Paulette Rose High Elk

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June 30, 1956 – November 13, 2020

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  • Paulette Rose High Elk
    Paulette Rose High Elk
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Paulette Rose High Elk, 64, of Thunder Butte passed away November 13, 2020 at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.

A private family service was held on November 20, 2020 at the Landmark in Eagle Butte. Burial was in the High Elk Family Cemetery at Thunder Butte.

Paulette Rose High Elk was born June 30, 1956, at the Cheyenne River Agency, the second oldest child of Paul and Clara (Stricker) High Elk. Paulette comes from the Howozu/Oohenunpa/ Itzipcho bands of the Lakota and is a member of the Wakinyan Khiza Thiyospaye (Fights the Thunder Clan).

She attended Dupree and Cheyenne-Eagle Butte schools. In 1974, she married James L. Swan and they had four children: Lynnea, Karlys, MJ and Miriam. The family resided in Minot, ND, where Paulette attended Northwest Bible College and earned an Associates in Secretarial Science in December 1980. They moved to Watertown and in 1985, she completed her education through Lake Area Vo-Tech, to become a Medical Assistant.

The family moved to Eagle Butte, where she received her RN Associate Degree in 1989 at Presentation College. In 2008 and 2009, she attended the Lakota Summer Institute which gave her college credit toward a degree in Lakota Language.

In her younger years, Paulette was a barrel racer. She was trained by her mother Clara, who was horsewoman herself and jockey along with Lila Red Bear-Hale.

From 1985 to 1995 Paulette was a Community Health Provider for the Tribal Health Department. As the Tribal Diabetes Program Coordinator, she developed the program from ground up. In 2005 and 2006, she worked with the Aberdeen Area Tribal Chairman’s Health Board as the Breast and Cervical Cancer Coordinator in Rapid City.

Alongside her mother, Paulette became active in revitalizing the Lakota language. She was a Lakota language instructor at Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Middle School from 1995 until 2004. During her time there, she developed a curriculum with the other Lakota language teachers and coordinated the Lakota language bowl and hand game tournament.

In 2008, she became a Lakota language instructor for three schools in the Sioux Falls School District. She organized the LNI Lakota Language Bowl and incorporated the hand games tournament.

Since 2013, she was the Lakota Language and Cultural Leader at Tiospaye Topa School at LaPlant. She organized cultural events, hand games and pow wows. She spent countless hours helping her students design, sew and bead their regalia.

While employed at Tiospaye Topa she collaborated with her students to bring to life a family traditional oral story told by her mother. The book, “A Mother’s Love, The Story of Chinks,” is published by the Keya Foundation and the illustrations were drawn by her students. The following statement is taken from the book: Although Paulette has a degree in nursing, she has dedicated over 25 years of her life to revitalizing the Lakota language and culture in our school systems. Whenever she is asked why she doesn’t work as a nurse she always says, “There are a lot of nurses out there, but very few fluent Lakota speakers and I don’t want our language to die.”

She was the family historian, and everyone turned to her for guidance on culture etiquette and proper Lakota translation. She was called upon numerous times to be the family spokesperson.

She enjoyed sewing, beading, making regalia, attending rodeos, horse races, Indian relays, and playing in the pool league. Her brother, the late James “Crackcorn” Elk Nation, taught her how to play pool. She made it to state tournaments three times.

Paulette is survived by her companion, Maurice Hollow Horn of Red Scaffold; her son Manual James Swan II of Sioux Falls; daughters Lynnea Swan (Ben LaPointe), Karlys Swan (Bryan Bender), Miriam Swan and granddaughter she raised as her own, Marquel Shepherd; granddaughters: Senior Airman Kaleb (Staff Sergeant Corey) McIntosh of Florida, Wicahpi Bison (Senior Airman Rudy Dyer), Aaron Rain Turns Plenty, Darrlyn and Ulyssa Holliday, and Morliah Two Hearts; grandsons: Manual “Diamond” Swan III, Mahpiya Bison, Seaman Logan Bison, Chasten Turns Plenty, Clifton Holiday III, Logan Quilt, and Theasus Holliday; hunka grandson Riggin Mortenson; greatgranddaughters: Haidyn “Sweetie” Ryley Shepherd, Taidym “Tater” Ophelia Tait Shepherd, Ilya “Baby Princess” Kymm McIntosh; greatgrandsons: Tyan Mace McIntosh, Tracen Bison, and Tyler Bison; sisters Mildred (Tommy) Carpenter, Lois High Elk, LaVae (Hermus) Red Horse and Codi High Elk, Carol Elk Nation (Tony Marshall); hunka sisters Consuelo (Jeff) Guillory, Judy (Husky) Houston, and Dr. Vicki Birkland; hunka brothers: John (Rita) Birkeland, Jake (Cindy) Longbrake, Henry Takes The Gun, and George “Porgy” (Gloria) Old Elk; uncle Floyd High Elk; aunts Christine Blacksmith and Vistana Blacksmith; and many other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother Carlos Red Legs; sisters Ruby Nordvold, Alva, Della and Ruby Darlene Stricker; and many other relatives.

Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg was in charge of arrangements.