Leroy Spang, Former Northern Cheyenne Tribal President Passes

LAME DEER, MT—The Northern Cheyenne Tribe experienced a great loss on February 11, 2023 when former Tribal President, Leroy Spang, age 79, made his journey to the next camp.

Spang served as Tribal President from 2008 until 2012. He was highly regarded for his work ethic and compassion, admirable qualities in a tribal leader.

Born to a large family in the Muddy Creek area of the Reservation, he attended both the Busby and St. Labre Boarding Schools through high school and had good memories about those experiences.

Though he did not pursue college, throughout his life and as Tribal President he strongly promoted and supported higher education. He and his high school sweetheart Celeste Harris were married very young and produced four children, all now very successful due to his emphasis on hard work and education.

His oldest daughter, the late Rayetta Jordan, gained a college degree on scholarships and managed the Human Resources Program at the St. Labre Indian Academy.

The second, Vikki Cady, is one of the most successful entrepreneurs on the Reservation, with the Flower Grinder, a very popular shop purveying flowers, coffees, lattes, and gifts. “Mom and Dad taught us how to work, take care of ourselves and our families,” Vikki has often explained. Indeed, she and her husband Troy, a contractor are sure to be found manning the Flower Grinder six days a week. Most mornings, about 7:00 a.m., President Spang could be found there as well, enjoying a cup of coffee, and visiting with folks before heading to the office. He was ever a very approachable person, displaying good humor, fond of teasing and corny jokes accompanied by hearty guffaws. 

Tracey, the third child and only son, gained a degree in Forestry. He currently runs the Northern Cheyenne Forestry Fire Program and is often dispatched to other reservations, even Alaska when there are forest fire emergencies.

Starting out with hardly anything, Leroy and Celeste built one of the most beautiful ranches and homes on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, widely regarded as a very hard working couple. Leroy worked at the nearby Peabody Coal mine as a union heavy equipment operator for about three decades. Celeste, industrious mate and ranch wife, did much of the ranch work.

Leroy also did some contracting on the side, specializing in timber thinning, very arduous work conducted in the winter to minimize the spread of timber beetles. During that time he trained and employed many young Cheyennes who went on to establish their own timber thinning businesses. One, the late Vaughn Shoulderblade, remarked “None of us could outwork Leroy though.”

After Celeste tragically succumbed to cancer at a young age, Leroy re-married another beautiful and hardworking woman, Pam Mullenberg, a member of the Crow Tribe.  They were married for many years until his passing.  Pam stood strongly by his side during the normal political fussing and fighting that goes along with being a Tribal President. 

As a former coal miner, who reaped the benefits of union wages, benefits and retirement, Spang was a strong proponent of developing coal on the Northern Cheyenne reservation, which has vast resources of that fuel.  He also frequently explained that under current State and Federal law, reclamation of lands disturbed by strip mining does work. “Heck, those reclaimed lands look better than before and are more productive,”

He consulted with other tribal leaders such as Navaho and Southern Ute on how to go about resource development and liked to point out the benefits for tribal members: good paying jobs, better health care, law and order, education, etc.  However, under the prevailing political climate at Northern Cheyenne, he did not make headway on that goal.

The President and Council at Northern Cheyenne are compensated very well for their service.  Spang also received a very good union retirement. In a remarkable and unmatched gesture, he donated half of his Tribal President salary to create a scholarship program for tribal members, including both college and vocational training.  “A good diesel mechanic can make as much as a doctor,” he would laugh.

In addition to his personal contribution, no organization that wanted to do business with the Tribe was safe from an appeal to donate to the scholarship program.  Amazingly, former Montana Governor Schwizter who became Spang’s friend even dug into his personal wallet to help the cause. The amount of money Spang generated for that fund was considerable, allowing four more students each year to gain additional training.

His wife Pam administered the program which required an application, interview to make sure they were serious about school and a minimum required GPA, “They need to earn things like this and be responsible,” he would stress,

Another of Spang’s qualities was a remarkable and strong work ethic, which does not always characterize Tribal Council members or some tribal employees.  “We work for the people,” he stressed “and should be here when they need something at the Tribal office”. Many tribal employees responded very well, but the Tribal Council members are not employees, so their attendance continued to be rather lax, except for a few, who had also during their lives had to punch a time clock, determining their pay.
He led by personal example, arriving well before 8:00 a.m.; eating lunch in his office unless it necessary to take a visiting dignitary to lunch or attend a public event.  He also stayed until promptly 5:00 a.m. Once, a rare exception, the day before Thanksgiving, he told his Executive Assistant “What the heck! Let’s knock off early.”  It was 4:45 p.m.

Finally, to the chagrin of tribal employees, he installed time clocks, a first in Tribal Office history. 

Leroy was a neatnik, thus irritated when the tribal office grounds were littered with cigarette butts, candy wrappers or the grass edging sidewalks wasn’t properly trimmed.  He took matters into his own hands and at his own expense.  There was a young man who came into the office nearly every day to look for work, even odd jobs.  Lucky Whiteshirt was challenged in some ways, but willing to work, literally some days to get something to eat.

 President Spang hired Lucky to police the grounds every morning and paid him cash out of his own pocket.  Lucky showed up on time every day and when he had finished, if not detained in a meeting, the Tribal President would take a little stroll with Lucky, praising his work and forking over the wages.

Lucky worshiped Leroy Spang who was a very spiffy dresser, starched shirts every day, pressed Wranglers, shined boots, with a tie and jacket kept in a closet for when important visitors came.  Soon, Lucky, who was practically homeless started coming to work wearing a clean shirt, sometimes even with a tie. 

During Spangs’ administration, long awaited federal legislation was enacted into law “The Northern Cheyenne Lands Act” which restored some lands within the Reservation to tribal ownership, This was cause for huge celebration which Leroy oversaw along with effective implementation. The Northern Cheyenne are unique in that 98% of the reservation land base is either in tribal or individual tribal member ownership.

He also advocated for placing tribal members, rather than just Council members on tribal boards, committees and commissions.  He was successful to some extent, but largely the Tribal Council would not give up the reins of power.

Spang was also instrumental in enlarging the Cheyenne land base at Bear Butte. Though not a practioner of ceremonial ways, he had the utmost respect and frequently conferred with traditional leaders.

Spang was extremely concerned about the tribal elders, those who had no transportation or job opportunities.   He was very pleased that during his tenure the first public transit bus system on the reservation, was established. That service even took tribal members to Billings, Sheridan or Hardin for shopping trips, very useful as there is only one grocery store on reservation, but certainly no clothing, shoe stores, Walmarts etc.

He also focused on the Tribal Elder program, getting that funding increased. Since he was eligible for the home meal delivery program, the meal was brought to his office every day to monitor what the elders were getting. “What is good enough for them is good enough for the Tribal President” he believed.

 Finally, he designated a tribal staff member to spend each Friday at the senior complex, baking vast quantities of bread for the elders who were welcomed to take it home. Then, he prevailed upon area businesses and tribal programs to sponsor “special” meals at the elder complex, more on the order of feasts. Often these meals were accompanied by parties with bingo prizes, door prizes and so forth.

Spang believed in being accessible and accountable to his constituents. To that end, when a small reservation newspaper was privately established, he agreed to provide a weekly column “The President’s Voice”, reporting on what he, the Council and tribal programs were doing, never missing a week for two years. 

The Governor once told Spang “I subscribe to that little paper just to keep up with what you are doing.”  That type of transparency was a first, but sadly his predecessors have abandoned that practice. “What goes on the Tribal office, stays in the tribal office,” a local way joked.

At first acquaintance, this man could come across as a little rough around the edges. It didn’t take long, however, for tribal members to discover that he had a very soft heart. When the monthly tribal charity allocation had been exhausted, he was known to dig into his personal wallet to provide a little help.  He didn’t give each that much, he gave a lot of them a little.

Finally, Spang eschewed travel, certainly never seeking, or even accepting invitations to be on larger stages. Instead, he would delegate the Vice-President or Council members. On the rare occasions when he had to go, such as to Helena to meet with the Governor, he would not take per diem. Instead, he would rise about 3:00 a.m., drive to the meeting, attend it, and then head pellmell back to the reservation to be back at work the next day. As so many tribal members around the nation note, that is unusual behavior for many tribal elected officials.

In closing, though Leroy Spang did not gain a large reputation off the Northern Cheyenne Reservation as a tribal leader, he was well loved and appreciated by his own people. “Leroy Spang was a good man,” is what they say.

(Contact Clara Caufield at acheyennevoice@gmail.com)

 

 

 

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