Continental Confederation of Adopted Indians (CCAI)

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Jul 17, 2007

Although hard to read, this is a newspaper clipping from the Logan Daily News (2005) mentioning Leland Conner/Thunderhawk being issued a certificate from the National Museum of the American Indian by the Smithsonian Institute. Leland is considered a local expert on Native American history in southern Ohio. For further info on that museum, go to: www.AmericanIndian.si.edu

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Jul 17, 2007

Another newspaper clipping from the Daily Business Editor (Sept 2003) honoring Leland again by acknowledging that his name will appear on the Wall of Tolerance at the new Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, Alabama. His name was chosen because of his promotion of tolerance through his dedication to the American Indian culture.

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Jul 17, 2007

Pics of Leland Conner/Thunderhawk

Leland is in his 70's.

He has also been the National Director of the American Indian Lore Association. He has been a Continental Chief of the CCAI since 1987. He is listed in more than 35 National and International Directories, including Marquis, Who's Who In The World. He also does Native American consulting for movies, authors, governments, and any other researchers worldwide. He was President of the Hocking County Historical Society and is referred to as "the official historian of Hocking County". Leland also sat on the Logan City Council, active in local issues and tourism.

There is scant little on the Net about the CCAI, but the contact info is correct which is provided on this web page:

http://www.manta.com/comsite5/bin/pddnb_company.pl?pdlanding=1&referid=4490&id=jlnms3

neptunemars · Oct 12, 2007

hi there,

Just a random question, do you know where I can contact Leland Conner (chief Thunderhawk) ? I used to be in contact with him but lost contact a few years ago and would like to try get back in contact with him. does he have a web site or email address?

thank you so much for your time.

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Oct 12, 2007

I just responded to your PM. He remembers you, neptunemars. He will contact you via email. :)

Wolfie

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Nov 19, 2007

...

I have some very sad and grave news to report to interested members.

My mother, Spirit Dancer, just called me today to report that a wonderful and great man perished Friday 11/16/2007 in a major car accident. This man was Leland Conner/Thunderhawk.

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The way it was reported to me is as follows:

On 11/16/2007, a 13 year old boy stole a Rent To Own Truck near Lancaster, Ohio...hitting three cars before hitting 4 more cars on Route 33, about one mile south of Lancaster. Life flight was involved. 3 people are in a local hospital, currently listed as critical. One of these critical is Leland's wife, Summer Dawn. Leland did not survive the accident when this 13 year old hit him. The 13 year old was taken to a nearby children's hospital. Leland was 77 years old...and was an Indian chief known world wide. For those who did not know him, he was a very compassionate and gentle man who devoted his life in the betterment of the Indian and in Indian causes. He was a teacher, a wise man, a scholar, a community and national activist, an elder, and a friend. He was truly an inspiration to many of us all. Medicine Eagle (a member on our board) and her children were the last of us to meet and coorespond with him before this happened. My mother and I are in great sorrow over this terrible news and tragic loss.

This is all I know at this time.

Again, I am sorry to report this.

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 19, 2007

I have some very sad and grave news to report to interested members.
My mother, Spirit Dancer, just called me today to report that a wonderful and great man perished Friday 11/16/2007 in a major car accident. This man was Leland Conner/Thunderhawk.
The way it was reported to me is as follows:
On 11/16/2007, a 13 year old boy stole a Rent To Own Truck near Lancaster, Ohio...hitting three cars before hitting 4 more cars on Route 33, about one mile south of Lancaster. Life flight was involved. 3 people are in a local hospital, currently listed as critical. One of these critical is Leland's wife, Summer Dawn. Leland did not survive the accident when this 13 year old hit him. The 13 year old was taken to a nearby children's hospital. Leland was 77 years old...and is a Indian chief known world wide. For those who did not know him, he was a very compassionate and gentle man who devoted his life in the betterment of the Indian and in Indian causes. He was a teacher, a wise man, a scholar, a community and national activist, an elder, and a friend. He was truly an inspiration to many of us all. My mother and I are in great sorrow over this terrible news and loss. This is all I know at this time.
Again, I am sorry to report this.

My heart is heavy, Thunderwolf.

I shall burn sage for his white Spirit.........

May the smoke be the breath of my prayers rising to the Creator.

Medicine Eagle · Nov 21, 2007

i just recieved the news. my family and i are also devistated. my sorrow is also very deep. i can't quit crying. thank you wolfie for introducing me to this great man and his sweet wife. i had not gotten to tell you about the insane trip we had yet. medicine eagle is the name he gave me. i just talked to summer dawn about flying her and leland to az, after i get there and get everybody settled. we wanted to be able to spend more time with them. i can't tell those of you who did not know him, what a very special person he was. he was a humble, kind, generous person. he would have told you that he was nothing special. but he was extrodinary. i called and got an update on summer dawn his wife. her status has been upgraded to serious from critical. i have to go i can't see the keys anymors from crying. i just felt like i should post something about this amazing man and how much the world lost with the death of this one man.

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 21, 2007

My sincere sympathy extended to you, Medicine Eagle. I am so sorry for you loss........may you be at peace, my sister.

Getaway Gal 1 · Nov 21, 2007

Medicine Eagle...My husband I helped Thunderhawk and Summer Dawn with the location for your adoption ceremony and photographed it. I have prepared a video slide show of the ceremony that I would like to send to you if you could forward your address to me. I presented Thunderhawk's children with a copy yesterday. We believe that these are the last photographs taken of him. We attended the visitation with his family yesterday, and will attend his funeral and burial this morning. This is such a terrible tragedy, but his children are comforted by the love & respect that our entire community had for Leland. The media here in both southern and central Ohio has done a wonderful job in focusing their attention on him rather than the accident, and there have been multiple testimonials about him in every format imaginable. I know that there will be a HUGE movement by our community to show their respect at the ceremony today. Summer Dawn continues in critical, but stable condition. She will have a long hard road back to health. She remains medically sedated and does not know that her husband of 53 years has passed away. The children ask only for thoughts and prayers for their mother.

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Nov 22, 2007

nov 18 2007 8:35am

lancaster, ohio - one person was killed and several others were injured friday in a crash allegedly caused by a 13-year-old boy driving a stolen delivery truck.

the crash involving five vehicles happened at about 3:40 p.m. friday on county road 33a at stump hollow road south of lancaster, 10tv news reported.

slideshow:

chopper 10 images from crash

to watch a news video on the accident, go here:

http://www.wbns10tv.com/?sec=&story=sites/10tv/content/pool/200711/332237135.html

the video link is on the top left of page.

leland conner (chief thunder hawk), 77, of logan in hocking county, died at the scene of the crash that occurred about 3:40 p.m. at the intersection of stump hollow road and lancaster road (business rt. 33) just south of lancaster.

oyate nimkte wacin yelo

(in the spirit of my people)

red tree woman

taken from: http://www.rednationsociety.com/article.php?article=519

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leland lavon conner, 77, of logan passed away friday, november 16, 2007 as a result of an auto accident in fairfield county. he was born may 9, 1930 in hocking county, son of the late foster e. and ida cullison conner.

he retired as a foreman from carborundum grinding wheel company and is an army veteran of the korean war. leland was a former logan city councilman, is president of the hocking county historical society, a volunteer at the welcome center and is chief of the continental confederation of adopted indians.

judy maniskas, the historical society’s vice president, described conner as a man who, despite having no formal education on the subject, had so much self-aqcuired knowledge in history that he was the “go-to guy” for anyone seeking information about local history.

conner wrote several articles and books, including “the vengeance of lewis wetzel,” and was especially interested in native american history, often giving talks about the subject at the hocking hills, maniskas said. conner was instrumental in getting an ohio marker placed at the salt lick trail near laurelville and worked with former first ohio lady hope taft to get a pioneer garden started at the governor’s mansion, she said.

“he was always involved in something. people were always calling him,” maniskas said. “he is not only going to by missed by the historical society, but by the entire community. … all that knowledge. we’re just grateful that he shared what he did know with us.” taken from: http://athensmessenger.com/main.asp?sectionid=1&articleid=6595

his true love was american indian history, said his friend, judy maniskas, vice president of the historical society.

conner studied and wrote extensively about american indian plant use and cooking and dressed in authentic clothing to perform ceremonies. he also was known as an authority on the area's historic canals. taken from: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/11/20/fatalkid.art_art_11-20-07_b1_rm8higi.html?sid=101

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web articles written by leland may be found here:

http://www.1800hocking.com/fastfind/index.php?query=leland+conner&submit=go&type=simple

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larry toops, lifelong friend of conner, is at a loss. he lamented that he didn't know who to ask questions on the history of the hocking hills anymore. "i've lost my main source. now who are we going to ask?"

he noted that they were planning a trip to armstrong cemetery to measure the age of an old a tree there. he said that conner believed the tree at the cemetery to be older than the one close to the logan high school which is over 600 years old. toops added, "the tree (at the cemetery) is bigger. it's a monster."

as a long-time member of the hocking county historical society, conner was instrumental in finding and donating several artifacts to the society, including multiple arrowheads he had found over the years. he even found a tooth from a mastodon which is estimated to have lived 40,000 years ago.

also at the historical society is a millstone which was used at the falls mill when it still operated along the hocking river. the millstone, which was found and donated because of conner, was originally made in france.

besides being a member of the hocking county historical society, conner also gave a lot of time to the hocking hills welcome center. according to jeri smith, manager of the welcome center, conner would volunteer whenever needed, "he would volunteer out here with us on a moment's notice. his pride and joy was his prairie garden. he always came in with a smile."

she said that he would often step onto tour buses which traveled to the area and would give guided tours to the people on board. susie mckinnon, hocking hills tourism association director of operations, said, "he was a step-on guide for a lot of tour groups. they (tour buses) would request someone that knew the area really well to go on hikes. even though he'd done it a million times before, he always got excited about doing it." besides being available to give tours on the history of the hocking hills, he also wrote several books which were sold by the tourism center for $2 apiece. the money was then donated to the tourism association.

conner wasn't just known to adults, however, because he was also loved by children in the community for his teachings. amy kabel, a third-grade teacher at laurelville elementary said of him, "he did a lot for our school district. he came to our class and talked about fossils. he was here less than one month ago."

during his discussion with kabel's classroom, many of the students liked learning about fossils so much that afterward they asked for his autograph.

kabel went on to say, "i told them about the news this morning (monday). they were really sad and had tears in their eyes. they knew him. it brings tears to my eyes to think about it. we always enjoyed having him here. he knew so much and was willing to help. he was such a good person."

conner also brought history to future generations by helping former ohio first lady hope taft start a pioneer garden at the governor's mansion in columbus.

in addition to being president of the hocking county historical society and a volunteer for the hocking hills tourism association, he was president of the continental confederation of adopted indians, was a continental chief of the smithsonian indian museum located in washington, d.c, was on the honor wall at the civil rights center located in montgomery, ala., was a member of the pipestone indian shrine association located in minnesota, a life member of the morgan trail association and even marked morgan's trail in hocking and athens counties. he was a logan tree commission member, and volunteered at the hocking valley community hospital, american heart association and audubon society. in addition to all of these things, he was also the past president of the hocking county red cross blood program and was a korean war veteran.

conner's research into the region of hocking hills has helped provide a firmer foundation for the people of the region to learn about their past. his positive attitude toward learning about history, as evidenced by the people he worked with over numerous years, will forever be remembered.

taken from:

http://www.logandaily.com/main.asp?search=1&articleid=123954&sectionid=1&subsectionid=1&s=1

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leland's name is on this wall at the civil rights memorial center in montgomery, alabama:

wall of tolerance

using interactive touch screens, visitors can find their names as they flow down the 20-by-40-foot wall of tolerance.the wall of tolerance records the names of people who have pledged to take a stand against hate, injustice and intolerance.

those who place their names on the wall make a commitment to work in their daily lives for justice, equality and human rights - the ideals for which the martyrs of the civil rights movement died.

visitors who have already taken the pledge as a part of the center's national campaign for tolerance can find their names using a control panel. those who wish to add their names to the wall of tolerance have an opportunity to take the pledge during their visit.

taken from: http://www.splcenter.org/crm/wall.jsp

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conner's death is one of those freakish tragedies that sometimes happen in this world, ample reason for the community's grief. although seventy-seven years old, he remained an active person. on top of this, everybody who knew him with whom i spoke this week described him as a good man, a nice person. his death is rightly viewed as horrible in and of itself.

but there was an added dimension to the community's grief this past week. simply, leland conner was a keeper of the past. he knew the rich history of this part of ohio. and not just the history that has unfolded since whites first came here as settlers. he also was apparently a font of information on the area's native american history. he played a vital role in preserving and passing on that history, helping give tours to some of the many visitors who come to hocking county each year and giving presentations to local students.

fortunately, conner committed some of his knowledge to several booklets, which are sold by the local historical society. (and for which he received no royalties.)

near the end of the daily news article profile of conner, reporter gretchen roberts writes:

conner's research into the region of hocking hills has helped provide a firmer foundation for the people of the region to learn about their past.

it makes me feel good to be living now in a community that values its past and that can mourn one of its local historians.

taken from: http://markdaniels.blogspot.com/2007/11/one-lesson-from-life-of-logan-man.html