|
 After
89 well-lived winters,
Mato Gi (Brown Bear),
Philip N. Lane, Sr. passed
to the spiritual world
on the beautiful spring
morning of March 29,
2004. After joking, laughing,
and eating a plate of
his favorite pancakes
made by his daughter
Deloria, Brown Bear sat
peacefully in his favorite
chair and looked out
over his beloved Mill
Creek and the Blue Mountains.
Then in a moment he was
gone, his absence only
noted by the tilt of
his head. He told his
good friend, Father Steve
Woolley last fall, when
he discussed his Dakota-Christian
funeral celebration... "I
will die in the spring,
in March!" In the winter
of his life, he left
in the new spring, as
promised, leaving his
relatives to cherish
the life he lived so
well.
Born to a long lineage of hereditary
chiefs and spiritual leaders of
the White Swan Band of the Yankton
Sioux Tribe, Brown Bear was born
on January 11, 1915 on the Standing
Rock Sioux Reservation. His parents
were Lyma Deloria and Fred Lane.
He was largely raised by his grandfather,
Philip Deloria (Tipi Sapa), who
was the first American Indian to
become an ordained Episcopalian
minister. As well, Tipi Sapa retained
his chieftainship until his death.
Brown Bear never lost his deep
connection with his many cherished
relatives in the Dakotas and made
many visits with his family back
to his beloved homeland throughout
his lifetime.
He started his education at St.
Elizabeth Mission School in Wakpala,
SD. He then went on to Haskell
Indian School in Lawrence, KS to
finish his high school education.
In 1994, he was given the Haskell
Outstanding Alumni Award.
It was at Haskell where Phil met
Lena Rose "Bow" Vale, a 13-year
old Chickasaw from Oklahoma who
later became his wife. He always
liked to tell about their meeting
. . . he was 17, she was 13. Ten
years after they met, he came to
Oklahoma with $2,000 and a marriage
proposal . . . coming to "claim
what's mine" he'd say. If you spent
any time at all with Phil, you'd
know that his life revolved around
his family and most especially
his sweetheart of 70 years, Bow.
At Haskell Phil learned to box
and met his lifelong friend Boots
LaCourse from the Umatilla Indian
Reservation. Phil accompanied Boots
home in 1934 after graduation.
He stayed in the Pacific Northwest,
largely due to generous and warmhearted
hospitality of the Umatilla and
Warm Springs people. Coming from
a buffalo culture himself, he appreciated
the central role he saw the salmon
playing in the lives of the Plateau
people.
From Pendleton he went to the Warm
Springs Indian Reservation, where
he was employed with a Bureau of
Indian Affairs survey crew. His
supervisor Charlie Chester suggested
he go to Oregon State where he
was a boxer on the varsity team
for 4 years. He graduated in 1941
with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry.
Phil was honored by Oregon State
University (OSU) with the E.B.
Lemon Distinguished Alumni Award
in 1992, the OSU Alumni Association's
highest award, and the Forestry
Alumni Association's Individual
Achievement Award.
During World War II, he was recruited
to work on the Third Locks Project
in the Panama Canal. He served
on active duty from October 30,
1943 to April 23, 1946 with the
Naval Air Corps and the SeaBees.
In 1948, he transferred with the
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to
McNary, Oregon. He worked in structural
design on Columbia River dams and
retired after 30 years in 1971.
His innovative design for fish
ladders led to saving migrating
salmon and his design of vertical
locks merited two Presidential
Citations from Lyndon B. Johnson.
Phil raised and trained quarter
horses. Phil had "horse medicine." He
had such an amazing understanding
with his horses, which enabled
him to win Sixth in the world in
cow cutting in 1982 on Bold Mount,
one of his many championship horses.
In 1990 he won the open championship
for Area I National Cutting Horse
Association with Tivios Hired Hand.
Phil had over 250 amateur and professional
fights spanning 18 years. At Oregon
State he was the runner-up of the
Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Lightweight
Boxing Championship. In 1947 he
was the All-Service Lightweight
Boxing Champion, Panama Canal Division.
During the years when money was
scarce, he fought professional
fights under the names Billy Sunshine,
Flash Gordon, Pug Lane, and the
Kansas Express.
He always reminded us that we needed
to "slow down." He cherished a
real "Indian visit," telling the
story about his grandfather Low
Dog, a Custer battle veteran, who
came to visit and stayed for 6
months.
The way Phil demonstrated the respect
principle he inherited from his
beloved old people was through
the way he cared for and took care
of everything in his life. The
way he groomed his horses, kept
up his machinery, tended his relationships,
oiled his tack, and even swept
his driveway was evidence of his
respect for all living things.
He was completely enamored of children
of all sizes and shapes. He insisted
they all call him Lala (grandpa).
He could play "make-believe" with
the best of them. If you knew him,
you heard him exclaim, "My friend," each
time he ran into someone he knew.
One of Phil's very favorite sayings
was "Aren't we all the Children
of One Father (the Creator) and
one mother (the Earth)?" That sacred
teaching guided him during a long
career of volunteering. In 1946
he served on the Umatilla School
Board and was Chairman from 1953-54.
In 1969 Phil Sr. and Phil Jr. established
the first ever Native American
prison group in North America with
the brothers at the Washington
State Penitentiary. Phil cherished
this service and still continued
to be in close contact with the
many brothers he worked with, who
are now enjoying their freedom
due to Phil's loving and wise influence.
For this effort, in 1984 he received
the Governor's Distinguished Volunteer
Award and the State of Washington
Certificate of Appreciation.
In 1975 Phil received the Baha'i
Human Rights Award. In 1982 he
was a founding member of the Four
Worlds International Elders Council.
He received the Eli S. Parker Award
from the American Indian Science
and Engineering Society (AISES)
in 1987 and served on its Council
of Elders until going to the spiritual
world. Every year he looked forward
with great anticipation to attending
the annual conference so he could
share all his energy with students
and old friends. Each one received
a full measure of his love, attention,
and encouragement.
Phil is lovingly remembered by
his wife, Bow, at home, son Philip
N. Lane, Jr. (Suthida), of Lethbridge,
AB, daughter Deloria Bighorn (Jacob),
of Duncan, BC, and son Michael
Finnegan (Denise) of Snohomish,
WA, Sister Jean Wallace (Norman),
grandchildren Shannon Lane Seaver
(Rick), Gina Hensley (Joey), Joslynn
Santa Cruz (Kris), Deloria Lane-Many
Grey Horses, Philip N. Lane, III,
Dale Henderson (Nicole), Jordan
Bighorn, Jelana Bighorn, Kai Bighorn,
Tahirih Varner, Bahie Rassekh,
Margo Hill (Tim), Regan Vaughn,
Mikala Finnegan, Perry Tonasket,
Lyda Nicholai, Brett Parker, and
Amber Parker, 9 great-grandchildren,
and numerous nieces and nephews
and their familes. At the other
side camp Phil joins his sister
Elizabeth and his brother Wilfred.
Also his adopted brothers Ben Pease
Sr., Lionel Kinunwa, Bill Minthorn,
and Winnie Loves War.
Pallbearers: Jordan Bighorn, Kai
Bighorn, Dale Henderson, Kris Santa
Cruz, Rick Seaver, Vic Johns, Michael
Finnegan, Randy Scott, Steve Old
Coyote, Darrell Wallace, Rob Wallace,
Jacob Bighorn, Greg Mulhair, and
Phil Lane, Jr..
Honorary Pallbearers: Vine Deloria
Jr., Sam Deloria, Jiggs Johnson,
Hap Johnson, Bob Barker, Bob Sherwood,
Oliver Eagleman, Vernon Iron Cloud,
Norm Wallace, Harold Belmont, Lee
Brown, Ben Pease III, Bill Burke,
Jim Roanhorse, James Vale, John
Vale, Jack Hansen, Leon Kinunwa,
Phil Lucas, Louis Parker, Antone
Minthorn, Douglas Minthorn, Coop
Cooper, Burt Hoare, Gary Zukov,
Norbert Hill, Bob Whitman, Vince
Two Eagles, Norman Conner, Bill
Klein, J.C. Penny, Chuck Keeler,
Dick Livingston, Phil LaCourse,
Ken McCann. We are truly unable
to list all of Phil's beloved friends
and relatives-please know you are
forever appreciated and remembered
in his heart.
MITAKUYEPI - WOPILA
"In our old Lakota viewpoint on
life, with all of its aspects of
the human heart, our old old elders
could see that everything that
has life tries to be round, with
a very holy center. The center
wherein resided our beautiful old
grandmothers and grandfathers.
Together, they extended out to
all who could hear their voices,
their love, their encouragement,
their gratitude, their understanding,
their compassion always softened
by their actions and words of their
forgiveness."
HO, MATO GI, HE MIYELO,
Philip Lane, Sr., Nov. 2001
ONLY WORDS
"The heart is always in search
of happiness. Nothing makes one
feel lonelier nor more helpless
than no one to appreciate one's
being and efforts to make the home
a haven from life's daily problems.
I charge you to hold one another
gently but firmly. The strength,
courage and love united in one
union can withstand the bitter
storms that may be faced in one's
journey.
There is nothing so satisfying
as to toil for someone you love
or someone by whom you are loved.
Press on mitakuyepi, there is no
time to waste!"
- Phil Lane, Sr.
TRIBUTE TO INDIAN HONOR
"Our people love to honor people.
We are a race of people who believes
in honor. We know honor stimulates
people. The man honored his wife
and the wife honored her husband.
And they lived in such beauty.
They had a devotion which individually
and collectively we all need if
we're going to make this a better
world to live in."
TRIBUTE TO THE OLD PEOPLE
"There were prophecies I remember,
as a boy, saying we're going to
go through some bitter, bitter
times. We're going to shed some
tears. But the time would come
when we begin to see the light
again. When spring would start
coming again. Think of all the
potential that you have. Think
of the contributions you all can
make. Think of the love in your
hearts that you can share with
other people. Be quick to forgive
people (if they can hurt you in
some way). Be like the old people..."
Phil Lane, Sr.
Winds of Change
Winter 1992 |
