BRIAN COLLINS

Brain Collins passed away on July 13, 2023 in his home in Lake Andes. Private services were held. Brian Harold Collins entered this world as a never ending relative to Ina Make, the world of animals, fish and plants on September 17, 1944 in Beloit, Kansas. His dear mom was Millicent Jesse Bretz Collins and his father was Harold Collins. He had a little sister who passed away as a child and has a surviving brother, Dr. Jan Collins from Portland, Oregon. He was proud of his Irish descent. He attended college at KU in Kansas, got his BS in Hays, Kansas and received his master’s in microbiology and biology from the University of South Dakota. Because of his continued desire to fight for Mother Earth and his beloved Dakota Lakota people, he pursued and graduated with a law degree from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wa. In his early years he survived as a jeweler and musician (guitar) in Venice, California and was very proud of having met Jim Morrison and other heroes in the 60’s and 70’s. He worked construction and community college instructing in Leadville, Colorado near his beloved family cabin Twin Lakes, Colorado. He also worked at a clinic in Aspen, Colorado and was an avid skier. After beginning his Dakota family, he returned to SD and worked with the Lower Brule Kul Wicasa Indian Action team and brought in the first buffalo herd from Wind Cave, in cooperation with his dear brother/friend Tom Frederick who managed a herd at Rosebud. He also managed the first elk herd at Lower Brule. From there he and his partner in crime, Faith Spotted Eagle joined the first instructors at the new Sinte Gleska College, now University in Rosebud, SD. There he and Dr. Godfrey Loudner pursued funding for the new Science Center, and both taught the first nursing students at Sinte Gleska and the Natural Resources Dept. He was a lifelong friend with Lionel Bordeaux who jokingly called him chief and many of the SGU Medicine Men group. He and his Dakota family were made Hunka relatives of the Tillie Blackbear Family of St. Francis. Following that he and his family moved to Pocatello, Idaho where he became the Regional Wildlife Biologist of Southeastern Idaho Fish & Game. The family then moved to Spokane, WA for Brian to attend Gonzaga University. After GU, he worked with the Indian law firm Delwo, Rudolph and Schroeder in Spokane, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and was a judge for the Colville Confederated Tribes. He returned with his family to Rosebud SD and worked for many, many years as a judge for the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court, he was affectionately known as Judge Dred as he had the highest number of dads meeting their child support obligations. From there he returned to the Northwest to serve as tribal attorney for many tribes including the Suquamish and Skokomish and worked with major cases involving water and fishing rights. He also worked with the Yankton Sioux Tribe on the first Pesticide Code draft and a legal memorandum with his longtime lawyer friend, Jim Cournoyer. He returned full circle to SD and his last residence was with the family and grandchildren surrounding him at Lake Andes SD. The culmination of all his experience in fighting for Native rights became a valuable asset to the Mniwizipan Wakan (Sacred Water Bundle), funded by the Bush Foundation through Brave Heart Society which continues to work closely with the Yankton Sioux Tribe for co stewardship and co management. He deeply researched the foundation of Yankton water rights and other reserved rights, laying the legal foundation for working with Peter Caposella, Michael Lawson and Jennifer Baker. He was working on a presentation on the importance of legal knowledge for the Yankton leadership. He was a member of the 20-member team and put together a plan for fisheries management and refuge management with the Yankton Sioux Tribe in cooperation with the Wizipan team, which will go forward with his legacy as the foundation. His last wonderful presentation was at the Brave Heart Field School along the Missouri River in June 2023.

Brian was THE avid hunter and fisherman who hunted the plains, the mountains, the creeks in Midwest, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Northwest. He fished for Steelhead and other Salmon in the Northwest and other parts of the country and flyfished in Colorado. He taught his children to be avid hunters and fisher people. He loved the Missouri River Mni Sose and the James River, always wanted to canoe it one more time and felt that Ihanktonwan retained reserved rights on these rivers, with his extensive legal research.

The last few years he enjoyed tending and watering the Brave Heart Corn (Padani/Ree ) garden with it’s precious 600 year old seed. His last instructions were not to forget to water the garden when needed. He now joins his beloved black labs Widgeon and Murdock and the wild Rhodesian Ridgeback Nimbrethal. He leaves hugs for Teva, family black lab; who he always dog sat. (and Bruno).

He was extremely proud of his children, Kip and Brook who continue to fight for Dakota Sovereignty as he did lifelong and the Dakota family that he became a part of through is father-in-law Henry Spotted Eagle. He loved his (Lakota) Rosebud family (Gma Tweet’s family), Wayne and Alex, his favorite ranchers. He never forgot his hunka and tiyospaye sons, daughters, nephews, nieces in Rosebud, Ihanktonwan, Idaho and the Northwest. All of you were loved. We know he is still relishing the “looking for toys”, fishing and munching out adventures with Tokana and River on their trips to the “big town” Walmart and other places.

Remembering and loving him are his children, Kip Nathan Collins Spotted Eagle (Padani Kokepesni); Brook Erin Collins Spotted Eagle (Mah’piya Waci Win); his precious takojas (grandchildren) Tokana Ikpa Najin Spotted Eagle and River (Anpetu Duta Ataya Win); his beloved daughter in law/daughter Amelia Parry Spotted Eagle and his lifelong partner in “getting in good trouble” Faith Spotted Eagle; his brother Dr. Jan Collins (June Collins) and nephews Sean and Kevin of Portland, Oregon. Also, his spiritual hunka brothers and their families, Dave Peshek of Butte, Montana, Tom Frederick of Rosebud, GI Paul Fasthorse of Rosebud and Lake Andes, Jack Dixey (Barb) & family of Ft. Hall, Idaho and others. His tiyospaye family at Lake Andes, Judy and Sharon Drapeau and takojas, nephews and nieces and their children; and of course, his “battling for the water and land partner and best friend”, Faith Spotted Eagle, Tunkan Inajin Win. Good travels on that fishing boat to the great mystery, Brian.