Wilmer Mesteth and Calvin Jumping Bull honored by RAI

RAPID CITY – Rural America Initiatives hosted an honoring ceremony for Wilmer Mesteth and Calvin Jumping Bull on Friday, June 23 on the common grounds outside the RAI head start building at 2112 S. Valley Drive. A picnic was held conjunction with the honoring ceremony celebrating Little Big Horn Victory Day.

RAI staff and visitors gathered outside where the portraits of Mesteth and Jumping Bull were displayed in front of two chairs artfully draped in handcrafted star quilts.

Wakan Wicasa Dicky Moves Camp (Medicine Man) blessed the portraits as well as the families. Jeremiah Moreno sang the honor song. In attendance were Dakota Mesteth, Ivan Long Standing (Nephew) and Dowell Smith. 

Jumping Bull is best known for acting in the movies; “Paha Sapa: The Struggle of the Black Hills” “The Black Hills Warrior Life of Leonard Peltier” and “Incident at Oglala” 

Dowell Smith- Longtime friend of Jumping Bull’s said Calvin would sit in Smith’s class and he wasn’t on Smith’s class roster. When Smith would ask a question all the students would turn to Jumping Bull for the answer. From there Jumping Bull became a counselor, and after that he became Smith’s Boss.

Jumping Bull worked for the Book Mobile, which was a delivery service for books in generally wasicu schools and he would use it as a platform for Lakota culture. Jumping Bull was known for his Iktomni Stories.

But Jumping Bull’s talents as a Lakota instructor are more notable, Jumping Bull served for 21 years as a full-time Indian studies faculty member at Oglala Lakota College. He was a Language teacher in 1970 when there was no curriculum, and would come into class prepared with a list of nouns each week.

He tended his parents’ garden and herded cattle, which he passed on to his nephews. He would also work in his grandma’s garden. He spoke no English, he had to learn how to speak English. He would ride to Loneman for school each day on his Pony and spend the night with his teacher if there was a Blizzard. He attended OCS boarding school after the eighth grade. He joined the choir and sang tenor as well as solo. He went on to Chadron College and sang in their choir. He sang in the Dakota choir and received a scholarship. From there Calvin traveled from New York to Pennsylvania to Europe with the Choir Network. He had contracted Tuberculosis and spent a year in Sioux San. During his stay he did a big genealogy chart and found he had several Cheyenne relatives in the hospital with him.

Jumping Bull was always invited to speak and sing at Cheyenne frontier days. He wrote a dozen curriculums for different classes. He was able to keep up with teaching as well as his busy travel schedule all over the country. He always had a lesson to teach and a story to tell. Calvin was part of the transition towards sovereignty. 

Wilmer Mesteth- Oglala Lakota Spiritual Leader born in 1957. Mesteth lived in the Cheyenne Creek community and was married to Lisa Mesteth. He was the teacher at Oglala Lakota College for over 20 years, where he was a cultural instructor. He taught traditional songs, dance, traditional herbs and foods, language and history. OLC student Lilly Jones said about Mesteth, “He treated everyone the same. Whether it was a Hollywood film crew or a student, he was always so respectful and humble.” Mesteth also participated in the Bigfoot Rides and the Crazy Horse Rides, and supported the Northern Cheyenne Fort Robinson Run.

“He always made sure those children who ran had hot chocolate and cookies,” Rachel said. He will be remembered for his generosity of his spiritual teachings and his Guidance.

Staff at Rural American Initiatives, including Executive Director Bruce Long Fox hosted this event. 

 

(Contact Christopher Piña at staffwriter@nativesnunnews.today)

The post Wilmer Mesteth and Calvin Jumping Bull honored by RAI first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

Visit Original Source