Samuel Takes The Horse

February 16, 1957 ~ February 7, 2024 (age 66)

Samuel (Peyote Sam, known for Peyote Prayer Ceremonies) Takes The Horse, Indian name Huché héeleen baláxesh “Sings In The Wind”, given to him by the late Ervin Sings Good.

Sam was born in Crow Agency, the son of the late John Takes The Horse and Mary E. Cummins-Tobacco and adopted parents Sonny and Mary Black Eagle.  Sam passed to the other camp on February 7, 2024, nine days before his birthday.  He belonged to the Whistling Water and was a child of the Whistling Water clan.  He was a traditional Sun Dancer, Sweat Lodger, Hand-Game player and was culturally involved in Crow history as well as Crow songs in all Crow Traditions.

He was married to Geraldine Big Day and later divorced.  They have three sons: Pius (Mariah) with two sons: LeRoy and Bethyana Pease, with two boys and later divorced, a son with Jolyn Pretty Man (dec.), and LeRoy married Fantasia Rock Above (dec.) and they had one girl and one boy.  Sam’s younger son John John has one daughter with Emily Enick.  Sam also has a son Simon (TrishElle) Bulltail and a daughter Eva (dec.) with Carol Bull Tail.  He has an adopted son Shawndae (Shiloh) Old Elk with four children, adopted son Francis (LeeAnna Nation) Bear Claw II, with five children and adopted son Dalton Duncan.  Sam has 15 grandkids.

Sam’s sisters Arletta Young, Shirley (Joe) Kristufek, Lucy, Lee, Sarah Mae (Chell), Loretta (Mike) Takes The Horse, Marlene (Dwight) Stewart, Carmelia Brown, and Violet Jefferson.  Sam’s brothers Joseph Cummins, James (Henrietta) Takes The Horse, Billy (Qwen), Franklin (Cynthia), and Dennis (Brenda) Takes The Horse, Cedric (Audrey) Black Eagle, Lannie Real Bird, Ralph Brown, Orrin Anderson, adopted son Ronald Anderson and Willy Stewart.

Sam’s relatives are Old Elk, Birdinground, LaForge, Enemy Hunter, Cummins, Holds the Enemy, Anderson, Black Eagle, Hill, Stewart, Brown, Crooked Arm, Little Light, Beaumont, Brien, Eastman, Shane, Houle, Knows To Take A Horse, Shavings, Walkers, and Stops.

Samuel lived a full life.  He was a parade marshal, a great campaign manager, chairman senior adviser, many pow wows, multiple-time hand-game champion, most points and best guesser.  Most of all he was a loving father who never took his kids for granted.  He would go to the ends of the Earth just for us to know we were not forgotten and that we mean everything to him.  We lost the greatest.  We lost our dad.

Our family would like your forgiveness if we missed you during our time of grief and mourning.