Victoria Hennrietta Bad Bear

Victoria Henrietta Bad Bear went to the other side camp on Monday, November 17, 2025.

Her Crow name was 'Baa Kuxsshisitchcheeesh' Likes to Help, was born on May 7, 1945 to the late Dessie Old Coyote-Bad Bear and Ira Nelson Bad Bear. She had a twin brother, Victor and they were named by her mom's eldest brother, the late Henry Old Coyote who served in WW2. He chose those names because of Victory Day. Victoria was active in the Big Horn District events. She was a proud member of the Whistling Water Clan and she was a child of the Piegan Clan. She made sure to know who her clan elders were and treated them with the utmost respect. She also had quite the sense of humor and enjoyed teasing with her fellow Piegan kids.

Victoria attended schools in Crow Agency, Hardin and Chilocco Indian School in Oklahoma and later received her GED in Missoula, Mt. She obtained her Nursing License and graduated from Little Big Horn College. Victoria had a strong work ethic. She worked at the Indian Health Service, US Census Bureau and was an assembly worker for the US Automatics in Crow Agency. She worked over 18 years at the Crow Tribal Head Start in various positions. She started out as a bus driver, a counselor and as a Health and Disability Coordinator where she utilized her nursing skills by conducting screenings and reports while she traveled to the different Head Start Centers on the Crow Indian Reservation.

Victoria was raised in a traditional Apsaalooke home and she actively participated in Crow Ceremonial and Social events such as powwows, hand-games, sweat lodge, parade dance and although she was not a member of the Tobacco Society, she was well educated in the proper customs and procedures since she attended and observed from the time she was a young girl. When she was little, she was known as a Kaanishpaapite, for being raised by her maternal grandmother. Victoria was well known for her beautiful beadwork and she was asked many times to make and sell her beadwork, but mostly declined because she didn't want to get into the business of doing so. She said she just wanted to bead for her family and she made sure that her loved ones were well provided for. She took pride in watching her siblings, elder family members, children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren actively participating in the Crow ceremonial and social dances and parades wearing her beaded outfits that she made. She was also very strict and meticulous when it came to her loved ones' appearance, making sure that the outfits were Crow Style and the young ladies' hair was properly braided. As per Crow Tribal custom, Victoria outfitted many daughters and sisters-in-laws and sons-in-laws.

Victoria lived up to her Crow name, by always helping out whenever she could. She was an exceptional cook and house cleaner. She was taught to make traditional foods such as pemmican, dried meat, berry pudding, corn balls, iisshbua and sheebola. She helped raise her brothers' kids. She raised Wendell's daughter, Chrystal, from the time she was 1 years old. She and her sister, Shirleen helped raised their brother Henry's offspring, Sasha, Cheney, Kami, Angus and Stormy Bad Bear. She assisted her Mother, Grandmother and big brothers and sisters in all of their activities such as Sun Dances, Peyote Meetings, Tobacco Society Dances and Adoptions. Victoria was not a member of the Armed Forces, but she was taught to respect and was very proud of her family members who were. She was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, Apsaalooke Post #5503. This post was formed by her late Big Brother, Lloyd Mickey Old Coyote. She was a fluent Crow Speaker and she worked with Dr. Hugh Matthews in the Bilingual Program as a Translator. Because of her deep knowledge of the Crow Tribal practices and customs, she worked for the Crow Tribe in the Cultural Department alongside the late George Reed, Jr. during the Carl Venne, Cedric Black Eagle and Darrin Old Coyote Administrations.

Victoria helped out and participated as much as she possibly could, until her health started to decline these past few years. She was gifted with a beautiful singing voice and was a 'champion' back up singer for her big brothers, the Mad Dog Singers, Big Horn District Hand-gamers and serenade singers. She was raised with the late Lloyd Kayo Old Horn-Old Coyote and she sang 49 and serenade songs with him that he composed. She was given the rite to make traditional Elk tooth necklaces. She was also given the rite to go out on the dance floor from a lady member of the Day Time Hot Dance. Long ago, women were not allowed on the dance floor, only the men.

Victoria was preceded in death by her parents, her twin brother Victor and brothers Ira Lindsey, Nelson and Henry Bad Bear. Maternal grandparents, Mae Takes Gun-Old Coyote Childs and Barney Old Coyote, Sr and Al Childs. Paternal Grandparents, Thomas and Elvira Eagle Bad Bear. Life time friend, Pamela Little Light and Sarah House. Adopted mother, Agnes Cummins. Grandfather George Bad Bear and his children, Herman, Dickie and David Padgett Bad Bear and Marjorie Bad Bear-Wilkinson. She was a direct descendant of Chief Sits in the Middle of the Land who was instrumental in the signing of the Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1868.

She is survived by her sons, Ryan (Sherri) Fitzpatrick and Bernard Bad Bear and daughter Chrystal Bad Bear. Brothers; Clayton Randy (Harriet) Harlan Ken and Wendell Bad Bear and Ernie Magill. Sisters; Shirleen Hill and Thomasine Begaye and Miriam Old Coyote, Melodee Reed, Lillian Penny Doyle-Bad Bear and Dawn Shea Reed. Granddaughter, Vashti Fitzpatrick, whom she helped raise and Grandson, Christopher Bad Bear. Adopted Grandchildren; Andrew, Nina, Jorie and Asante Plenty Hawk. Great-grandchildren; Riley, Rattler and Mailei Desjarlais and Christa, Isaac, Aubrey. Chris, Jr. and Mae Bad Bear. Uncle Byron Bad Bear and adopted sisters, Carol Good Luck, Jeanine Other Medicine and Iva Bull Shows and adopted son, Clyde Pretty Paint.

Surviving Families include: Offspring of the late Henry Old Coyote, Susie Old Coyote-Old Horn, Barney Old Coyote, Jr. Lloyd Mickey Old Coyote and Johnny Old Coyote on her maternal side. Offspring of the late Elvira Bad Bear-Alden, Darlene Bad Bear-Eastman, Annie Jo Cashen, Charlotte Bad Bear, Thomas 'Mack' Bad Bear and the Demont Johnson family of Idaho and the Fox family of North Dakota. Bad Bear, Old Coyote, Old Horn, Hogan, Yellowtail, Takes Gun, Big Hair, Smart Enemy, Tobacco, White Clay, Gun Shows, Sees the Ground, Bird Hat, House, Other Black Bird, Old Crow, Lincoln and Beads Don't Mix. Our Family is large and please forgive us if we left anyone out during our time of grief.

The family would like to thank the Doctors and Nurses at the Billings Dialysis Center for the care given to our loved one.