Biography
of Chuck Derby, (Running Elk)
Chuck Derby was born in
Pipestone Indian School hospital, Minnesota to Ethel (nee Crow) and
Harvey in February, 1941 and he has continued to live there ever since.
According to tradition, as the family's first born son he inherited
the name Chaske. Which has since been mutated to Chuck or Charlie.
After attending Pipestone
High school, and Haskell Institute (a post-graduate vocational school
for native Americans,) in Lawrence, Kansas, Mr Derby worked in general
construction and natural gas pipeline construction before he began working
for the Pipestone National Monument as a general laborer in 1963. He
was promoted to Maintenance Supervisor in 1967 and continued in that
position until he retired in 1994.
In his personal life Chuck
has been working in the quarries since his father first took him there
as a small child. He often says that he thought he was playing when
he filled his little buckets up with dirt, when he was about five, and
it wasn’t until the buckets got bigger and heavier that he realized
that this was not playing, but something much harder. He has also been
pipemaking for 40 years, another skill passed down to him from his father.
By continuing the quarrying and pipemaking he is following in the footsteps
of his father, grandfather, and ancestors, who quarried prior to the
1860's.
Mr Derby has been a lifelong
adherent to traditional values, and has served on many Native American
committees and Boards, dealing with various things regarding historical
and traditional Native American issues. Not least of these issues involve
the quarries, pipemaking and ceremonials. He has been to Washington
DC to testify to Congress on behalf of the Native Americans who use
the Pipe. In recent years Chuck has served as the elected spokesperson
for the Original Pipestone Dakota Tiospaye. In the 1970's Chuck appeared
in the film, 'Hiawatha Pioneer Trail' demonstrating both quarrying and
pipemaking. His most recent movie experiences include 'Minnesota River
and Fields' in May 2000. Among other venues Chuck participated in was
the Festival of Nations in Minnepolis, where many countries exhibited
their own unique crafts. He has exhibited in the Minnesota Historical
Society at the State Capitol in St Paul and also at the Iowa State Fair
in Des Moines, in the 70's where over 60,000 people visited his exhibit.
In 1972 he again demonstrated his work at the Second World Conference
on National Parks, where over 90 countries were represented, and at
the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha.
At the request of Native
American elders, Chuck was given the honor of carving an exact replica
of the original pipe of the respected Oglala Lakota, Crazy Horse, which
was to be used for special purposes at the Crazy Horse Monument in the
Black Hills, where he had participated in a Pipe ceremony with Arvol
Looking Horse, Charles and Godfrey Chips, Ruth Ziolkowski, (the wife
of sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski,) and others.
Through the years of working
with pipestone and making ceremonial pipes Chuck has associated with
many Native American elders, spiritual leaders and medicine men, in
1998 he was adopted by the Lakota Spiritual leader Joseph Flying Bye
as his son, which was a great honor. He was taught many things by Joe
as well as the spiritual leader, the late Amos Owens. By knowing these
people he has learned a lot of cultural and spiritual lessons. Due to
these ancient teachings he has been able to incorporate traditions into
his everyday life, just as his ancestors did many years ago.
|
Chuck
in his younger years dancing at a powwow with his children. |
|
Chuck
recently after lecturing at Mankato State University. |
|
Chuck's
adoptive father Joe Flying Bye on a visit to Chuck in 1995.
Grandpa Joe crossed over to the Spirit world, June 22, 2000.
He will be missed. |
"Tunkasila wamayang u
ye, Tunkasila wamayang u ye, Tunkasila wamayang u ye hey oh, Ikce wicasa
ta cannunpe wan, Yuha hoye wa yelo hey, Mitakuye ob wani kyelo, Heyaya
hoye wa yelo hey oh."