From ICT:

PLUMMER, Idaho – David Lee Harding was widely known throughout Indian country, having served for 29 years in tribal courts in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Alaska. He passed away Dec. 8, 2009 while playing in a father/son basketball game with his sons and numerous friends. He was 57 years old.

David was a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota but grew up in the Willamette Valley of Oregon with two brothers and a sister. He was a fan of Paul Revere and the Raiders and started his own rock band in his early years. This led to working as a radio announcer and in later years to announcing at boxing matches at the Coeur d’Alene Casino as well as basketball games in Plummer and Spokane and he was a backup announcer for the Spokane Indians professional baseball team.

Former Coeur d’Alene Tribal Attorney Ray Givens tells of a night at the boxing matches when David was announcing. “One night I took my son, who was about 8 at the time, to a boxing match at the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Casino. We bought some 50/50 tickets as we went in, and I gave the stubs to Joe. Dave Harding was the ring announcer that night, and when the ring girl drew the ticket, we won. The scantily clad lady came down to where we were sitting and escorted Joe up to the ring. He was terrified. Dave smiled, looked down at me, and said over the mike, ‘Ray, under the tribe’s law, which you probably wrote, a minor can’t gamble here and 50/50 is gambling.’ Everyone, including me, had a good laugh at my expense. I went up to the ring, rescued my son and collected the prize from a still laughing Dave. His grace and humor was much appreciated.”

David graduated from the University of Oregon in 1975 where he was president of the Native American Student Union. He attended the University of Oregon School of Law, and later a summer session at the University of New Mexico School of Law and later yet attended the University of Idaho School of Law. Continue reading →