Leonard (La Viscount) FourHawks

Leonard FourHawks, proud member of the Mohawk and Cheyenne Nations has left this earth to begin his journey to the ancestors and the stars. He was 90, and was ready to take his rest. Born in New York city, where his father worked high steel, the family eventually moved to Long Island. At the age of 17, Leonard chose to follow the Warrior tradition of serving and protecting his people and his country and enlisted in the Navy, where he served as an Electrician’s Mate on the Battleship New Jersey during the Korean War. After the war, he returned to Long Island to continue his electrical work, and had a career that spanned from working in the NYC subway system to becoming an electrical engineer and project manager at the VA Medical Center in Manhattan. During this time span, Leonard also enlisted and served in the Navy SeaBees during the earliest days of Vietnam, and after his hitch, enlisted in the Navy Reserve, serving until his honorable discharge in 1991.

In 1984, he first met Amalia at a Native American event. Their love was immediate and they knew that out of all the humans in the universe they had found each other, their soulmate, their partner, the other half of their heart. They married in September of 1985 during the time of the equinox, a time when the day and night are exactly equal, as their marriage was to be. They lived in New Jersey while he continued his work at the VA Manhattan. After a serious injury forced his retirement, he and Amalia decided to return to the thing that made them both happiest – working as Native American artisans and traveling to powwows and art shows all over the country. For years they lived on the road, sharing adventures, seeing wonderous parts of the country. While visiting and living with different Native communities, Leonard would often spend time sharing some of the traditional old Mohawk cultural stories and learning their tribal stories in turn. This became a large part of his life, collecting and sharing these old stories, and he took on the responsibility of becoming a Storyteller, responsible for keeping the oral traditions alive. He was invited to many venues around the country to share those stories and was often a featured part of Native events.

Eventually, they came to be with family in the Northampton area, and opened FireHawk Native American Studio in Florence. After 13 years in retail, the business shifted to online, and Leonard had time to pursue some outside interests. He had always loved Look Park, and when a Ranger position was offered, he had the chance to work outdoors in his favorite place. With his long, braided hair and easy smile, he was a well-known figure around the park, and made many friends in his career. He also took the opportunity to become legally ordained and had the honor of officiating at many secular and spiritual weddings and funerals all over New England.

Leonard also loved art and being around people, which made a position at the Smith College Museum a perfect job for him. Known as “The Guard with the Braids”, he delighted in showing guests some of his favorite paintings, and in his off hours would look up and study the artists and their work.

Leonard also maintained his place as an Elder in the local Native community. He took seriously his responsibility to educate people about the living Native culture, to be well spoken and well dressed; to be a mentor and a dignified and respectable leader. He spoke about Native issues at events and before Congress, supporting Native rights, and the contributions of Native American veterans.

He was proud of his military service, and was a member of the Vietnam Era Veterans Inter-Tribal Association, serving in the Honor Guard for parades, military funerals, and as a Presidential escort during the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. He was a lifetime member of the Naval Enlisted Reserve Assoc and a member of the VFW Post 8006 of Florence.

Once again, at the time of the September equinox, when day and night are equal, with his goals met and his work done, Leonard has now gone to his rest. He leaves his wife of 40 years, Amalia FourHawks, his tribal son and trusted friend Bill Myers, his two beloved “sons-of-his-heart” Rob and McKey Carpenter, and the entire tribal community of the Northeast who he loved as his own family.

Ceremonies to celebrate his life will be at the Ahearn Funeral Home on Bridge Road in Northampton on October 4, 2025. Calling hours are from 10-11, ceremony from 11 to 12, followed by a procession through his beloved Look Park, and a gathering for food and laughter and release at the Florence VFW.

We wish to thank the amazing, caring and supportive doctor, nurses and staff of the CLC skilled nursing facility of the VA Medical Center in Leeds for the love and kindness they provided for the past years.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the American Indian College Fund (www.collegefund.org) to Look Park (www.lookpark.org) or to any charity that you feel