NAFPS Forum

Lelooska Foundation
Ariel, WA
Tax-exempt since April 1980
EIN: 91-1037468

For the 2023 calendar year, or tax year beginning 01-01-2023 , and ending 12-31-2023 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/911037468/202433209349309823/full

Briefly describe the organization’s mission or most significant activities: Educate about Native Americans of the NW and North America.

Total revenue: prior year $254,661
current $301,060

Mariah Stoll-Smith Reese Executive Director

Tsungani Fearon M Smith
President

Eric Reese
Director

Brad Richards
Vice President

Gretchen Fuller
Treasurer

John Clapp
Director

Wendy Dasler Johnson
Director

Lisa Cunningham
Secretary

Carol Edmo
Director

"Over 10,000 people attended the Living History Museum and Programs, or attended evening programs individually or as part of a school program during the year."

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I've found some more name variations for the original core group:

Mary/Marjorie Jean (Hinkle) Smith: "Shona-Hah" "Gray Dove"

Donald M. Smith:  "Chief Lelooska" "He who cuts against wood with a knife" "Yana" "Bear"

Patricia Louise (Smith) Cook: "Patty Fawn" "Agee Lakee"

Fearon M. Smith Jr: "Yana High" "Lodge Wrecker"  "Yana Itta the Lodge Wrecker" "Schmitty" "Chief Tsungani" "He Who Excels"

Richard Smith (does not appear to be active in this as an adult) "Ayondre" "Thunder Eagle"

It was mentioned [in the NAFPS forum], as also confirmed by educatedindian in the previous post. I am certain I posted comments about the site, but they are now missing.

That earlier thread [2019-2022), with my comments, can be found here:

http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=5375.0 [Raceshifting: Tracking Fraudulent "Metis" Groups]

Excerpts from Daily Star-Journal
Thu, Jan 08, 1959 ·Page 1

"Ancient Culture of Indians Still Lives in Central Oregon Valley"

Lelooska, whose common name is Don Smith, was born in northern California, grandson of a fierce Apache known as He-Kill. Lelooska remembers He-Kill telling him:

"Let the hatchet be buried. But let not the Indian ways be forgotten."

Eventually Don Smith evolved this story:

"My warrior grandfather was a whittler," Lelooska once told an interviewer. "He taught me to carve as soon as I could hold a knife."

Lelooska's grandfather, He-Kill, a full-blooded Cherokee, also taught him the myths and legends of his people.

"Grandfather always told me, `Let the hatchet be buried. But let not the Indian ways be forgotten.'

https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19960907/2347842/lelooska-master-carver-won-acclaim-for-his-totem-poles

This fake saying is still being used by the family.

Don Smith here is referring to his maternal grandfather Enoch Fountain Hinkle https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53839500/enoch_fountain-hinkle This man was white, from white people.

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Something to remember when looking over records: just because a death certificate, obituary, newspaper article, online memorial, book, article etc states that someone is Native American, that does not necessarily mean it is true. Many people inaccurately self identify.

This well known, prolific family of artists and descendants claims they have recent Cherokee heritage. They do not. They have no Native American heritage for several generations back.

Marilyn Jean Hinkle/Shona-hah Smith/Gray Dove

Don Morris Smith / Chief Lelooska

Fearon Smith Jr / Smitty/ Chief Tsungani

Patricia Louise Smith / Patty Fawn/ Patty Fawn-Cook

Their "Indian" personas were invented in the late 1940s or so and continues to this day through the very active Lelooska Foundation and Cultural Center in Ariel, Washington.

They began with making trinkets for the tourist trade, then opened a curio shop in Salem, Oregon. They performed in Pendleton Roundup events.

They have evolved their act over time. https://www.lelooska.org/

They misrepresent their art which is illegal to do.

It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell, any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States.

https://www.doi.gov/iacb/act

Example of the misrepresentation, by "Patty Fawn" and her daughter https://www.adobegallery.com/artist/patty-fawn-and-nakweesee-cherokee-artisans

This is an especially disheartening fraud family to research. Active for decades. Art and totem poles all over the place. Countless student field trips run through their center. So much grant money.

Link for the uploaded photo of Don Smith in blackface https://archives.yvl.org/items/e2fa4131-3c59-43cb-9021-0e485ce0929d

American Indian Hobbyist magazine (May, 1958)

https://archive.org/details/american_indian_hobbyist_195805/page/n11/mode/2up?q=Lelooska

The original typed text wasn't perfect, this copy and paste even less so. But I want to make sure that this is available.

I've been interested in Indians and Indian lore ever since I can remember. I think my grandfather was the start of the thing He was an Oklahoma Cherokee and very proud of it. He had done a hitch in the cavelry (Troop A, Sth Cav-) and upon his discharge went to work for the old Bill Cody Wild West -— he danced and track rode with them for several seasons, he also worked for the 014 101 Ranch show for a while. . Gramp and Will Rogers were first cousins and worked one season with the ranch show together- He loved the songs and dances and hated to see them lost and misused. I went to celebrations with him, met the wrinkled old ones who could remember the good days of the buffalo, and learned to appreciate my Indian heritege- Some where along the line I learned to use a pocket knife and soon was spending most of my time carving and painting (Indian subjects of course). In school I won some art awards and soon was doing a brisk business in carved Indian dolls and suche The house was always full of friends from the reservations, customersas well as a growing Indian collection. In 199 I left school and we moved to Hubbard and started the museum and shop; and it just grew-At first there was just the house and a converted fruit stand for a museum and craft shop- Next came the Ol' darn and after that the log house.

I have danced always- Since I was a little fellow and still do whenever we attend one of the local feasts- As my younger brothers and sisters came along they were trained to dance. At first we kept the dancing the way most Indians do, we danced with our friends at the Salmon, Root, and Huckleberry feasts learning all the while from books & actual experience. Gradually we started putting on a show once in a while for the public-My brother Dick (Thunder Eagle) became pretty expert with the hoop dance working up to l2 in all and 2 fire hoops as an encore. Then a rodeo announcer saw our group and geve us a contract for an appearance at each performance of the Oregon State Fair. The following spring we got a bid & appeared at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Well one thing led to another; We became the featured dancers at the Pendelton RoundUp, making several publicity trips East for them. Now the show includes the entire family from Little Smitty to Grandmae We do a lot of traveling to shows in the summer and quite a few lectures etc. in the winter. Patty Fawn, my sis, is a good bead worker and now a pretty good hoop dancer. With the show and museum and the craft shop we're an awful busy bunch of people. I'm just really happy over the whole thing - anyone who can make a living at the thing he likes is mighty lucky.

Our dances are mostly of Plains and Plateau. We are doing 3 Coast dances nowwith more to come- I am 2)! now-The name "Lelooska" was given to me by the Nez Perce- It means something pertaining to cutting wood with a kmife- I am one of their honorary chiefs.

Our dance group includes me, sister Patty Fawn, brother Dick (aged 16) little Smitty ( Lodge Wrecker ), my mother (Grey Dove ) — Ah heck’ you know all that. At the moment I'm doing some masks for a collector in Frisco & Pat is doing a button blanket, Mom is painting some dolls to go to Arizona ( we have a pretty fair wholesale line too).

I think the Indian hobby is the finest in the world. The Indian tradition belongs to all Americans, Indian blood or not. Preserving the crafts and lore can be a fascinating hobby or a going business at least its proved that way with me Well I hope you can raed this mess, also hope there is enough here with what you already know of us to do the job.

Editors Note; The story above is exactly the way Lelooska presented it in his letter, we didn't want to change a word bee cause it shows some of his personality.

We can add however,that Don is one of the finest, big hearted individuals that we have ever met and a truely wonderful wood carver, Anyone interested in his carvings

€ither wholesale or retail can contact him

at; Lelooska's N-W- Museum; Rt-1,Box 33, Hubbard, Oregon.