Edith (Spotted Eagle) Selwyn, 104, of Lake Andes

Edith died Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at the Golden Living Center in Armour. Funeral Services were 1PM, Saturday, May 16, 2015 at the White Swan Community Center in Lake Andes. Burial was in St. Philip's Episcopal Cemetery in Lake Andes. Wake services were at the White Swan Community Center. Crosby-Jaeger Funeral Home in Wagner was in charge of arrangements.

Edith Spotted Eagle Selwyn, "Wa Yuwaste Win" (Woman who makes it good) has fulfilled the meaning of her name all throughout her good road of life, overcoming many challenges. She was born at old White Swan on June 29, 1910 at a time when the Dakota/Nakota people were still adjusting to reservation life. Her mother Blanche Oldman Sptted Eagle was Hunkpati from Crow Creek, who was descended from the exiled Bdewakantonwan of Minnnesota. Grandma Blanche's mother survived the Whitestone Massacre by General Sully and she told of it many times. Her father was Wm "Zina" Spotted Eagle of White Swan, who was the son of Spotted Eagle, the eagle catcher for the Maga ska ospaye. His grandmother was Julia (Judiwin) Deloria. Edith is the oldest living descendant of the Deloria family. Kunsi Edith was very upset when the graves at White Swan were disturbed by the Corps, because many of her direct brothers and sisters were buried there. She and her family endured great pain because many of her siblings (seven) were taken by the influenza epidemic of 1918, scarlet fever, whooping cough and TB. She lived in a time when there were no antibiotics and survived. She prided herself on being a horse racer and many have seen her picture of her mounted on her favorite horse "Buck" who was a relay horse champion. She married Reverend George Selwyn of "Owakpamnie" or Greenwood and became the mother of his children who had lost their mother, Juanita. She was mother to Annie, Robert, John, Calvin and Charlene. She led a full time job as the wife of a Priest of the Episcopal Church and lived at missions in the Episcopal Diocese at Niobrara, NE; Enemy Swim at Sisseton; Porcupine; Lower Brule and lastly at St. Philips at Yankton until George's death. They both retired and lived their lives out at Ihanktonwan. In her day as a traveler and helper tom any missions, she made star quilts and always gave them away. She also learned how to crochet and made large comforters. With the help of many relatives, hunka relatives and grandchildren she was able to live by herself in her own home until at 103, she fell and fractured her hip. At that time she entered the Golden Living Center in Armour, where she loved the staff and talked about how good they were to her. She called them "kids", even the residents as she said she was older than all of them. She always bemoaned a car accident that she had in her late nineties because she said if that hadn't happened she would still be walking. She is a reflection of the "real Indians" and prided herself on being independent and not having to depend on anyone. She worried a lot about the younger generations and wanted them to be life the old Indians...to be strong ("bde heca") and not use the "sica" things life drugs and alcohol. It made her happy to hear the Dakota language and she wanted everyone to learn it. It made her feel good. One day when she was taken to the Casino to get her elderly meal, she looked at the young workers and said: "Tokn, yoksicapi, hena Dakotapi." It meant, why do they look sad, don't they know they are Dakota!!! Those close to her know that she was always making ready for her rebirth for her trip across the milky way. She told about how her shadow was getting shorter and that she was always surrounded by "skan" or the holy spirit. She said in her youth, she never dreamed she would be given the gift of long life. Her closest friends were the "zintkana" the birds who she fed all the time and she was actually visited by the eagles, among other birds. Many know she treasured her big headed cat to the ends of the earth, she fed him steak. She will get to take care of him now in the spirit world. Edith was devoted to the Episcopal Church which sustained her dedication to a prayerful life. She also was proud that her grandmother, Tunkan Inajin Win who would keep her medicine tied in the branches and retrieve it to minister to the sick at Crow Creek and sometimes at Yankton. That is why she was called Wa yu waste win. Her grandmother named her at a large tribal gathering in Crow Creek at an old celebration. She spoke of how her large extended family, the Deloria family and her other family trees lived off the land through food sovereignty and independent liveways. She prided herself in not asking the tribe for things and was so sad about the pverty that our people now live in as she was a hard worker in her life. She appreciated what she had in a humble way. She was delivered by her Aunt Cora and her grandmother.

Her grandmother was Tunka Inajin Win (Julia Oldman) who was Crow Creek Hunkpati and Bdewakantonwan (daughter of Canto Win) and her father was Wm Zina Spotted Eagle, son of Mni Ska Win and Spotted Eagle, eaglecatcher of the White Swan Ospaye. His grandmother was Julia (judwin) Deloria and Hanyetu Mani or Evening Walker. Her paternal great grandfather was Phillipe Francois DesLauriers and Sihasapa Win of Hunkpapa. She was preceded in death by her siblings: Cora, Jerry, Dora, Clara, Henry, Helen, Pearl Annie and Seth and grandson Lorenzo Patterson. Her remaining step daughter is Charlene Dagan of Michigan and grandchildren Richard, David and Tony and their children. Her nieces and nephews, considered her children in Indian way are Faith Spotted Eagle (daughter of her brother Henry), Barb Ross, Marvin Spotted Eagle, Roxanne Spotted Eagle, Maurice Drapeau and Caroline Frederick Lamont (children of her cousin/sister Hazel Spotted Eagle). Other nieces and nephews are Donnie Loudner, Beatrice Fluery, all the Brownbear siblings; Philip Lane Jr and Georgette Boyer and her sisters, Carol and Lois and siblings, Martin Highrock and family, Polleen King family. Her grandchildren are Kip and Brook Spotted Eagle, Tokana Ikpa Najin Spotted Eagle, Nicole Mirreau and her siblings/cousins, Numpa Thompson and all her siblings, Josh Smith, Grace and Gilbert Ross and all their siblings and Donita Loudner and her siblings. Other Ihanktonwan grandchildren were Pat and Karen White Horse and their children; Lizzie Simmons and her children; Anita Sanchez and her children; children of Marie and Moses Lamont, Angela Rochelle, Terrence and Faron Picotte, Richard Thin Elk, Marsha THin Elk, children of Mirreaux family and her children; Naomi Troyer; grandchildren Rodney, Roger, Edna and Julia Hopkins; American Horse Zephier and Isnana Waste Win Zephier; all Selwyn grandchildren; Connie Blackbear Brushbreaker and family; her very close sister friend (or Mic'e) was Sophie Songhawk Archambeau and now deceased Rose Leer, with whom she had many adventures into their nineties.