Pow Wow Organizer Gil ‘Crying Hawk’ Tarbox Dies at 73
Gil “Crying Hawk” Tarbox, a driving force behind the popular Daniel Nimham Pow Wow in Putnam County which celebrated the Wappinger tribe that lived in the area, passed away recently. He was 73.
Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell said that Tarbox, a Kent resident, “put Putnam County on the map” with the annual Pow Wow and helped residents learn about the county’s history.
“We will all miss Gil. There is no replacing his enthusiasm, his spirit and his vast knowledge of the Native Americans who called our county home,” Odell said. “The Pow Wow he helped create has grown into one of the biggest local events of the summer. It not only draws people from all over the country, it brings the past alive and gives the next generation a greater understanding of history.”
A member of the Nimham Mountain Singers, Tarbox helped establish the Intertribal Pow Wow that is held one weekend every August at the Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park. With singing, dancing, drumming and storytelling, the Pow Wow helps educate young people about the 8,000 Wappinger Indians who lived in this area and their last chief, Daniel Nimham.
Tarbox was also a Vietnam veteran. Art Hanley, deputy director of the Putnam County Veterans Service Agency, said he enlisted in the United States Army on Oct. 29, 1965, and trained as a construction machine operator at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He served his country for three years, including nearly two years overseas, on tours of duty in Germany and Vietnam, he said.
“I will always be grateful to Gil not only for his valuable contributions to Putnam County, but also for his honorable service to his country,” said Putnam County Legislator Toni Addonizio (R-Kent).
Tarbox was active with veterans causes. He was a member of the Putnam County Veterans Memorial Park Advisory Board, which he served for many years. He was instrumental in expanding and refurbishing the Nimham Memorial at the county park’s entrance, said Christopher Ruthven, deputy commissioner of Putnam County Parks.
“Every year he personally decorated the memorial for Memorial Day and Veterans Day,” Ruthven said. “And, of course, his group, the Nimham Mountain Singers, performed at many functions throughout the county including the Pow Wow and the 4-H fair.”
His fundraising efforts at the Pow Wow went to support several veterans’ organizations, including Honor Our Military Heroes Fund (HOMH), Semper Fi Odyssey, Tower of Hope Foundation, Wounded Warriors, the Service Dog Project and Final Salute.
“Gil gave so much of himself to the county. We are grateful for his service,” Odell said. “My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Penny, his family and friends. May he rest in peace.”
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