Title supplied by cataloger. Rolland Joseph 'Speedy' Curtis was born in Louisiana in 1922. After serving three years in the Marines during World War II, he and his wife, Gloria, relocated from New Orleans to Los Angeles in 1946. Curtis served four years with the Los Angeles Police Department, but resigned from the force in order to pursue both a Bachelor's and Master's degree from USC. He later became involved in city politics, as an associate of Sam Yorty, and later a field deputy to City Council members Billy Mills and Tom Bradley. He was briefly director of the Model Cities program in 1973. Rolland J. Curtis died in his home in 1979, the victim of a homicide. An affordable housing complex on Exposition Blvd. near Vermont Ave. was named in his honor in 1981, along with a nearby street and park. Pictured, from left to right are, Don 'Chief Rolling Thunder' Fisher, 'Iron Eyes' Cody and Chief George Pierre, who appears to be presenting a peace pipe mounted on a plaque to a man holding on to the reins of a horse and only identified as a Buffalo Soldier performer; a fifth man who is also unidentified and wearing Native American clothing with a ribbon that reads, 'Official' pinned to his shirt stands on the right. A large tepee is visible behind them. The All American Indian Week festival, which featured many arts and crafts demonstrations, Indian lore displays, war dance contests, a horse show and an authentic teepee village, to name a few was held at Wrigley Field located on 4th St. and Avalon Blvd. All proceeds from the show were given to various Indian social and educational programs. Photograph dated 1968. See images 00119272 through 00119316 and 00138014 for additional photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 negative : safety ; 10 x 13 cm. Photographic safety negatives
Cody, Iron Eyes,--1904-1999 Pierre, George Fisher, Don Wrigley Field (Los Angeles, Calif.) Native Americans--Clothing Headdresses Feathers Costumes Plaques, plaquettes African American men Men Actors--United States Stadiums Lost architecture Los Angeles (Calif.)
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