Funeral services for Catherine Frances Hawk, 52, will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 14, 2015 in the Hammon Indian Community Building in Hammon, OK, officiated by Mona Bearshield and Spiritual Leaders Gary Holy Bull and Thomas “Sonny” LaBlanc. Burial will conclude in the Hammon Indian Bethel Mennonite Cemetery in Hammon, OK under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home.
An All Night Wake Service will be held 7:00 p.m. Friday, March 13, 2015 in the Hammon Indian Community Building.
Catherine Frances Hawk “Dakota Cistinah Win: was born in Clinton, OK to Freeman White Hawk, Sr., and Irene Swiftbird and passed away March 8, 2015 in Fargo, ND.
Catherine was an enrolled member of the Southern Cheyenne/Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. She attended numerous schools in several states, the most memorable time was when attended Concho Indian Boarding School in Concho, OK, Ft. Sill Indian School in Lawton, OK and Central High “Indian Center, Inc.”, Los Angeles, CA. She obtained her GED from S.W.C.C. Catherine loved to travel and make many friends across Indian Country, some of them lifelong. She was known for her sense of humor and the ability to make others laugh. She liked to cook, do bead work and travel to Pow-Wows. She was involved with the Buffalo Lake Sun Dance in the early days as a Cook’s helper. She was especially proud of her Native American Heritage.
She is a direct descendent of a long line of Cheyenne Chiefs and Headsmen, namely the famed Southern Chief Whirlwind, Chief White Hawk, Chief John Otter by “Lean Elk”, her grandfather Chief Amos White Hawk and Uncle Chief Leslie Hawk, and also a direct descendent of Chief Swift Bird of the Two Kettle Band of Lakota . She was also a Southern Cheyenne Sand Creek descendent.
Catherine is survived by her longtime companion and friend Stacy Brant, although separated for some years they were there for each other when times got hard. Stacy was there right up to the end. She is also survived by five children, Valerie Hawk, of Summit, SD; Keith Hawk of Sioux Falls, SD; Diana Pollock of Los Angeles, CA; Serena Brant of Sisseton, SD, Duta Brant, of Valley City, ND; nine grandchildren, J.J. Barse, Vivica Barse, Bella Smith, Arianna Hawk, Baby Keith, Danicaca Dumarce Hawk, Alvaya Brant, Drew Brant and Kimimila Brant; her mother, Irene Nelson of Agency Village, SD; sisters and brothers, Shaton Nelson of Agency Village, SD; Bonita Tapia of Dallas, TX; Rose and husband Levi Keoke, Sisseton, SD, Connie and husband Kenny Brown of Sisseton, SD; Ann Hawk of OKC, OK; Teresa and husband, Travin Masson of Bismark, ND and a host of relatives from the Cheyenne River, Crow Creek and Sisseton-Walipeton Reservations of the Southern Cheyenne Tribe in Wheldome. Also survived by her maternal aunts and uncles, Barb and Gig Bordeary, Ft. Worth, TX, Darryl Turgeon of Mesa, AZ, Larry Turgeon of Pittsburg, KS, adopted mothers, Merla Big Medicine Lopez, Darlene Kotto; adopted brothers Carlos Kitto and Sal Little; adopted sisters, Opal and Romeo Renville and Wilma Big Medicine.
She is preceded in death by her fathers, Freeman Hawk, Sr., and Peter “Buddy” Nelson, a sister, Rita Nelson, Niece Rachel Contrera, her paternal grandparents and maternal grandparents Amos and Anna Hawk, Antoine Swift Bird, Mercy Little Eagle, Dolae Turgeon and Christine Bretzke; her adopted brothers, John Paul Little and Ernest Big Medicine and adopted father John Lopez.
Cheyenne Star, March 19, 2015