William Walks Along speaks at the Sand Creek Massacre site. A direct descendant of people who suffered in the attack, Walks Along devoted much of his life to preserving the historic site.
William Walks Along, Northern Cheyenne tribal leader and fierce advocate for his people, has died. He was 64 years old.
Walks Along was a direct descendant of individuals who suffered at the Sand Creek Massacre and dedicated much of his life to preserving the historic site. On a November morning in 1864, U.S. soldiers opened fire on the lodges of 750 Arapaho and Cheyenne tribal members who were camped near Big Sandy Creek (in present day Colorado). It’s estimated that 230 Cheyenne and Arapaho citizens were killed.
In 1996, Walks Along testified before Congress, advocating for the Sand Creek Massacre Study Act. The act, which directed the Interior Secretary, National Park Service and tribes to determine the location of the massacre and evaluate whether the site could be properly managed, became law in 1998. In 2000, President Bill Clinton signed a law establishing the Sand Creek Massacre national historic site; Walks Along attended the ceremony. For years, Walks Along participated in and supported the 173-mile Sand Creek Massacre healing run, which begins at the historic site and ends at the Colorado state capitol building — the same path the soldiers followed after the attack.
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In a tribute to Walks Along, the Sand Creek Massacre Foundation released a statement saying Walks Along’s “influence will be woven into the legacy of the Sand Creek Massacre site long into the future.”
William Walks Along speaks at the Colorado state capitol after the annual Sand Creek Massacre healing run.
Walks Along was also a fierce advocate for renewable energy. In 2021, he testified before members of Congress in opposition to profiteering coal resources on the reservation. In his speech, Walks Along said the tribe does not support coal development and sees “opportunity for economic development that is consistent with our cultural beliefs” through renewable energy.
Protecting the tribe’s land, air and water, he told Congress, “is necessary to sustain the spirit of our Northern Cheyenne Nation.”
Jenny Harbine, managing attorney at Earthjustice, worked with Walks Along on several energy initiatives. She described Walks Along as mischievous, clever and graceful, saying he was immensely respected.
“For me and my team, when we talk about William, we talk about really learning the values of partnership,” she said. “In law, you always act in partnership with the clients you’re working with. With William, it was really a question of following his lead. Following the tribe’s lead. He taught us the value of respecting the leadership of people who have been the fiercest advocates and a moral compass on the issues we collectively care about.”
Many describe Walks Along as a “tireless advocate.” And he was. He was speaking at a clean energy event in California when he died.
Council leadership
Walks Along served the Northern Cheyenne Tribe for three decades in various roles, including president, vice president, administrator, director of natural resources, councilman, grant writer, consultant and paralegal.
Lawrence Jace Killsback, who later married Walks Along’s niece Emily, served on the council with Walks Along. At the time, the council still primarily spoke in the Cheyenne language, and at 25 years old, Killsback had a lot to learn about tribal government.
Lawrence "Jace" Killsback said William Walks Along was a mentor to him on the tribal council.
“There was no orientation,” Killsback recalled. “No ‘here’s how the constitution works.’ Or ‘here’s how to be a leader.’ Instead, (Walks Along) would sit by me when we had discussions so I could ask him questions.”
After his time on the council, Walks Along continued to serve the tribe in other roles for decades. His consistency is especially remarkable considering that in many tribal communities, frequent council elections often prompt massive employee turnover.
“Everybody trusted him,” Killsback said. “Usually, new presidents change all the political appointment positions (when they take office). But he was stable. He withstood that revolving door of politics, all those changes in leadership.”
Killsback said he was particularly struck by Walks Along’s ability to trace present challenges back to past policy.
“He knew how to connect those dots, historically,” Killsback said. “He had archives and family history. He had a wealth of knowledge and expertise that we lost. … It’s been a tough loss for Indian Country, not just for the tribe.”
Early life
Walks Along was born in 1959 to Joe Sr. and Victoria Walks Along. He was their third of eight children — seven of whom were boys.
The Walks Along children frequented the Mennonite church in Lame Deer, where their father was a minister. James Walks Along, William’s brother, remembers sitting in church listening to his father’s stories.
“He told us we need to protect our language and culture,” James recalled. “And that the way to do it is through education. All of us got educated. We did that to support our people. And that’s what my brother was about. He spent a lifetime supporting our people.”
Walks Along later earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from Washington State University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Montana State University. He was the chair of the Lame Deer School Board when he died.
Many of his family members said Walks Along inspired and encouraged them to pursue higher education.
Cinnamon Kills First, one of his nieces, said when she graduated as valedictorian from Lame Deer High School, Walks Along gave her a Northern Cheyenne flag.
In this file photo, blue skies can be seen above the Northern Cheyenne flag in Lame Deer.
“Now, with the internet, you can buy a flag anywhere,” she said. “But 20 years ago, it was special to have one. It was special to be honored by my uncle. I always remained connected to home, and it was a visual reminder that my people supported me.”
Kills First took the flag with her to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. It now hangs in her Oregon home.
Walks Along officially met his wife, Clarice, in 2000, though Clarice said she’d always known of him. Later, they had “the best wedding possible,” as Clarice says, in Lame Deer.
William Walks Along and his wife Clarice were married for almost 20 years.
‘Defend our people’
Emily Killsback, another niece, said she always looked up to Walks Along.
“That man was always working out, pumping iron on grandma’s front lawn,” she laughed. “He was the cool uncle.”
Walks Along was the first person Emily knew who owned a laptop. She remembers watching him type at the kitchen table, flipping through binders bursting with paperwork. He was also the first person she knew who had a master’s degree.
“Getting a master’s degree back then was unheard of around here,” she said. “He set an educational standard within our family and within our tribe.”
When Walks Along died, Emily said the community was shaken.
“It was like, ‘How are we going to move forward?’” she said. “Where is our leader? He was the backbone of our tribal government.”
As she looked through old text messages from her uncle, one in particular stood out.
In 2018, he wrote to her: “I would give my life to defend our people.”
“And that’s who he was,” she said.
