Jeanne Givens was known as a warrior and trailblazer.

The member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe was the first Native American elected to the Idaho House of Representatives and the first Native American woman to seek a seat in the U.S. Congress.

"She exemplified true grace and set an example for leadership by tirelessly pursuing a better world for all people through her brilliance, hard work and respect for others," said Chief Allan, chairman of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. 

Givens died after a battle with cancer May 13 in Spokane. She was 73.

Allan said she was a role model for not only the Coeur d’Alene people, but the entire community she served.

"We honor her memory and her efforts, and extend our deepest sympathies to her family," Allan said.

Givens was raised on the Coeur d'Alene reservation. She attended Whitworth University, where she studied sociology, and Gonzaga University where she received a master's in education.

She served on the Kootenai County Human Rights Task Force, and in 1984 she became the first Native American woman elected to the Idaho House of Representatives, representing the 4th District. In 1988, she became the first Native American woman to seek a seat in the U.S. Congress. 

"Her campaign broke barriers and inspired future generations of Native American women in politics," her obituary reads.

Coeur d'Alene's Sandy Emerson came to know Givens in the 1980s when he was with the Chamber of Commerce. He was impressed with how well she was always prepared, how she handled herself and how fearless she was.

"There wasn't anything she didn't know about or concern herself with," Emerson said.

And despite being involved in so many issues, she was patient and reliable, Emerson said, and treated everyone fairly.

"She did such a good job that way," Emerson said. "She was so even handed in all those things. She could get along with anybody."

Even with contentious issues, Givens was a center of calm, he said.

"She made people comfortable," Emerson said.

George Saylor of Coeur d'Alene, who served in the Legislature from 2002 to 2010, knew Givens.

He described her as positive and upbeat, with a great sense of humor, someone who stepped up when she saw a need and was involved on many fronts.

He said Givens was intelligent, personable and had great people skills, all of which helped her gain support on issues and get things done.

"She was one of a kind," Saylor said.

Givens' husband, Ray Givens, a lawyer known for his environmental work including the Superfund cleanup of Coeur d'Alene River Basin, died earlier this year.

Funeral services for Jeanne Givens are scheduled 10 a.m. Tuesday at Evangeline Abraham Longhouse in DeSmet.