A Tribute
By Mark Gordon
My beloved friend and brother, Blue Spruce Standing Deer, recently lost a long courageous battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis, an incurable lung disease. Even in his last few days on earth, he brought family, friends, and colleagues together much as a beautiful sunset will bring admirers at the end of the day. His father was a medicine man for his tribe, and once told his son, “I am a medicine man for our tribe, but you are a medicine man for the world.” Although he struggled for years to grasp the larger meaning of his father’s observation, in the end he lived it.
I moved from California to New Mexico in 2012 to write, produce and direct “Awakening in Taos,” a documentary for PBS about the life and legacy of Mabel Dodge Lujan, a champion for native rights and a patroness for artists of vision. Because Standing Deer’s father was the adopted grandson of Mabel’s Tiwa Indian husband, Tony Lujan, Standing Deer knew them intimately and became a valuable resource for the film. In the process, he became like a brother, and I am blessed to have had ten years of Standing Deer’s close friendship along with his wife, Marti White Deer Song.
As I got to know Standing Deer, I learned the value of an extended family, and he called me “little brother.” It became apparent as I worked on the film about Mabel Dodge Lujan, that there was an inspirational story in his life as well. He has carried forward the legacy and cultural struggles of Mabel Dodge Lujan and Tony Lujan to another generation. For this reason, his story is especially relevant as native people seek their rightful place in the identity of our nation. Standing Deer was a complex human being and in his 75 years went through many changes. After high school, he was recruited into the Urban Relocation Program by the BIA and relocated to San Jose, California where he became a welder rather than following his father’s path as a Medicine Man.
It is likely that breathing welding fumes caused the illness that darkened his later years. However, his art continued to evolve as his physical strength waned. His last years were his most creative and inspired. I believe his life and legacy carry an important story for our time. In this way he lives on. I started this film when Standing Deer was very much involved and now I am more committed than ever to telling his story. Please visit our website about the film “Man of Many Colors” at www.MOMC.tv . If you find this story significant and captivating, please consider an online donation to the film so that we can send this story into the world.
Mark Gordon, Producer/Director