John Swallow III

John Dale Swallow III was born May 8, 1963, in Pine Ridge, S.D. to John L. Swallow, Jr. and Susanna (White Wolf) Swallow.  

John was an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe (OST) and was a Fire Carrier and Tender of the Fire during ceremony. He attended Shannon County Elementary at Red Shirt, S.D., Holbrook Indian middle school in Arizona and was a 1981 graduate of Red Cloud Indian High School Pine Ridge, S.D.  He participated in boxing, wrestling, and track. In 1984 he graduated Wyoming Technical Institute in Laramie, Wyo.

John was an OST Tribal Ranger, and was employed at the U.S. Forest Service from 1989-2019.  He was also a firefighter, timber crew, forest law enforcement, security officer, and para-professional technician for USFS archeology. 

John was a superior outdoorsman who loved hiking, hunting and camping in the great outdoors. John will be dearly missed by all those who knew him.

John made his journey to the Spirit World May 12, 2024, at the University of Minnesota Health Care Center in Minneapolis, Minn. He was 61.

He was preceded in death by his father, John Swallow, Jr.; and his grandparents, John Swallow Sr. and Lizzie (Two Bulls) Swallow and Charles and Alice (Bird Eagle) White Wolf.

John is survived by his son, Forrest Swallow; mother, Susanna Swallow; uncle, Victor Swallow; siblings, Vina (Terry) Holiday, Elizabeth Swallow, Antoinette (Lance) Fast Wolf, Mary (Kelly) Knutson, Dan (Amaris) Swallow, Gene Swallow, and Cindy (Rob) Schippacase; trusted friend and former wife, Lisa Swallow; and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. 

Pallbearers are nephews-James Knutson, Oscar Swallow, Marcus Fast Wolf, Wyatt Holiday, Christian Knutson, Jack Fast Wolf, Charlie Swallow, Toby Swallow, Micah Swallow and Julian Swallow.

Honorary Pallbearers will be all friends and family.

Visitation services will be from 12:30-2 p.m. Saturday, June 1 at the Red Shirt Table School Gymnasium in Red Shirt Table.

Funeral services are 2 p.m. Saturday, June 1 at the Red Shirt Table School Gym in Red Shirt Table with Father Peter Klink, S.J., officiating. Traditional Lakota services will be performed by  Quincy Red Feather.

Burial services are at 7th Day Adventist Cemetery, Red Shirt Table.

Arrangements entrusted with the Sioux Funeral Home of Pine Ridge.