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Nipo Strongheart


Nipo Strongheart (1891 - 1966) on the right in a crop from a still from Tyrone Powers' PONY SOLDIER (20C Fox, 1952).

Strongheart was an adopted member of the Yakama tribe, and his movie work began in silent films.

In a Hollywood career that spanned 40+ years, he was a technical advisor / director and a respected lecturer, authority, and activist on Native American life and culture.

He passed away on December 30, 1966 at the Motion Picture Country Hospital, Woodland Hills, California.

The Yakima Nation Cultural Center wrote a biography / chronology on Nipo Strongheart. Excerpt:

"May 15, 1891 - Nipo Tach Num Strongheart was born in White Swan, Washington to George and Leonora (Williams) Mitchell ..."

However, there are other bios which have George Mitchell, Jr. as his birth name.


(Courtesy of Ken Jones)


  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on Nipo Strongheart: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0835072/

Death and funeral notice in the January 5, 1967 Los Angeles Times: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-death-and-funeral/124249497/

Washington State University's Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation, Mukurtu.org and in partnership with WSU's Native American Programs, has some Nipo Strongheart photos: https://plateauportal.libraries.wsu.edu/people/nipo-strongheart

Yakima Valley Libraries collection has about a dozen Nipo Strongheart photos: https://archives.yvl.org/handle/20.500.11867/18/browse?type=subject&value=Portraits--Strongheart%2C+Nipo%3B

Nipo Strongheart bio at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nipo_T._Strongheart


Find A Grave has a photo of the marker for Nipo T. Mitchell Strongheart who is interred at Smohalla Cemetery, Toppenish, Yakima County, Washington: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/32526440/nipo-t-strongheart

Names and inscription on his marker:

Nee-Hah-Pouw  Tach-Num  Chtu-Tum-Nah
Nipo T. Strongheart
May 15, 1891 - December 30, 1966



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