http://www.record-bee.com/ci_4877301

12/21/2006

Dewey Adam Barnes, Sr., a Lake County native, passed away on Dec. 18, 2006
at the age of 74. He is survived by his children, Ronald Ridge Runner
Montez Sr., Howard Coyote Chavez, Leora Renee Raindrop John, Jeannie Karen
Peanut Lopez, and Dewey Barnes Cougars, Jr.; sister, Arvella Cervantes; 29
grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 6 nieces and nephews. His father,
Belton Dutch Barnes and his mother Grace Josephine Barnes precede him in death.

Dewey was a U.S. Air Force Veteran and worked as a paralegal in Finley,
Cal. He was very proud of his heritage and was an advocate for the Native
American Community. Born in Sulphur Bank (El-Em), he left Lake County
briefly when he was sent on BIA relocation to Los Angeles. He returned to
Lake County to help prevent the BIA effort to terminate Sulphur Bank
Rancheria. He had a residence on Rattlesnake Island and knew the names of
all of his family buried there. One of the last traditional elders of the
Pomo people, Dewey spoke 2 dialects of the Pomo language and did not learn
English until he was 14 years old. He also knew Pomo medicine, was able to
make Indian money beads and had performed the Shakehead Dance with his late
wife Rose S. Barnes (Hopper) at the Smithsonian in Washington  D.C. His
accomplishments for his people include winning fishing rights for Native
Americans, the addition of an underwater phone line so that the community
would have telephone use, getting the large nose of the Hym Konocti statue
replaced and helping to obtain a school bus for Native American children.
He fought for running water and for proper housing, along the way meeting
President Nixon. As a member of the American Indian Movement, Dewey along
with Richard Oaks, Dennis Bank and Russell Means occupied Alcatraz in 1969
and U.S. Radio Receiving Station in Middletown, California. He helped
establish DQU in Davis and Ya-Ka-Ama in Santa Rosa. He and his nephew
Mayfield Moranda were beaten by the Lake County Sheriff Department for
participating in the approved Native American "Walk for Justice" in
Lakeport, California.

Services for Dewey Barnes, Sr. will be held from Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006
through Saturday, Dec. 23 at the Big Valley Rancheria Community Center,
1002 Soda Bay Road, with a committal service to be held on Saturday at St.
Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Lakeport.

Arrangements entrusted to Jones and Lewis Clear Lake Memorial Chapel,
707-994-6417.

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