Obituary - Preston Lyle Stiffarm

EE-Gib-Na-Nak, "Rides High," Preston Lyle Stiffarm of Fort Belknap, surrounded by his family and loved ones, passed away from natural causes at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, Montana, on Feb. 13, 2015. He was 63 years of age.

A traditional wake services will be conducted Monday, Feb. 16, at 5 p.m. at Red Whip Gymnasium in Fort Belknap, Montana. A traditional Whiteclay farewell will be Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m. Burial will be at the Stiffarm family cemetery in Hays, Montana.

Arrangements have been made with Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook. Condolences may be left for the family at http://www.edwardsfuneralhomemt.com.

Preston was born March 12, 1951, at Fort Belknap, Montana. He was the 11th child of the late Thomas and Vina-Theresa (Maloney) Stiffarm. Preston studied at Newburry Institute in Chicago, at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and had the opportunity to study in Ireland and in Germany. He was a personal guest of the king of Norway during his visit with the Sammai Nation. His legacy lies in his professionalism and authenticity in Indian education. He also worked at Fort Belknap Camp Crier, he was a cultural media specialist at Tribal Education, he founded the Indian Studies program at Harlem High School, and worked as a cultural recovery specialist at CDC. Preston was a fluent speaker of his traditional language, Ah-Ah-Ni-Nin (Whiteclay) and a teacher of our traditional way of life, our culture, the grass dance ways, and who walked the red road of life.

The surviving family includes William (Marlene) Stiffarm, Wus-Bee-Ah-Thot (Gerald) Stiffarm, EE-Gib-Na-Ah (Delores) Stiffarm, A-hak-nak-Itha (Lenore) Stiffarm, and his brother Kenny Ryan, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and countless relatives.