STANDING DEER PRESENTE! THE WEB SITE OF STANDING DEER AND PRISONERS
August 26, 1932 - January 20, 2003
This prison site created by Standing Deer Bonnie Kerness and Anna Standing Deer is dedicated to all prisoners and Standing Deer's Oklahoma family: the Wilsons, his sister, Janie, Bill. his brother and his wife Joan , Susan and her husband, Kevin Standing Deer's baby girl, Vicki and her husband, Joseph and grandchildren, Misti, Windi, Emili (Susan's children), Megan and Justin (Vicki's cildren) and Ben and Carnes (our grandchildren)and Judy Krull--without whom we would have been no where.... a friend for life.
Edited by
Standing Deer, Bonnie Kerness & Anna Standing Deer
Standing Deer shortly after release dressed for Rosh Hashana that he will attend with his parole sponsor and friend, Judy Krull
IN MEMORY OF STANDING DEER WITH EVERLASTING LOVE
We have tragic news for all of you who loved Standing Deer. On January 20, 2003, Standing Deer crossed over to the Spirit World. We will miss his laughter, sharp wit and beautiful smile, but for many of us he still remains by our side.
I have displayed on this page a compilation of photos he gave me since his release on September 4, 2001. For those of you who did not know him, I know you will come to see his beauty as much as all of us who travelled on the road beside him throughout the years.
Be sure to click on the Standing Deer link on this page so that you may read his many writings and get to know him better.
In the Spirit, Anna Standing Deer
Lynn Best (l) a mutual friend, Attorney Margaret Gold (c)was Standing Deer's pro bono lawyer throughout his incarceration and a close, close friend and Nikki (r). Picture was taken in Pittsburgh in 2001.
Bonnie Kerness, co-editor of this website and good friend and emergency supporter of Standing Deer. She works for American Friends Service Committee Prison Project. Many prisoners throughout the nation are familiar with Bonnie.
September 2001 Welcoming Home gathering for Standing Deer.
Welcome Home Standing Deer!
And here is Judy Krull, Standing Deer's parole sponsor and closest Houston friend! May we all be grateful to her for the little time he had on the outside. Thank you, Judy,from Anna Standing Deer, Charles V. Swan and Margaret Gold. (Defense team and family from the beginning and Anna before-)
Standing Deer on gulf in Texas shortly after his release.
Standing Deer on Texas beach.
Standing Deer and long time friend Sherry in San Antonio in October 2001.
Standing Deer our grandson Ben Carnes with whom he sued for spiritual rights in Oklahoma. Picture was taken in Pittsburgh.
Standing Deer, Ben and Lynn Best again in Pittsburgh.
Standing Deer and wife, Anna Standing Deer, 2002,
Forever Family and Friends (Grandchildren, Cat and Ben, and the 2 Vickie's (sister, Arizona Vicky and daughter, Oklahoma Vicki are missing in photo)
Standing Deer, Ben and Anna. Anna is wearing a t-shirt which reads "Bring Standing Deer Home. He is needed" which is a t-shirt Anna designed when Standing Deer was incarcerated in Texas.
Standing Deer and AZ Vicky who is Anna Standing Deer's sister. Standing Deer gave her the name Arizona Vicky because that is where she was living when he first met her. 2002
Judy, great friend and parole sponspor and Standing Deer.
Standing Deer and his good friend Gloria. Gloria is a writer for the Worker's World newspaper.
Rally in Houston 2002. Gloria Rubac is on the right.
Houston Leonard Peltier Day rally organized by Standing Deer June 26,2002
LATEST PHOTOS
Standing Deer and Ben in November 2002. Standing Deer is wearing his beloved Jerry Garcia tie!
Standing Deer and a Virginia friend.
Standing Deer and his Virginia friend.
Ben and wife, Cat,the Standing Deer's grandchildren on Cat's birthday in Virginia December 2002.
Ben is on the left. His wife, Cat Carnes, (grandchild of Anna Standing Deer's and Standing Deer are is on the right of Standing Deer. Anna Standing Deer, gramma,is in the shadows.)
Ben and Standing Deer in a Virginia restaurant in December 2002
Sun, 26 Jan 2003 12:50:19 -0500
Standing Deer: A Memorial
I know many of us share a deep personal loss with the passing of such a
humble beautiful human being. When I received word that he was gone and had
been murdered, my heart could not accept that it had ended this way. Not
for Standing Deer, he did not deserve this. The shock and numbness hasn't
really left me. Maybe it never will. I love Standing Deer and I would have
done anything to have prevented this, as I know many of you would have.
That is why we are here to honor the man who came into our lives with a
smile and laughter in his eyes.
Brother, last night we had a sweat for you. I shared with others who only
heard or read about you. I told them about the miracle we each dared to
hope see happen. We sat down outside of prison walls and regulations and
broke bread. We caught up on many things that has happened in our lives
since those days in Oklahoma. I was so happy for you, you finally made it
out and I have thanked the Creator often that he brought wonderful people in
your life who worked to bring you home. Last night, I finally had the
opportunity to sit in the lodge and sweat with and sing Peyote and Sundance
songs for you. We called out your name and sang the AIM and Peltier songs to
honor you. I took medicine in the lodge to help me and all of your
relations to find comfort at this time.
This was the same sweat lodge where just a few months ago, I had spoke from
my heart and Pipe that I was adopting you as my grandfather. I remember
when I told you of this, and then you said to me that my fiancee, Cat and
her sister, Christina, were your grand-daughters. Yesterday, Cat told me
she was sad that we never got to have the ceremony for adoption. I told her
that you had already said the words and that us and the Creator are his
witnesses. I know that he was close to many of you like this. So we are
related in that way.
These are the times we celebrate the passing, we may mourn them, but for
only so long. We must keep his memory strong and his visions alive. He
worked against injustices of Native people, and the brutal conditions of the
american prison system. We know that he has done so much for the people in
his life and where he did it from. He has survived a hell on earth that
would have broken many people in some of the worst prisons this country has
to offer. There were many times we believed they would kill him for his
words and writings. They could not silence him. They couldn't defeat our
prayers and his spirit.
Standing Deer was a heroic example of what it means to stand for what he
believed in and to accept the consequences from those who didn't like what
he said or did. That is his real gift to us: courage, principle and
commitment. These strengths he gained from following the traditional ways
of our people.
Today, at this time, right here and right now, we offer words we thought we
had plenty of time to do it in, we say our thank yous, and we say our
goodbyes to the spirit of the man we only know as STANDING DEER.
Grandfather, it is OK to go home now. Thank you brother for all of your
sacrifices, all of your work and the love you shared. Go now and rest upon
the smoke of the sage, cedar and sweetgrasses that are being offered for
you. The prayers of the people will go with you as the eagle journeys with
you to the Creator. Give our love and deepest respects to many of our
relations. Give Bobby Garcia, Anna Mae Aquash, Uncle Chuck, Donald Red
Blanket, Grandmother Hazel and Blackgoat, including many of the fallen
warriors of all races against the mentality of greed our warmest handshake
from the hand closest to our hearts. We will all be coming home soon. And
if there is but one thing that I am most grateful for is that they can no
longer touch you or hurt you any more brother, you are at peace and rest
now, your work is done. Aho.
In the Spirit of Standing Deer,
Ben Carnes, Choctaw Nation
A brother,
A grandson,
A comrade in the Movement
And one of your many Spiritual Advisors.
More Ben and Standing Deer
Standing Deer and PP Christopher Plummer
Colorado, where Standing Deer wanted to live with the grandchildren .
Beautiful Colorado Again.
Standing Deer in his apartment in his boat for Houston floods in late 2002.
Standing Deer and Tristan, Houston, January 2003
Standing Deer and Helena, Tristan's art instructor. Houston, January 2003
Standing Deer and Samoan high Chief Savea Partsch, Tristan's father-in-law. Houston, January 2003
Standing Deer and his Houston "family" and John Trudell. Photo taken by Judy.
PUEDO ESCRIBIR LOS VERSOS MAS TRISTES ESTA NOCHE
Puedo escribir los versos m�s tristes esta noche.
Pensar que no lo tengo. Sentir que lo he perdido. Oir la noche inmensa, m�s inmensa sin el.
Y el verso cae al alma como al pasto el roc�o.
Qu� importa que mi amor no pudiera guardarlo.
La noche est� estrellada y el no est� conmigo.
Eso es todo. A lo lejos alguien canta. A lo lejos.
Mi alma no se contenta con haberlo perdido.
o lo hemos perdido ? NO!
Mira! Standing Deer Presente!
Courtesy of the grandchildren, Ben and Cat Carnes, Pablo Neruda and the people.
Resistance "Fang" Wilson, Standing Deer's youngest child. He finally met her in November 2001. He was the one who gave her the name "Fang" because he said she had to have a little of him in her! Anna named her Resist.
Anna Standing Deer, wife of Standing Deer, getting ready to speak on behalf of Standing Deer at Millions for Mumia rally in Philadelphia on April, 1999.
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