09/04/2025
There's been a lot that has gone through my mind these past days. Mainly memories of my son and the life we had together with our family. In the early 90's I was married to a woman from the Red Bear Tiyospaye (Sitting Bull Tiospaye, families), from that marriage I had Joey and Cole (Coco). When Coco was about 6 months old, his mom left. Although they never saw much of her, I'm glad their Red Bear cousin, uncles and aunties stayed relevant in their lives, one of their cousin Jake Red Bear stayed with us and helped me raise the boys, Jake was my nephew by marriage, but he became my little brother into our family, Joey and Coco looked at him like their uncle. Jake's mom would always say, where's my pretty boy, I would say hey he's a boy he can't be pretty, she would say well he is pretty, and yes, he was a beautiful child as well.When Coco was about 3 years old, I met my wife Joni Uses Many (Red Bull/Crazy Horse Tiospaye). She helped me raise them and adopted them as her own, bringing them into her Tiospaye as well. On myside of the family, Mother's side, I come from the Roach/Cheyenne Woman (survivor of Wounded Knee Massacre), Makes Room Tiospaye. Henry Makes Room was a Mnicoujou Chief and Good Elk Woman who also comes from chiefs as well, Blue Cloud/One Horn. My father's side, we come from Chief Brings Plenty Tiospaye, our grandfather was a whip man for the Oglala Tokala Warrior Society, his youngest brother was Chief Low Dog. Three of their brothers were killed at the Little Big Horn Battle, when our families were attacked. Coco, he was a sundancer, a society member of the Sungmanitu Tanka Okolakiciye Wolf Warrior Society. It takes a life time to make a warrior, so to lose our warriors is so hard for our families. He waa a Wolf that brings plenty for the people, I heard an elder say this.
During this time, we lived in Eagle Butte, the boys started boxing, Joey was 9 and Coco was 6. Coco has over 75 registered boxing bouts as an amateur boxer, loved his fighting style inside fighter, when the Mexican crowds watched him box, they would always get loud they didn't know him, but boxing fans love good fighters, no matter who they are. He was a warrior, inside and out, he was so polite and thoughtful you would have never known, he was a true champion. We created a boxing club for our youth back home, who were struggling with rez life and named it Wolves Den Boxing Club. We made many relations since. My son always wanted to promote Wolves Den because it helped so many, that's how he was, always wanting to help people around him.
He loved to dance, sing, joke, make people laugh. He loved his heritage, his way of life, his people. It's hard to be here, I felt guilty for him being so far away from home, but being here around his uncle Moe, friends and Haskell family, that he made here, I know he wasn't alone, he was happy and felt safe around them. He recently landed a big audition that would springboard his acting career, on Monday, April 1st he was supposed to be starting and internship with a local legislator, his role with 1923, he had interviews setup with elders regarding the Wounded Knee Massacre, on a paper he was doing. Last time I spoke to him, he was working on some documents for college. Now my baby boy is gone, he doesn't deserve this, he has only good intentions for anyone around him, no matter who they are or how they are. All the stories shared by his classmates, instructors, co-workers, friends and family in the area, my son was a light for many.
We found my son, now we have to find out what happened and hold people responsible for what happened. Please pray for Justice for Coco, pray for strength for his mom, brothers, sisters, relatives, friends, this has been the hardest place for me to be and feel completely broken and angry, just isn't how the world should be, only time a parent buries a child is in war. We believe a child should never make the journey before the parent, that's what makes this so hard.
Bliheciya.. Love You Son Cole Brings Plenty Forever..
(One of his friends here at Haskell made this and gave it to the family, Coco was loved because he loved all around him so much, she called it Cole's Light)
Joseph Brings Plenty Sr.
