Actor and advocate Cole Brings Plenty found deceased after family search

Noted young actor and advocate Cole “Coco” Brings Plenty (27) of Eagle Butte and Lawrence, Kansas, began his journey on or about April 5, 2024, following five days of concern for his wellbeing and whereabouts. His father, Joseph Brings Plenty Sr., expressed gratitude to everyone “for their prayers and positive thoughts you sent for Cole” and said, “I learned this week how many people knew the goodness in Cole’s heart and loved him.”

Family, relatives and friends will accompany his body home to Eagle Butte, where wake services will be held Sunday and Monday, April 14-15 at the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte High School Gymnasium, with the funeral on Tuesday, April 16 in the gymnasium. Details to follow.

Brings Plenty (Mnicoujou Lakota) is the son of tribal leader Joseph Brings Plenty Sr. and nephew of actor Mo Brings Plenty. He was an enrolled Cheyenne River Sioux tribal member and a 2015 graduate of Cheyenne-Eagle Butte High School.

Brings Plenty is well-known for his cultural advocacy for Indigenous issues. Most recently, he attended the Red Nation Celebration Institute’s Red Nation Awards in November, 2023. In May 2023, Cole and his uncle Mo visited Washington, DC, to speak to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs about the boarding schools and other issues affecting Native Americans.

Deb Parker (Tulalip), CEO of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) said her heart was crushed upon hearing the news. “Cole joined our team as an advocate because he understood how historical trauma impacts us in our daily lives. He was open, honest, and one of the most caring young men we have had the opportunity to work with in Indian Country.”

Brings Plenty appeared in the “Yellowstone” spin-off “1923.” (His uncle is a cultural advisor on Indigenous issues for both shows and acts on Yellowstone.) He has also been spotted in two other Westerns from INSP TV, “Into the Wild Frontier” and “The Tall Tales of Jim Bridger” in minor roles. He was a student at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, at the time of his death.

Brings Plenty was reported missing in Lawrence, Kansas, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. On Friday, April 5, deputies from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office found an unoccupied vehicle in the area of 200th and Homestead Lane. Shortly afterward, the body of the 27-year-old actor was found in a wooded area nearby. The area borders the state of Missouri. The site is 28 miles southeast of the last place where Brings Plenty was seen.

He was last seen driving his white 2005 Ford Explorer on March 31, following reports of an alleged domestic dispute at an apartment earlier that morning. According to the Lawrence (Kansas) Police Department, he was seen travelling southbound on 59 Highway on area traffic camera.

The Lawrence (Kansas) Police were called to the site of the alleged incident but Brings Plenty was not at the scene when they arrived. Even though it has not been confirmed that Brings Plenty was involved in the incident, at the time he was identified as a suspect and an affidavit and arrest warrant were issued for his arrest.

Concerns about his wellbeing increased after Brings Plenty uncharacteristically missed a Zoom audition for an upcoming film project on Monday morning, April 1, according to his agent, Peter Yanke. The family contacted local police when their concerns were exacerbated by his phone being off and unreachable. Mo Brings Plenty publicly stated that he doubted his nephew would flee from the allegations.

The night before his disappearance, Brings Plenty was reportedly at a concert in Lawrence when his hair got caught in a microphone cord. While he and others tried to untangle it, someone allegedly cut his braid loose without his consent. The incident is being characterized as an assault and carries special meaning in cultural context. Historically, Indigenous children had their hair cut off as the first step toward assimilation in Indian Boarding Schools.

On Monday, April 8, people posted pictures of their hair in braids on social media with the hashtag #BraidsforCole in support.

In an official statement on Friday, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe offered “its deepest sympathy and support to Cole’s family and friends. He was an exemplary example of what it means to be a good relative and we stand with you in your grief,” saying they demand “a full and thorough investigation into Cole’s disappearance and subsequent death. Our Attorney General will be in contact with the Kansas Authority to ensure this is accomplished…Further, to our young relatives who are students and reside in Lawrence, Kansas, we will provide further information about counseling services for anyone in need of support as information becomes available.”

Haskell University President Frank Arpan told ICT News, “It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Cole Brings Plenty, a valued member of our university family. Our thoughts are with Cole’s loved ones during this difficult time, and we ask for empathy, compassion, and respect for the family.”

The actor’s death brings more awareness to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples (MMIP) Movement. Deb Parker of NABS shared with Native News Online, “We continue to lose our young Native men way too early. If you find yourself in an unsafe position, please don’t stay silent. Please reach out until someone will listen to your story. There is help available.” If you are in an unsafe situation, call the StrongHearts Native Helpline at 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483).

The cause of death has not been released at this time. Johnson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson McKenzi Davis said they are still investigating the incident. Anyone with information about Cole’s death is urged to call the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office at 913-782-0720.

The post Actor and advocate Cole Brings Plenty found deceased after family search first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

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