Sally Henry, age 84, of Belcourt, ND passed away on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at the Belcourt Hospital, Belcourt, ND.

Sally Barbara Dionne was her Christian name, her Manitou name Isiinebek Aqway .. Hard as a Rock Woman. She entered into this world on a cold day in January 1934…January the 9 ^th . Mom was born to Joseph Dionne and Julia Kanick (Walking with Thunder)….she had 4 sisters and 2 brothers that lived on the east side of the rez about 3 miles from Rolla.

Raised in the depression and ww2 on the rez you can imagine the hardships she and her family endured just to survive… she lost sisters to TB. She went to Houle School until she was to stay home and help with housework. My mother worked all her life, not in the office but cleaning, washing, cooking and babysitting. My mum made the best le gullet and big fry bread that we ate many many times growing up.

She met my father Edwin J. Henry..his manitou name is Hot Day Man, at a dance in Rolla when she was 16… they married in 1953 and started to have 10 children..3 boys and 7 girls. Mum is a direct descendant of Anishinaabe Ogema Little Shell or Esens and my father direct descendant of Anishinaabe Ogema Mishko Makwa or Red Bear.

Mom and dad made a life first at construction and dairy farming. I grew up in the country with livestock that we butchered for food and dad and my younger brother went hunting deer, geese, rabbits and ducks.

My father then got into politics and led our people for many years. While my father's job would see him travel, meet 3 presidents and many trips away from home…by the time I was in 7 ^th grade I became the oldest in the house as all my older siblings had moved out by then. Mum was a housewife and mother.. all her life was hard work cooking, cleaning and raising us. So, she didn't get to fly around the country or shop in big fancy stores but kept us in clothes and food and taught me to work along with my father.

Mum loved to go to powwows and watch her children and relation dance in the circle.  She also loved to jig and listen to the fiddle. She would tell me how she would go to what they called bush dances to jig. She was an active very hard-working woman. I couldn't imagine 10 children to love and care for. But like her spirit name suggests she did it most of her life…children…grandchildren and great grandchildren.

My mum had her faults as we all do but I am 1000 percent certain that she will be in paradise with the Lord and her loved ones that have made the journey ahead of her.

Sally is survived by her ten children, Larry (Kathy) Henry, Rosie (Ken) Davis, Debbie (Dewey) Hosie, Sharon (Terry) Elk, Theresa (Kenard) Parker, Martin Henry, Robert Henry, Julia (Jerry Brien) Henry, Roxanne Henry, and Nancy Henry; and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings.

Funeral Services will be held in the spring of 2021.

Elick Funeral Home, Rolla, ND.