Dinah Black Hawk
Dinah Black Hawk, 70, of Mandan, N.D., formerly of Mandaree, N.D., passed away Monday, Oct. 21, at CHI St. Alexis Hospital in Bismarck, N.D.
Dinah Black Hawk; Black Dress (Iduhi Shibishish), was born on Sept. 25, 1949. She was the eldest daughter of Kingden Peter Black Hawk and Pamela Standish Black Hawk.
Dinah was born into a simple life with no running water or electricity. Entertainment could be found outside the family cabin climbing the nearby Saddle Butte and clay buttes with her brothers and sisters. As one of the older children, Dinah was the last child to enjoy the company of her maternal grandmother Lucy Lone Fight Standish. Other childhood memories included riding horses, hauling water, and picking berries, all of which were a huge part of life when living out in the country.
Raised in the traditional way, her father Kingden installed use of the Hidatsa language in the home and no one was allowed to speak English language in his presence. Dinah was among “the minority within a minority” due to speaking but a few English words. One of the family’s favorite memories of Dinah was her first day of school. Not knowing many English words along with the fact that her teacher Mrs. Eggelton was African American scared Dinah so much that she ran away screaming and crying. It took both her older brothers Joe and Tommy to pull her back to class. The cultural shock of her first day of school did not assure her that school would be something she would enjoy as she was growing up.
After receiving her GED, Dinah would go on to United Tribes Technical College for culinary training. After receiving her license, Dinah would go on to many years of employment cooking for 4-Bears Motor Lodge and for the Elder Meal Sites. Working for the Good Shepherd Home in Watford City for eight (8) years gave her a break from cooking, but eventually she returned to her love of cooking. She got up at 5 a.m., to bake bread and pies, so the elders’ holiday meals would include fresh buns or fry bread. Dinah also worked part-time at the 4-Bears Casino and Lodge as a change person for a number of years. Dinah retired after working for a total of 37 years - 227 consecutive years as head cook for the Mandaree Elder Meal Site.
Dinah loved pow-wows and followed her son, Kip A. Black Hawk and the Thunder Butte Drum Group throughout North Dakota and Montana. At the local pow-wows Dinah would sometimes open a food stand to sell her famous Indian tacos and traditional maddaposhi. When Sierra Little Swallow was the pow-wow traveling princess, Dinah did some more traveling. Dinah enjoyed bingo, casino slot machines, old-time TV westerns, country music, coffee with pie, and playing on her iPad.
Due to health reasons, she was in a number of Nursing and Rehabilitation facilities. The last one was Edgewood Assisted Living Center in Bismarck, N.D., where she could be close to family. Dinah departed this earth the morning of October 21, 2019, where she is now with her son Kip.
Dinah is survived by her sisters, FayAnn (Lary) Moberg, Judy Black Hawk, JoAnn (Randy) Keehn; grand-niece, Sierra Little Swallow; numerous nephews, nieces, and their families.
Preceding her in death were her parents; grandparents; husband, Darrell Fortner; brothers, Rudolph Sanders, Joseph Black Hawk, Thomas Black Hawk, Sr., Charles Black Hawk and four infant brothers; sister, M. Melvina Fredericks; niece, Jennifer P. Driver; and her son, Kip A. Black Hawk.
Funeral services for Dinah were held Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, at Water Chief Hall in Mandaree. Dorothy Borden officiated. The wake was held Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019 at Water Chief Hall. Interment was in Independence Congregational Church Cemetery under the care of Fulkerson-Stevenson Funeral Home of Watford City.
Remembrances, condolences and pictures may be shared with the family at www.fulkersons.com.