Dennis Robert Jennings

Dennis Robert Jennings, Sac and Fox and Quapaw, passed away at his home on Monday, June 20, 2022. He was seventy-six years old. Dennis was born in Tulsa on December 18, 1945, to Mary Olene Baker Jennings and Edwin C. Jennings. He was a citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation and was also of Quapaw heritage through his mother. Dennis was of the Bear Clan in the Sac and Fox Nation and his name is Me cli ak. He had been an active participant in Sauk ceremonies since returning to Oklahoma. Dennis was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He served from August 1963 through July 1966 in "A" Battery, 5th Battalion, 81st Artillery, 8th Division, as part of NATO forces in Germany. He was proud of having had the opportunity to parachute out of airplanes through his service in the airborne artillery and also proud that during his time in the military he traveled to Germany, Denmark, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy, all before he was 21 years old. A vocal advocate for Native American rights, Dennis was an activist throughout his life. As a university student, he helped start Indian Clubs on each campus that he attended. He later worked for several organizations that advocated for indigenous rights, including Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity (OIO), the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and the International Indian Treaty Council, an NGO which produced information about indigenous peoples for the United Nations Human Rights Commission and Committee on Indigenous Populations. During his time as a social worker, he focused on serving Indians and was glad to help secure assistance for their needs. Dennis consistently and actively worked for Indian people his whole life. A person of varied interests and skills, Dennis worked as a silkscreen printer, an offset lithographer, a carpenter, and a teacher, including as an adjunct Professor of Indian Literature Studies. He traveled a lot, to Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, He is survived by his long-time partner, Gwen Wilburn, daughter Shawna Spoon, sisters Melissa Jennings, Stella Nullake and Nancy Nullake, brothers Tomi Calderon and Anthony Calderon, grandchildren Jeremy and Madison Johnson, and nephew Nicholas Jennings, along with several other nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Don, Dan and Mike, and his son Alan. Dennis' bright spirit will be fondly remembered by a host of relatives and friends. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 23, 2022, at Stafford-Shapp Family Cemetery. Condolences can be expressed at www.parksbrothers.net. Services are in the care of Parks Brothers Funeral Service, Prague, Oklahoma.