Dr. Joseph Epes Brown III
1920 - 2000
Joseph Epes Brown III, 80, passed away Tuesday, September 19, 2000, at his home in Stevensville, Montana, after a long illness with Alzheimer's disease. Joseph was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, to Joseph Brown II and Janet Booth Brown on September 9, 1920. He spent his youth in Aiken, North Carolina, and Southwest Harbor, Maine, where he enjoyed sailing, hunting and horsemanship. He attended Bowdin and Haverford colleges and received his Master of Fine Arts in anthropology from Stanford University and a doctorate in anthropology and history of religion from the University of Stockholm, Sweden, in 1970.
Dr. Brown was a renowned scholar, author and teacher of Native American traditions and world religions. Joseph believed that all legitimate religions are paths that lead ultimately to the same summit and dedicated his life to bringing Native American religions into the canon of world religions. Through his teaching, writing and friendships he served as a vital bridge, promoting understanding between Native American and white cultures.
As a young man in the late 1940s, Joseph came west to seek out the Lakota Sioux Holy Man, Black Elk. He lived with Black Elk and his family on the Pine Ridge Reservation, during which time Black Elk adopted him as a son. He was given the Sioux name "Chanumpa Yuha Mani" or "He Who Walks with the Sacred Pipe." During that time, he recorded Black Elk's account of the seven rites of the Oglala Sioux, later published as the well-known book, The Sacred Pipe, University of Oklahoma Press, a seminal record of Plains Indian religious expression. Joseph also authored The Spiritual Legacy of the American Indian, Crossroad Publishing Co., Animals of the Soul: Sacred Animals of the Oglala Sioux, Element Books, and a forthcoming book, Teaching Spirits: Understanding Native American Religious Traditions by Oxford University Press.
He was a contributing editor to numerous publications including Parabola, Handbook of Living Religions and the Encyclopedia of Religion. He lectured throughout the world during his career, established and chaired the first Native American component of the American Academy of Religion and was often invited to testify for Native American tribes in court cases in defense of the Freedom of Religion Act.
Joseph married Elenita Roulet from Switzerland in 1952 and with his wife, a dancer and artist, attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They subsequently both taught at Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona, where three of their children were born. They lived in Morocco, Africa, where a daughter was born, and returned to Arizona before Joseph pursued his master's at Stanford. Joseph and Elenita taught at Prescott College in Arizona prior to moving to Sweden for his doctorate studies.
In 1970, Dr. Brown created the first Native American Religious Studies program at Indiana University, and joined the religious studies faculty at the University of Montana in 1972, until his retirement in 1989. Dr. Brown was well-loved and respected by his students. In his quiet, eclectic and dignified manner, he combined humor, storytelling and arts into his teaching. The reciprocity and relatedness of all life was a major theme in his classrooms and he emulated what he taught.
A natural horseman, Joseph had a lifelong love and knowledge of horses and all animals; he raised and trained Arabians at Kootenai Creek Ranch in Stevensville. His daughter, Malika B. Coston, continues his horsemanship legacy at the family ranch. Joseph died surrounded by his loving family and is now free and at peace.
He is survived by his wife, Elenita; son, Alexander; daughters: Marina Weatherly, and husband, Christopher, and their two daughters, Elena and Lara; Malika B. Coston, and husband, Thomas, and their two daughters, Alexia and Sylvie; and Veronica Tunney, and husband David, all of Stevensville, Montana; his niece, Joan Warner, of New Jersey.
A memorial celebration and potluck will be held at noon Saturday, Sept. 30, at his ranch, 329 Kootenai Creek Road, Stevensville.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests tax-deductible donations in his name to the Stevensville Community Foundation to benefit the new Performing Arts/Community Center, P.O. Box 413, Stevensville, 59870.
Arrangements were by the Whitesitt Funeral Home.
Original obituary published by:
—Missoulian | Missoula, Montana | 22 Sep 2000
1920 - 2000
Joseph Epes Brown III, 80, passed away Tuesday, September 19, 2000, at his home in Stevensville, Montana, after a long illness with Alzheimer's disease. Joseph was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, to Joseph Brown II and Janet Booth Brown on September 9, 1920. He spent his youth in Aiken, North Carolina, and Southwest Harbor, Maine, where he enjoyed sailing, hunting and horsemanship. He attended Bowdin and Haverford colleges and received his Master of Fine Arts in anthropology from Stanford University and a doctorate in anthropology and history of religion from the University of Stockholm, Sweden, in 1970.
Dr. Brown was a renowned scholar, author and teacher of Native American traditions and world religions. Joseph believed that all legitimate religions are paths that lead ultimately to the same summit and dedicated his life to bringing Native American religions into the canon of world religions. Through his teaching, writing and friendships he served as a vital bridge, promoting understanding between Native American and white cultures.
As a young man in the late 1940s, Joseph came west to seek out the Lakota Sioux Holy Man, Black Elk. He lived with Black Elk and his family on the Pine Ridge Reservation, during which time Black Elk adopted him as a son. He was given the Sioux name "Chanumpa Yuha Mani" or "He Who Walks with the Sacred Pipe." During that time, he recorded Black Elk's account of the seven rites of the Oglala Sioux, later published as the well-known book, The Sacred Pipe, University of Oklahoma Press, a seminal record of Plains Indian religious expression. Joseph also authored The Spiritual Legacy of the American Indian, Crossroad Publishing Co., Animals of the Soul: Sacred Animals of the Oglala Sioux, Element Books, and a forthcoming book, Teaching Spirits: Understanding Native American Religious Traditions by Oxford University Press.
He was a contributing editor to numerous publications including Parabola, Handbook of Living Religions and the Encyclopedia of Religion. He lectured throughout the world during his career, established and chaired the first Native American component of the American Academy of Religion and was often invited to testify for Native American tribes in court cases in defense of the Freedom of Religion Act.
Joseph married Elenita Roulet from Switzerland in 1952 and with his wife, a dancer and artist, attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They subsequently both taught at Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona, where three of their children were born. They lived in Morocco, Africa, where a daughter was born, and returned to Arizona before Joseph pursued his master's at Stanford. Joseph and Elenita taught at Prescott College in Arizona prior to moving to Sweden for his doctorate studies.
In 1970, Dr. Brown created the first Native American Religious Studies program at Indiana University, and joined the religious studies faculty at the University of Montana in 1972, until his retirement in 1989. Dr. Brown was well-loved and respected by his students. In his quiet, eclectic and dignified manner, he combined humor, storytelling and arts into his teaching. The reciprocity and relatedness of all life was a major theme in his classrooms and he emulated what he taught.
A natural horseman, Joseph had a lifelong love and knowledge of horses and all animals; he raised and trained Arabians at Kootenai Creek Ranch in Stevensville. His daughter, Malika B. Coston, continues his horsemanship legacy at the family ranch. Joseph died surrounded by his loving family and is now free and at peace.
He is survived by his wife, Elenita; son, Alexander; daughters: Marina Weatherly, and husband, Christopher, and their two daughters, Elena and Lara; Malika B. Coston, and husband, Thomas, and their two daughters, Alexia and Sylvie; and Veronica Tunney, and husband David, all of Stevensville, Montana; his niece, Joan Warner, of New Jersey.
A memorial celebration and potluck will be held at noon Saturday, Sept. 30, at his ranch, 329 Kootenai Creek Road, Stevensville.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests tax-deductible donations in his name to the Stevensville Community Foundation to benefit the new Performing Arts/Community Center, P.O. Box 413, Stevensville, 59870.
Arrangements were by the Whitesitt Funeral Home.
Original obituary published by:
—Missoulian | Missoula, Montana | 22 Sep 2000
Dr. Joseph Epes Brown III
1920 - 2000
Joseph Epes Brown III, 80, passed away Tuesday, September 19, 2000, at his home in Stevensville, Montana, after a long illness with Alzheimer's disease. Joseph was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, to Joseph Brown II and Janet Booth Brown on September 9, 1920. He spent his youth in Aiken, North Carolina, and Southwest Harbor, Maine, where he enjoyed sailing, hunting and horsemanship. He attended Bowdin and Haverford colleges and received his Master of Fine Arts in anthropology from Stanford University and a doctorate in anthropology and history of religion from the University of Stockholm, Sweden, in 1970.
Dr. Brown was a renowned scholar, author and teacher of Native American traditions and world religions. Joseph believed that all legitimate religions are paths that lead ultimately to the same summit and dedicated his life to bringing Native American religions into the canon of world religions. Through his teaching, writing and friendships he served as a vital bridge, promoting understanding between Native American and white cultures.
As a young man in the late 1940s, Joseph came west to seek out the Lakota Sioux Holy Man, Black Elk. He lived with Black Elk and his family on the Pine Ridge Reservation, during which time Black Elk adopted him as a son. He was given the Sioux name "Chanumpa Yuha Mani" or "He Who Walks with the Sacred Pipe." During that time, he recorded Black Elk's account of the seven rites of the Oglala Sioux, later published as the well-known book, The Sacred Pipe, University of Oklahoma Press, a seminal record of Plains Indian religious expression. Joseph also authored The Spiritual Legacy of the American Indian, Crossroad Publishing Co., Animals of the Soul: Sacred Animals of the Oglala Sioux, Element Books, and a forthcoming book, Teaching Spirits: Understanding Native American Religious Traditions by Oxford University Press.
He was a contributing editor to numerous publications including Parabola, Handbook of Living Religions and the Encyclopedia of Religion. He lectured throughout the world during his career, established and chaired the first Native American component of the American Academy of Religion and was often invited to testify for Native American tribes in court cases in defense of the Freedom of Religion Act.
Joseph married Elenita Roulet from Switzerland in 1952 and with his wife, a dancer and artist, attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They subsequently both taught at Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona, where three of their children were born. They lived in Morocco, Africa, where a daughter was born, and returned to Arizona before Joseph pursued his master's at Stanford. Joseph and Elenita taught at Prescott College in Arizona prior to moving to Sweden for his doctorate studies.
In 1970, Dr. Brown created the first Native American Religious Studies program at Indiana University, and joined the religious studies faculty at the University of Montana in 1972, until his retirement in 1989. Dr. Brown was well-loved and respected by his students. In his quiet, eclectic and dignified manner, he combined humor, storytelling and arts into his teaching. The reciprocity and relatedness of all life was a major theme in his classrooms and he emulated what he taught.
A natural horseman, Joseph had a lifelong love and knowledge of horses and all animals; he raised and trained Arabians at Kootenai Creek Ranch in Stevensville. His daughter, Malika B. Coston, continues his horsemanship legacy at the family ranch. Joseph died surrounded by his loving family and is now free and at peace.
He is survived by his wife, Elenita; son, Alexander; daughters: Marina Weatherly, and husband, Christopher, and their two daughters, Elena and Lara; Malika B. Coston, and husband, Thomas, and their two daughters, Alexia and Sylvie; and Veronica Tunney, and husband David, all of Stevensville, Montana; his niece, Joan Warner, of New Jersey.
A memorial celebration and potluck will be held at noon Saturday, Sept. 30, at his ranch, 329 Kootenai Creek Road, Stevensville.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests tax-deductible donations in his name to the Stevensville Community Foundation to benefit the new Performing Arts/Community Center, P.O. Box 413, Stevensville, 59870.
Arrangements were by the Whitesitt Funeral Home.
Original obituary published by:
—Missoulian | Missoula, Montana | 22 Sep 2000
1920 - 2000
Joseph Epes Brown III, 80, passed away Tuesday, September 19, 2000, at his home in Stevensville, Montana, after a long illness with Alzheimer's disease. Joseph was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, to Joseph Brown II and Janet Booth Brown on September 9, 1920. He spent his youth in Aiken, North Carolina, and Southwest Harbor, Maine, where he enjoyed sailing, hunting and horsemanship. He attended Bowdin and Haverford colleges and received his Master of Fine Arts in anthropology from Stanford University and a doctorate in anthropology and history of religion from the University of Stockholm, Sweden, in 1970.
Dr. Brown was a renowned scholar, author and teacher of Native American traditions and world religions. Joseph believed that all legitimate religions are paths that lead ultimately to the same summit and dedicated his life to bringing Native American religions into the canon of world religions. Through his teaching, writing and friendships he served as a vital bridge, promoting understanding between Native American and white cultures.
As a young man in the late 1940s, Joseph came west to seek out the Lakota Sioux Holy Man, Black Elk. He lived with Black Elk and his family on the Pine Ridge Reservation, during which time Black Elk adopted him as a son. He was given the Sioux name "Chanumpa Yuha Mani" or "He Who Walks with the Sacred Pipe." During that time, he recorded Black Elk's account of the seven rites of the Oglala Sioux, later published as the well-known book, The Sacred Pipe, University of Oklahoma Press, a seminal record of Plains Indian religious expression. Joseph also authored The Spiritual Legacy of the American Indian, Crossroad Publishing Co., Animals of the Soul: Sacred Animals of the Oglala Sioux, Element Books, and a forthcoming book, Teaching Spirits: Understanding Native American Religious Traditions by Oxford University Press.
He was a contributing editor to numerous publications including Parabola, Handbook of Living Religions and the Encyclopedia of Religion. He lectured throughout the world during his career, established and chaired the first Native American component of the American Academy of Religion and was often invited to testify for Native American tribes in court cases in defense of the Freedom of Religion Act.
Joseph married Elenita Roulet from Switzerland in 1952 and with his wife, a dancer and artist, attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They subsequently both taught at Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona, where three of their children were born. They lived in Morocco, Africa, where a daughter was born, and returned to Arizona before Joseph pursued his master's at Stanford. Joseph and Elenita taught at Prescott College in Arizona prior to moving to Sweden for his doctorate studies.
In 1970, Dr. Brown created the first Native American Religious Studies program at Indiana University, and joined the religious studies faculty at the University of Montana in 1972, until his retirement in 1989. Dr. Brown was well-loved and respected by his students. In his quiet, eclectic and dignified manner, he combined humor, storytelling and arts into his teaching. The reciprocity and relatedness of all life was a major theme in his classrooms and he emulated what he taught.
A natural horseman, Joseph had a lifelong love and knowledge of horses and all animals; he raised and trained Arabians at Kootenai Creek Ranch in Stevensville. His daughter, Malika B. Coston, continues his horsemanship legacy at the family ranch. Joseph died surrounded by his loving family and is now free and at peace.
He is survived by his wife, Elenita; son, Alexander; daughters: Marina Weatherly, and husband, Christopher, and their two daughters, Elena and Lara; Malika B. Coston, and husband, Thomas, and their two daughters, Alexia and Sylvie; and Veronica Tunney, and husband David, all of Stevensville, Montana; his niece, Joan Warner, of New Jersey.
A memorial celebration and potluck will be held at noon Saturday, Sept. 30, at his ranch, 329 Kootenai Creek Road, Stevensville.
In lieu of flowers the family suggests tax-deductible donations in his name to the Stevensville Community Foundation to benefit the new Performing Arts/Community Center, P.O. Box 413, Stevensville, 59870.
Arrangements were by the Whitesitt Funeral Home.
Original obituary published by:
—Missoulian | Missoula, Montana | 22 Sep 2000
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