, its first Native American chair. The first Native American to serve on the 91ԭ�� was Lindsey Salinas, a member of the Spokane Indian Reservation who was appointed to the board as a student representative in May 2016. 

Legacy & a Message for Native Students 

As he enters the final year of his term, Bill reflected on his work and the legacy he hopes to leave behind. 

“It’s been an honor to be able to represent our Native students in a place where they’ve never had representation before—at the high policy level of the state,” he said. “I’ve been able to be a part of things legislatively… that have benefited not only Native students, but a lot of students of color.” 

His legacy includes helping to remove Native mascots from Washington schools, expand professional development on Tribal history and sovereignty, and elevate student voice on the 91ԭ��. He also wove tribal culture into the 91ԭ��’s operation by introducing the tradition of blanketing outgoing board members.  

“We did professional development training for over 800 teachers in the North Thurston School District—that was an amazing feat,” he said. “And being on the State 91ԭ�� when we advanced and got legislation passed to have our students be able to have an actual vote instead of an advisory vote—that’s a legacy thing.” 

For Kallappa, leadership and advocacy always circle back to culture and identity. 

“Be proud of who you are. Be proud of where you came from. Be proud of your ancestry. Be proud of your language, your song, your dance, your art, and your regalia,” he said. “Carry strong. Stay strong and steadfast in your culture. Share it wherever you go.” 

He also hopes that visibility and representation will continue to break down misconceptions.  

“That’s one of the things I tried to model—to non-Native students—what Native people are really like,” he said. “There are a lot of misconceptions out there. Sharing your culture helps you make connections with people, especially those who have never met a Native person before.”