Saginaw Grant, Native American character, dies at 85

Los Angeles – Saginaw Grant, the prolific Native American actor and hereditary head of the Sac and Fox Nation, has died in Oklahoma. He was 85 years old.

Lanny Carmichael, Grant’s publicist and longtime friend, said Grant died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes on Wednesday at a special care facility in Hollywood, California.

“He loved both Oklahoma and Los Angeles,” Carmichael said. “He made his home here as an actor, but he hasn’t forgotten his roots in Oklahoma. He remains a fan of Sooner Nation.”

Born July 20, 1936, in Pawnee, Oklahoma, Grant was a United States Marine Corps veteran.

He began acting in the late 1980s and has had character roles in dozens of films and TV shows over the past three decades, including “The Lone Ranger,” “The World’s Fastest Indian,” and “Breaking Bad,” according to Grant’s IMDB Filmography.

Carmichael said Grant has been active for years in the powwow circle in California and has traveled the world talking to people about Native American culture.

“His motto in life has always been to respect each other and not talk about each other in a negative way,” she said.

Joseph Podlasek, the event organizer, said Grant was also active in the Native American veterans community and for years participated in the national gathering of American Indian veterans.

“He thought it was important that the natives be recognized as veterans,” Podlasic said. “He was very kind, gentle and down to earth.”

Carmichael said a memorial to Grant will be erected in the Los Angeles area, but details have not been finalized.