| Roy Crazy Horse dies at age 79. | |
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Chief Roy Crazy Horse, longtime leader of the Powhatan Renape Nation, died Thursday, November 11, 2004. He was 79.
Crazy Horse's oldest son, Guy Johnson, said his father suffered from lung and kidney ailments, and developed diabetes earlier this year. Johnson said his father, despite attending dialysis sessions three times a week, worked until the end of his life. Although his father was busy man who taught at Rowan University and lectured at such universities as Harvard and Pennsylvania, Johnson said he and his siblings never wanted for their father's attention Crazy Horse became chief of the Powhatan Renape Nation in 1972, and was a vocal advocate for Indian and civil rights throughout his life. In 2000, then-Governor Christie Whitman named him to the commission studying discrimination in state employment and contracting. He also served as chairman of the state Commission on American Indian Affairs. Crazy Horse frequently criticized the mythology surrounding Christopher Columbus and inaccurate portrayals of Indians in popular media. He wrote several books, and Thomas Edison State College granted him an honorary doctorate in humane letters in 2001 in recognition "for the work he's done for his people and in educating others." Johnson said his father was most proud of his role in establishing the Rankokus Indian Reservation in Westampton. In 1983, the state agreed to rent 225 acres in Rancocas State Park to the nation for 25 years. Through all that, Johnson said his father was not one to seek the limelight. "He didn't like a lot of attention," Johnson said. The Powhatan Renape Nation will celebrate Crazy Horse's life at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Rankokus Indian Reservation. Donations can be sent to the Powhatan Renape Nation, P.O. Box 225, Rancocas, NJ 08072-0335. The Powhatan Renape Nation Tribal Council is currently overseeing the Nation's many programs and services. | |