Dennis Moccasin

Dennis W. Moccasin, 78, died Aug. 23, 2026.

He was born Dec. 8, 1947, in Fort Belknap, the fourth of five children born to John Moccasin and Edith Jackson. He lived a long life marked by perseverance, growth and the steady achievement of greater independence. He was baptized Catholic, a faith tradition that was part of his life.

He lived at home with his family until he was admitted to Warm Springs State Hospital on Jan. 1, 1955. In 1957, he was transferred to the Montana Developmental Center, where he remained until he was placed in a group home in Bozeman in 1976. He was readmitted to MDC on March 10, 1979. During his second stay there, from 1979 until 1983, he participated in communication department training focused on improving social communication skills, increasing awareness of prepositional concepts and strengthening verbal expression. He also took part in the active residential employment program, where he worked at bed-making, laundry, recycling and in the wood shop with the grounds crew.

In March 1990, he was placed at West Mont’s Farm in the Dell. He did very well there for approximately a year. He later moved to Tara House and, over time, adjusted to life in that residence. During that period, he returned to work at the Farm in the Dell while continuing to live at Tara House. In March 1995, he returned to living on the farm, where he both lived and worked, and this placement proved to be very successful.

As he became more independent, he and his individual planning team recognized that he was ready for supportive living services. He had expressed