Gabriel Horn
Age - 76
December 1, 2023
Gabriel Horn (White Deer of Autumn), Indigenous award-winning author and educator, activist for the spiritual rights of Indigenous people and outspoken defender of the natural world, father and grandfather, husband and son, transitioned into the Great Mystery (Gitche-Manitou) in the presence of loved ones on November 3, 2023, at the age of 76. He was raised by his uncles, Nippawanock and Metacomet, and Nippawanock's mother, Princess Red Wing of the Narragansett Tribe/Wampanoag Nation. Their roles in his childhood powerfully directed Gabriel's cultural, spiritual, and academic education. They bestowed Gabriel his Indigenous name, White Deer of Autumn, and placed him on the path of seeking his vision, which guided him for the rest of his life. Gabriel's career as an educator began at the Wyoming Indian High School. He later established himself as a teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend for those who attended the American Indian Movement Survival schools, Red School House and Heart of the Earth, in Minnesota while active with the American Indian Movement (AIM). While in Minnesota, he proudly served as the American Indian Center's Cultural Arts Director in Minneapolis. In the years following, he moved to Florida where he taught at both secondary and post-secondary academic institutions while always providing a voice for children, the natural world, and integrity for indigeneity. Gabriel would earn a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Florida and a Master of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing from Norwich University/Vermont College of Fine Arts before becoming a tenured English professor at St. Petersburg College. Gabriel, however, also lectured and wrote curriculum for classes on Native American culture and history, together with nature writing, literature, creative writing, and composition at various colleges and universities, including his Alma Matres, as well as other esteemed institutions such as Eckerd College and The Poynter Institute for Media Studies. He received many professional accolades throughout his teaching career, including Who's Who Among American Teachers, The University of South Florida's Distinguished Alumni Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement, and Faculty Emeritus at St. Petersburg College. Within the pages of his many literary contributions, Gabriel's vision extended beyond the four classroom walls. His writings span four decades and appear nationally and internationally in countless journals, articles, literary anthologies, and college texts, as well as numerous adult and children's books he authored that span several genres, notably fiction and nonfiction, but also include short stories, poetry, and playwriting. While Gabriel was also featured on radio and television programs, such as NPR and PBS, it is his books that remain commemorative of his heart, mind, and vision. His long list of literary achievements seems innumerable, but some notable accolades include his illustrated book for children, The Great Change, which was chosen for the Kennedy Center's Multicultural Children's Book Festival; his contributions to The American Eagle, which was selected by the George H. W. Bush administration as a Gift-of-State and was presented to Queen Elizabeth II; Transcendence, a novel he co-authored with his wife and winner of the 2012 National Indie Excellence Award for Visionary Fiction; and one of his most recent works, Motherless, which garnered the 2015 bronze medalist Florida Book Award, and the 2016 International Book Awards for Multicultural Fiction. This short list of honors and accolades not only underscores the immense impact of his contributions to the field of literature, academia, the environment, and indigenous communities' cultures and traditions but will continue to do so for all those who continue to read and hear his words, both in their heart and in each gentle breath of Mother Earth. From reservation schools to public schools, colleges and universities, through his writing and teachings, Gabriel was an unwavering advocate for academic respect due the history, literature, and philosophy of Native America. His vision lives on with his wife, three children, their spouses and grandchildren. "Only the Sky and Earth will last," the old man sang. Only Sky and Earth and the Sun, Moon, and the stars will be here when everything else is gone. " - Gabriel Horn (White Deer of Autumn, The Book of Ceremonies) )Show more
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