Woman of Grace
By Lila Mehlhaff

HILL CITY, South Dakota -- One of the first things you notice upon meeting Sandy Swallow (Lakota/Northern Cheyenne) is her soft, quiet voice. Hearing her speak leaves one with the impression of comfort and hominess. Like being back home for the holidays with all your relatives. Back when you were a kid and things like a house full of loved ones whose laughter and chatter filled the air were the most joyful things you could imagine.

Sandy is a woman of quiet grace whose life and work embodies the spirit of family and pride in her culture. She is a gentle, yet strong woman who has found her talents and abilities and is making quite a name for herself across the country and the world.

Sandy was born in Gordon, Nebraska to Woody and Ethel Mills Swallow who lived on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation at the time. Her father had served his country in the U.S. Navy and was a survivor of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Interestingly, her mother Ethel was a riveter at a shipyard in Oregon and met Woody there, even though they were both from Pine Ridge.

When Sandy was three, the family moved from South Dakota to Utah. She lived there for several years and moved back to live with her aunt, Josephine Hamilton on the Pine Ridge Reservation when she was sixteen. There she was taught some of the simple ways of the Lakota.

“She used to take me to powwows and taught me how to cook. We used to go Chokecherry picking and down onto the prairie to find timpsila (wild turnips). She was a real strong woman and I learned from her that a woman can be a strong person.”

-Sandy Swallow