Reaching new heights: Native American aviation and aerospace pioneers

Native Americans have been shaping aviation history for generations. In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the Office of Civil Rights shares their groundbreaking stories.

Mary Riddle: Pioneering pilot and parachutist

Also known as Kus-de-cha or Kingfisher, Mary Riddle was the second Native American woman — and the first enrolled in a tribal nation — to earn a pilot's license. She qualified to fly solo in 1930 and earned her commercial license in 1937.

A member of the Clatsop and Quinault tribes, Riddle learned how to fly in Portland. As a teenager, she saw a woman fatally crash an airplane and became determined to prove women could fly well. She was best known for being a performing parachutist and carefully marketed her public persona, drawing on her heritage and Native American stereotypes to attract audiences and press attention.

Aaron Yazzie: Navajo engineer advancing Mars exploration

A member of the Navajo Nation, Yazzie supported NASA’s Mars landing in 2018. He built the pressure inlet that functions as the “eyes and ears” of the InSight lander to help secure more accurate readings about the planet’s interior, which is a critical next step in sending astronauts to Mars.

Yazzie says Mars’s crust reminds him of the Navajo Nation, showing the similarities between Earth and Mars. His work to test the Curiosity Rover’s sample system and develop drill bits for the Perseverance Rover resonates with the emphasis of the Navajo creation story: nurturing life on a developing world. This connection gives purpose to his search for the origins of Earth and life.

Pearl Carter Scott: Revolutionary young pilot and Chickasaw leader

Eula “Pearl” Carter Scott is often referred to as the world’s youngest pilot. She took to the skies at just 12 years old and earned her license at 13, completing her first solo flight at 14 in 1929. Scott went on to perform as a stunt pilot until the birth of her second child, when she decided to step back from flying.

Scott built a second career decades later as a community leader, serving as a Chickasaw Nation. She was a charter member of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Scott was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame, Space Hall of Fame and the Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame.

Honoring a legacy that reaches beyond the horizon

From pilots who captivated audiences to engineers helping explore Mars, these stories reflect only a small part of the impact and contributions Native Americans have made to aviation and aerospace. Their skill, courage and creativity have expanded what is possible in the skies and beyond.