Louis Keith Taylor – 1945-2016
Louis Keith Taylor was born Oct. 12,
1945, at home in Rogers, Ark. He passed
away Sept. 23, 2016, at age 70 at St.
Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his
father, Robert Louis Taylor, and his broth-
ers, Robert Lloyd Taylor and Tony Martin
Jr. He leaves behind his wife, Joanne Tay-
lor, and her sons, Catlyn and Tyson Storm.
Additional surviving family members
include his mother, Agnes Baker Pilgrim;
brother, Darelle “Dino” Butler; sisters,
Sonja Taylor, Nadine Martin and Ramona
Hudson; children, John Harrington, Katrina
Sims, Creed Taylor, Dawn Taylor, “Stormy”
Taylor Widmark and Georgina Taylor
Douangdao. He also helped raised Jaimoe
Kibby, Jasmine Kaye and Brandy Kibby.
In addition, he helped raise a few of
his grandchildren, Kimberly Edwards,
Keyontae Taylor and Kody Kibby. His
other grandchildren are Charlotte, Diana
and Grace Harrington; Robert and Zhon-
tae Sims; Hanna and Andrea Taylor;
Kaleb, Kanaan, Kyla and Kwest Perez;
Thavone Douangdao; Kayla Sydthong;
Faith, Hope and Jaimoe Jr. Kibby; Jessie
Widmark; and Harmony Taylor, as well as
three great-grandchildren and numerous
nieces and nephews.
He lived in California for more than
30 years. In his early professional career,
he worked for the State of California
as a parole officer in counties like Los
Angles and Humboldt, from which he
later retired.
He also served as a certified Tribal
judge for the Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians. He was instrumental in
bringing the sweat ceremony to American
Indian inmates. During these years, he
also worked as a lawyer and helped many
people in Indian Country.
He established The Center for Indian
Law and Justice to ensure indigenous
people were treated with dignity and fair-
ness. He helped many Tribes establish
their rights as American Indian people.
He spoke for and was chairman of the
Human Rights Commission of Humboldt
County. He taught at police academies
throughout the nation. Further, he also was
elected chief of police for the Hoopa Tribe.
He was a master regalia maker – tan-
ning hides, stitching leather, creating
horsehair roaches and bustles, doing
beadwork, preparing and preserving eagle
feathers, and many more things. He was a
skilled horse trainer and rider.
He was proud to be a member of the
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.
13 th Annual NAYA
Gala & Auction
Paddling into the Next Journey
Courtesy photo
Louis Keith Taylor
Throughout his life, he was a traditional
Native man and never wavered from this
way of life. He held a black belt in the mar-
tial arts and had sparred with Bruce Lee.
A memorial was held in Eureka on
Oct. 2, followed by a traditional wake and
funeral in Siletz, Ore., on Oct. 3. He was
interred at the Paul Washington Cemetery
of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indi-
ans in Siletz and was laid to rest by the
graves of his brothers Robert Taylor and
Tony Martin Jr.
The family is very much appreciative
to Dino Butler and his family for conduct-
ing the wake and to the Siletz elders for
hosting the meal after the funeral.
Donations can be made to the Go
Fund Me account for Keith Taylor to assist
with costs associated with the funeral.
Join us for an evening of ornate
surprises and come together to sup-
port Portland’s Native community on
Nov. 11 from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at the
Portland Art Museum.
Our services impact more than
10,000 American Indian youth and
families annually. Event proceeds
allow us to deliver culturally relevant
services for youth, families and elders.
Without your support and investment,
we would not be able to provide our
community with opportunities to
reach their goals, access educational
resources, buy their first home, learn
and teach culture, or find stability for
their loved ones and families.
Together we will share an
indigenous-inspired dinner, enjoy
special performances and support
NAYA’s work through a silent and live
auction featuring American Indian art
and experience packages.
For more information and to
register, visit nayagala.org/ or contact
JR Lilly at jrlilly@nayapdx.org or
503-288-8177 ext. 277.
Siletz Valley Fire District Open House
Photos by Diane Rodriquez
Above: April Middaugh, RC Mock and Nick Rivera
Below: Jenny Demaris, Max Hoover, Rick Olson and Leah Suitter
Bottom right: Tori Johnson
Top right: Candace Ford and Kathy Kentta
10
•
Siletz News
•
November 2016
Oct. 20, 2016 • Siletz, Oregon
