South King News

Mary Riddle, born Nannie Riddell in 1902, was a pioneering Native American aviator. She belonged to the Satsop and Clatsop tribes and owned property on the Quinalt reservation. After her mother's death in 1905, she and her brothers were enrolled in Chemewa Indian School before transferring to other institutions.

In the 1920s, Riddle's inheritance allowed her to lead a life of freedom. She became interested in aviation after witnessing a woman crash a plane and sought to challenge gender stereotypes. In 1929, she joined Tex Rankin’s flight school in Portland under the name Mary Riddle.

Riddle made history by becoming the second Native American woman worldwide and the first in the U.S. to earn a pilot’s license. She quickly gained recognition as a barnstormer and led the Seattle chapter of the Ninety Nines, an organization for women pilots founded in 1929.

Her barnstorming career involved marketing herself using aspects of her Native American heritage, often blending fact with promotional tactics. In 1937, she obtained her commercial license and toured with a barnstorming group performing parachute jumps.

World War II ended civilian flying opportunities for Riddle. Though eligible otherwise, she was too old to join the Womens Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) and instead worked as a sheet metal worker for the Air Transport Command during the war years.

Mary Riddle never married and passed away in 1981. Her contributions to aviation remain significant, as detailed by historian Llyn De Danaan.