Glen Douglas (1927-2011) was a Lakes-Okanogan Indian Veteran of
Three Wars and chairman of the Native American Indian Advisory Council
in Spokane.
Known to many throughout the Spokane region for his
work helping at various sacred ceremonies and veterans’ events, Army
veteran Glen Douglas will be missed. Douglas, 84, died recently (22 May
2011) after battling a long illness.
He was born on 1st February
1927 on the Okanogan
Reserve, near Penticton, British Columbia, in Canada, a Lakes-Okanogan Indian and part of the Colville
Tribe. An article in the Spokesman Review newspaper relates how he was
taken from his home at age 12 and sent to a boarding school in Cranbrook,
British Columbia. “We were beaten for speaking our language. They were
beating the devil out of me,” Douglas was reported saying during an
interview in 2004. He was later to receive monetary reimbursement from
the Canadian government for that period of his life.
Eric Loer,
Colville/Spokane, referred to Douglas as, “My best friend. He was my
uncle.” He also was aware of Douglas’ experience at the boarding school.
He said simply, “It was very bad!”
Douglas moved to the U.S. when
he was 14 where he worked on his uncle’s ranch near Oroville, Washington
and joined the U.S. Army when he was just 17, the start of a long and
distinguished career that saw him take part in three wars: World War II,
the Korean War, and Vietnam.
“He was in the Army with the 101st
Airborne most of the time,” Loer said. He reported to Fort Lewis,
Washington in May of 1944 and joined the 101st in Belgium in 1945.
During the 2004 interview Douglas said he was injured by a grenade in
1953 during the Korean War. During his first tour in Vietnam he was an
intelligence analyst with a Special Forces team.
John Davis is
the homeless coordinator for the Spokane Veteran Affairs and knew
Douglas very well. “He adopted me into his family and I called him
‘uncle’ too. I’d do anything for him.”
“Glen was a mentor and a
role model. He was well versed. He could speak very eloquently. He was a
leader, not only from the military but from his own people,” Davis
commented. “He flew all over Canada and the U.S. talking about Native
American culture. He would dress in full regalia and was a very
impressive figure, a man who had many military honors and a highly
decorated veteran.”
“I’ve been in sweat ceremony with him; I
can’t tell you how many times,” said Davis, who’s not Native. “I’d
listen to his songs and listen to his teachings. He’d use it as a
teaching experience and it got quiet when Glen came around.” Davis also
spoke about Douglas’ ability to “speak across the line” saying he could
be speaking with a senator, head of a government facility, or
five-year-old. “He had the ability to communicate.”
Douglas was
chairman of the Native American Indian Advisory Council at the Spokane
VA. He was also an alcohol and drug counselor and worked with the
recovery community.
Davis works with a program for homeless
people. “Glen was always instrumental in helping me work with Native
American homeless veterans.” Davis also had Douglas mentor students
working on master’s degrees in social work and counseling. “I think that
really helped them a lot.”
Loer also mentioned that much of his
work was with veterans, but in addition, “At powwows we’ve done a lot of
things together because he was an elder and they’d ask him to talk.” He
added, “When someone needed someone to be praying with them he’d do
that. We’ve done that together too.”
Loer also recalls a trip
they made together a few years ago to help run a seminar at Haida Qwaii
in Canada as a result of the abuse Douglas had received as a youngster
at the boarding school.
Davis has had many phone calls from all
over the country asking where the services would be held. “That’s how
well known he was and in Indian country word travels fast.”
“When
I think about him my heart kind of aches because I miss him already,”
Davis added.
Glen Douglas was married to Leslie. They have
children and grandchildren.
|
