Just encountered these pictures of My father and his Tahansi Vernon Iron Cloud and Oliver Eagleman at Wakpala, on the Standing Rock, where my father was born. My dad would always tell me stories about Vernon's father, Jasper Iron Cloud, who was a WW I Veteran. He died in 1931.
Since I was a young boy, we would always stop, pray and visit Tunkashila Jasper and the many other relatives buried at the St. Elizabeth's Cemetery during our many visits to Standing Rock and Yankton over the years.
We also had relatives to visit up at Cannon Ball, North Dakota, who are Ihanktowan Dakota's with many relatives at the Yankton Sioux Tribe Reservation in SE South Dakota. Many relatives were split-up after the White Stone Hill Massacre on September 3, 1863.
I last visited our relatives at St. Elizabeth's on September 3, 2016. It was soul touching and inspiring to be in the spiritual presence of such prayerful, noble and courageous relatives! Those families we always visited at St Elizabeth's, that I recall at this time include: Chief Gall, Eagleman, Two Bears, No Heart, Howard, Uses Many, Oka, White Bull, High Elk, Good House, Loves War, Pretty Feather, Strong Heart, Iron Cloud, Shield, End of the Horn, Swift Cloud, Gabe, Three Legs, Red Bear, Cadotte, Little Bird, Le Beau, Eagle, Young Hawk, Bone Club, Gabe, Catch the Bear, Lone Wolf , and Bears Heart.
Then we have to stop by St. Bede's where other relatives were buried. My father always commented that is was too bad, that relatives had to be separated into two Cemeteries. Even though my Grandmother Deloria was Episcopalian, her best friend was my Unchi Martina Sherwood who son's Don, Billy, and Bobby were my father's close Tahansi's. I do have complete faith that the Sacred Hoop is being healed and mended at Standing Rock and beyond, even as I write these memories.
My father would always stop at each grave and give me some history about each relative he knew. All those stories came back as I was writing this note.
