Jason Walking Eagle
Jason Dale Walking Eagle “Tatanka Wacin” Dancing Buffalo, 32, of Poplar died June 15, 2022, at Poplar Community Hospital. He was born to Lorna Drum and Alfred Walking Eagle Sr. on Sept. 15, 1989, in Williston, N.D.
Although he was raised by his mother, he had uncles that helped raise him and looked up to, John Spotted Bird, Bear Roberts, Turbo Boyd, the late Chuck Spotted Bord, Bernard Youpee, Rocky Youpee Sr. and Paul White Bear.
In his teenage years, he would jump on Amtrak and head to Fort Belknap where his cousin Faith Birdtail would pick him up and powwow the weekend with his nephews and cousins Assiniboine Cree. He graduated from Brockton High School in 2008. After graduating, he moved to Rapid City, S.D., to live with and take care of his grandmother Delores Hayes. While there, he worked at Taco Bell. He then moved to Spirit Lake where he traveled and sang all over the United States at sundances making friends wherever he went. While living with Richard and Lonna Street in Spirit Lake, he learned the art of porcupine quillwork. He made some beautiful hatbands, earrings and bracelets.
While growing up, he hung around with his many cousins, his brother Ian and the Badlands Crew. In 2002, the boys started their own drum group named Tatanka Wacin “Dancing Buffalo.” After two years, the boys were given the name Badland Singers by Leland Spotted Bird and Chuck Spotted Bird. The young Badland boys traveled to many powwows and won many singing contests. In 2011, they won the singing contest at United Tribes. They also placed at other powwows. The young Badland Singers recorded two CDs — one was sundance songs and the other intertribal powwow songs. He was given a flute from Walter RunsAbove.
He is survived by his mother, Lorna; father, Alfred Walking Eagle Sr.; sister, Sami Lyn; brother, Ian; and grandmother, Doris Spotted Bird.
Funeral services were held Friday, June 24, at the Brockton Cultural Center. Burial was at Riverview Cemetery in Brockton. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.
