A tribute to Rev. Dr. Gerald Yellowhawk, ‘Eyapaha Wakan’

It is with heavy hearts that the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, the Elk Head Tiyospaye, the Poor Buffalo Tiyospaye, the Rapid City Indian Community and many relatives across many circles acknowledge the passing of Rev. Dr. Gerald Yellowhawk, “Eyapaha Wakan,” The Sacred Herald. His journey to the Star Camps leaves a space that cannot be filled. He was a gentle, soft-spoken man whose gifts were many: pastor, fluent Lakota speaker, historian, champion dancer, and a gifted artist whose paintings, beadwork, and regalia reflected the beauty of our Lakota world.

Gerald lived the phrase “he was a good relative.” Many of us grew up knowing him not as a distant elder, but as someone woven into our daily lives. He carried himself with humility, humor, and a quiet strength that made people feel safe in his presence. He was soft-spoken and steady, always greeting people with that gentle Lakota handshake, the kind offered with warmth, humility, and respect. That simple gesture said everything about who he was.

His voice is remembered in the way he sang Lakota hymns, carrying both faith and culture in every note. His sermons were grounded in traditional knowledge, spoken in a way that comforted, guided, and reminded us of who we are as Lakota people. He walked easily between the worlds of church and culture, blending them in a way that honored both without conflict.

Gerald’s devotion to his family was central to his life. His son, Jim Yellowhawk, remembers many early mornings vividly, saying, “My father greeted the morning star with prayer, toast, and coffee before beginning his artwork.” Gerald was the one Jim called whenever he needed the correct Lakota translation for an art title, a testament to his fluency, his memory, and his role as a cultural anchor. Art ran through the Yellow Hawk family, and Gerald’s influence carried across generations. In 2017, he and Jim shared a father and son exhibition at the Dahl Arts Center, a moment rooted in those childhood memories of watching his father paint in their basement at their home in Eagle Butte.

Gerald’s service to his people was long and distinguished. Ordained in 1966, he and his wife Johanna, an Onondaga Iroquois woman from Nedrow, New York, whom he married on July 20, 1957, pioneered the church in Eagle Butte and served their community for decades. He later became District Superintendent of the Wesleyan Native American District, received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1994, and contributed to the Lakota Bible translation project. His leadership extended across tribal nations and ministries, always grounded in humility and love for his people.

For all his accomplishments, Gerald remained a man of kindness. He loved animals. He loved to tease. He loved his family fiercely. He loved the Lakota language. He loved the Creator. And he loved his people, not in words alone, but in the way he lived every day.

As he enters the Star Camps, he is welcomed by those who went before him, his parents, siblings, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, and the many relatives who now embrace him with joy. We take comfort in knowing he is with the Lord, and that his spirit travels on the good road.

Those who knew him best speak of him not only as a leader, but as a relative in the truest Lakota sense. As Mary Lee Johns shared, “There are those who, when you say ‘they were a good relative,’ Gerald met the true meaning in all aspects of the definition. We were blessed to have had Gerald as our relative and experienced his goodness. I know he will be welcomed in the Star Camps with happiness by all of those I’ve loved.”

His son Jim shared that on the night of his wake at Fountain Springs Church in Rapid City, the sky above was illuminated by the Northern Lights, a rare and breathtaking display that felt like the heavens themselves were acknowledging his journey. The colors moved with the same quiet grace he carried throughout his life, rising and falling like a final hymn offered in his honor. For those who loved him, the lights seemed to mirror everything he embodied: beauty, humility, prayer, and the steady presence of a man who walked gently on this earth. It was as if the Creator painted the sky in his memory, guiding “Eyapaha Wakan” The Sacred Herald, toward the Star Camps with a radiance worthy of his spirit.

Pilamaya, Rev. Dr. Gerald Yellowhawk, “Eyapaha Wakan.” Thank you for your life, your teachings, your art, your language, and your love. Your journey continues, and your memory remains with all of us.

(Contact Ernestine Anunkasan at editor@nativesunnews.today)

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