Memorial services began today in the village of Supai for Rex Tilousi, a longtime leader of the Havasupai Tribe. Tilousi advocated against uranium mining near the Grand Canyon and snowmaking at the Arizona Snowbowl ski area in Flagstaff.
Public memorial events are scheduled over the weekend at Grand Canyon National Park where Tilousi had been a cultural interpreter. He attended the Sedona Mission School, Fort Apache Boarding School and Phoenix Indian School. Tilousi attended Haskell Indian Nations in Lawrence, Kansas before returning to Supai to care for his mother. He served as a tribal leader for more than 30 years as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the small tribe that lives deep within the Grand Canyon. Tilousi died last week of natural causes at the age of 73, according to his family.
