Hubert Nelson Friday

Hubert "Hugh" Nelson Friday was born to Chester Owl Friday and Winnie Effie Trosper Friday, June 17, 1936, in Fort Washakie, Wyoming. He passed away on September 26, 2024, at his home, surrounded by his family. He was a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, and his Arapaho name was White Eagle "Nii'eihii Nookeih". Hugh had many friends, and he had a unique sense of humor. He was very personable and had a personality of his own.

Wake will be held Monday, September 30th, 2024 at 7 pm at Blue Sky Hall in Ethete. He will be brought home after the services at 230 Plunket Road. Funeral services at Blue Sky Hall, Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 at 10:00 am with burial at Friday Cemetery. Horse riders are welcome to escort Hugh to his final resting place.

He attended St. Michael's Mission school where Coach Mike "Hose" Wilson recognized his basketball skills and pushed him to keep playing. Hugh never stopped speaking his language which would result in him doing dishes and going to bed without dinner. He attended Fremont County Vocational High School in Lander, Wyoming and was coached and mentored by Jack King. While there he holds the record for the All-Time Record Points in a game (1955-56), before there were 3-point shots, he scored more points than the whole Riverton team. Hugh holds the All-Time Records for Field Goals in a Game (1955-56), Free Throws Made in a Career (1952-56) and Free Throws Made in a Season (1955-56), for which he was provided a piece of the original gym floor. He was inducted into the FCVHS/LVHS Alumni Hall of Fame in 2004. He was recognized by the Riverton Ranger "Top Ten of the Century Series" as one of three Top Male Athletes of the Century in 1999. Hugh attended Northwest Community College in Powell, Wyoming where he received a scholarship to play basketball. He received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Wind River Tribal College.

Hugh was a member of the PRCA, INFR, NFR and WRA. He was a saddle bronc rider, team roper and calf roper throughout his lifetime. He competed until he was 64 years old across the country including Arizona, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Texas. He was honored at the Northern Arapaho Rodeo in 2017 in Riverton, Wyoming. Hugh traveled all over the country with the independent basketball team, the Wind River Indians and brought home several trophies from championships and MVPs.

Hugh worked at Mill Creek Elementary School as a home school coordinator and coach; he moved to Amarillo, Texas and worked at the stockyard; he moved home and then worked at Conoco Oil Fields Circle Ridge until he retired after over 20 years. Hugh was a member of the Northern Arapaho Business Council for three terms, Fremont County School District #14 School Board and Wind River Housing Board. Hugh worked as a tribal consultant prior 1997, before Tribal Historic Preservation Office was established.  As a tribal consultant, he worked on preserving cultural sites, ancestors and advocating for tribal inclusion. One of Hugh's main points maintained were tribal teachings that support scientific study, but also the real importance of the Arapaho language. Hugh and tribal colleagues coined the term Traditional Ecological Knowledge that is used widely today at a national level when indigenous knowledge is talked and written about. Hugh worked on presentation of many cultural sites locally, statewide and nationally. The Black Hills were important to Hugh amongst many sites vital to the Arapaho like Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado, The Council Tree where his grandpa Peace Chief Friday was intricate in speaking for Arapaho people in Colorado and following Indian battles. He preserved and held this knowledge of his grandpa Friday as well as had a strong sense of Arapaho Identity. Hugh also worked on projects to preserve water ways in Colorado- Cache La Poudre River, vital preservation efforts in Estees Park in the management of cultural sites but tribal input to management of the park. Hugh worked on reburials of Arapaho identified ancestors in Colorado and amongst the nation in Federal museums and was a vital component in the Carlisle Repatriation. Hugh knowledge of language and culture had become very needed when it came to preserving Arapaho artifacts, ancestors and land-based projects. Hugh worked with many federal agencies- Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Forest Service, WY/CO Air Force and military bases, state and tribal entities amongst so many cultural landscapes. Hugh's legacy in preservation had vital implications today in the process in NAGPRA, and Section 106 Consultations. Hugh was a vital elder when it came to reburial of ancestors by following Arapaho protocol and NAGPRA process. He helped establish and was an advisory board member for the Northern Arapaho Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) and was an integral part of the families that participated in the repatriation of Arapaho children, including his great great grandfather Little Plume whose father was Chief William Friday. Hugh was featured in the documentary "Home from School: The Children of Carlisle" in 2021.

He is preceded in death by his parents; his wife Alberta "Tiny" and wife Elizabeth "Betty"; brothers Duane Friday and Chester Friday; sisters, Irene Mountain Sheep, Estelle Dodge, Theresa Friday, Corrine Revere, Elaine Hill and Zette Underwood; children Hubert Herman Friday and Baby Girl Friday; son Corey Shakespeare; daughter Sharon Thayer; grandchildren Ryan and Kennard Bird Burnette and one great grandson Jeffery Brown; nephew Stanford and Alan Dean Friday; George Groesbeck and nieces Angela, Rennette, Deann and Carlene Friday, Lynell Addison ; HIs Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Bridget Trosper; brothers Byran, Willie, Kennath "Butch", Truman and Merton Trosper; brother Darwin St. Clair. Aunts Hazel Sage; Verna Thunder and Caroline Goggles; Crow brother Dicky White Clay and brother Dan Brown; and niece, Addie Dodge.

He is survived by children Johnny (Michelle) Hugh Friday, Julie (John) Kutch, Chanda Friday, Fawna (Ruben) Sanchez, Justin (Shannon) Friday, Arlene (Mike) Menges, Joette and Western "Gus" Thayer; 27 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren; and 4 great great grandchildren; sister Linda (Howard) Hurtado; God child Sanford (Donna) Friday; nieces Aleta (Dennis) Whiteman, Elizabeth Theresa Friday, Terry Friday Garrow, Jolene (Byron) Makeshine, Lowayne Friday, Colleen (Adrienne) Friday, Christina Friday; nephews Nolan (Rae) Friday and Solo (Kimberly) Friday. The families of Friday, Trosper, Sage, Thunder, St. Clair, Goggles, Brown, Hanway, Hurtado, Gambler, Hill, Underwood, White, Revere, Groesbeck, Dodge, Harris, Redman, Dixey, Burnette, Givens, Realbird, Lawson, Spoonhunter and all his Sundance grandsons. If you were not mentioned, we apologize, and our thoughts and prayers are always with you.

Please sign the online guestbook: hudsonsfh.com