Norman Harry, former Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe leader, dies

Norman Harry, the former leader of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, died on Tuesday. He was 65.

“This morning, my dad Norm Harry passed peacefully in his homelands of Kooyooe Pa’a,” his daughter, Autumn Harry, wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. “He began his spiritual journey surrounded by loved ones and was sent off with medicine, songs and prayers.”

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The family is planning “a crydance ceremony and drive-through procession” for Harry on the family land on Friday night, according to his daughter’s post. She said the family expects that masks will be worn and social distancing practiced.

“As much as we love seeing everyone, my mom and I ask that you respect our wishes to not hug or shake hands,” Harry wrote in her post. “We still need to protect ourselves and our relatives during this time.”

A small graveside service with immediate family is planned for Saturday morning, with a virtual celebration of life for all other family and friends to attend on Saturday afternoon, Harry’s post said.

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A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for the family. It had raised more than $13,000 by Thursday evening.

Harry said she was thankful for the extra time quarantine gave her with her father before he passed.

“Every day we laughed, fished, tended to our garden, and talked about the preservation of our homelands,” she said in her post. “I will continue to remember all these moments and carry his teachings forward the best way I can.”

Contact Alexis Ford at aford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexisdford on Twitter.