Zane Spang, age 85, of Ashland

Zane Francis Spang

Our loving father, husband, grandpa, uncle and cousin Zane Francis Spang,”Shkit Ey Yoht Heht” (translated “Little Missouri”) passed away peacefully at 1:47 pm on December 1, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.  He was 85 years old.

Zane is survived by his wife of 67 years and 7 months, Sandra Spang; his children, Sonja Tall Bull, Ray, Bently Spang (Dyani Bingham), Troy Spang (Shelly March); grandchildren, Kyle Spang, Angel Tallbull, Tessa and Zane Spang, Troy M. Spang; great grandchildren; Lia Bearcomesout (Dylan Bearcomseout) and Taryn Montantes, Tamia Two Moons, Destynee Two Moons, Asia Spang, Brez’hon Spang, Aiaona Spang, Shad Spang, great-great children Udayalia Bearcomesout , KaiZyn and, KaiZani Two Moons and another one on the way with Asia Spang and his brother Norman Spang.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Jenny and Wilfred Spang; his brothers, Alonzo Spang, Lawrence Spang, James Spang and Leo Spang,  grandparents Nathan Limberhand (Artie Wolfchief) and Alban Spang ( Lucy Harris) and numerous aunties, uncles, cousins and friends. In our time of sadness we apologize if we left anyone out.

Zane was born on January 27, 1940 at the old BIA Hospital in Lame Deer, MT to Wilfred and Jenny Spang.  Zane was a proud member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation and a true Cheyenne warrior and tireless education advocate who gave his all to his family, his community and championed Native Peoples everywhere. Zane was a fluent Cheyenne speaker who grew up in Lame Deer, MT on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation speaking Cheyenne first and English second. He loved his reservation homeland and as a young man he and his brothers would often spend whole days out in the hills around Lame Deer hunting and exploring, coming back at dark to their mother Jenny’s calls for dinner. He hunted his whole life on horseback, on foot and by truck with his sons, brothers, nieces and nephews and cousins on our other Cheyenne homeland the Tongue River Breaks off the reservation or as we correctly call it the “Northern Cheyenne National Forest.” Places like Hole in the Wall, Poker Jim Butte, Timber Creek, O’dell, Horse Creek, Cow Creek and 15 Mile Creek, to name but a few, were welcomed back into our Cheyenne embrace like old relatives each fall.

Zane was a kind-hearted Cheyenne man, with a loyal heart and a twinkle in his eye.  He made friends wherever he went and was known and loved by people all over the world.  Zane was the most loving husband, father and grandfather.   He centered his life on teachings from the Bible as one of Jehovah;s Witnesses. He loved spending time with his family; and especially loved to pit barbecue meat, ride horses, cruise the homeland, pick plums and chokecherries and visit. He was knowledgeable in horsemanship, higher education, Northern Cheyenne language, and sports, especially basketball and baseball, but had a vastness of knowledge far beyond that.  Zane graduated from Colstrip High School in 1958 and quickly earned a 2-year business degree in 1960 from the Billings Business College. After many years of encouraging family members to pursue their college degrees, Zane followed his own advice and went to college later in life and graduated from Montana State University-Billings in 1998 with a Bachelor’s in Human Services at the age of 58.  In 2003, Zane received the Outstanding Alumni Award from MSU-Billings in recognition of his exceptional contribution.

He worked for many years for the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Lame Deer, and the Billings Area Office in Billings, Montana.  In 1968 he moved his family to Sitka, Alaska where he worked for the Mt. Edgecumbe BIA Boarding School for several years. This was a special memory where the family was able to explore the ocean in their own boat. They moved to Portland and then to the Seattle area while working in various BIA educational facilities.  In 1976 the family moved back home to the family ranch near Ashland on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. He worked for the state of Montana helping Native youth as the Talent Search Coordinator, ran the tribal TERO office, was the Service Unit Director (SUD) of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Health Service Clinic for 3 years and then began a career with Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC) in Lame Deer. He also served as the Chairman of the Board of the Northern Cheyenne Boys and Girls Club in Lame Deer, MT for many years helping provide services to local area youth and the community.

Zane was a kind and compassionate leader and a visionary. As the SUD he instituted an open door policy  giving staff and community access to him at all times to air their concerns and creating an environment of unity that attracted highly talented doctors from across the country. He also oversaw the construction and opening of the new clinic. He wrote and managed millions of dollars in grants for CDKC, oversaw staff and students with compassion, kindness and encouragement, conceived of and implemented the “Circle of Schools” coalition that united area high schools with Chief Dull Knife College to insure a smooth entry into college. He procured equipment for and set up a Distance Learning program allowing rurally isolated local students to participate in CDKC programs and CDKC students to participate in the Montana university system. He provided workshops tailored to the needs of the community whereby participants could earn needed credits and workshop presenters could be paid for their services. He also developed many innovative programs to increase student’s scores in math and science and created a program that honored Northern Cheyenne elders that were 70 years and older with honorary degrees.

Special mention must be made of a private family business created by Zane and Sandy called Cheyenne Trailriders that provided horseback tours of the Northern Cheyenne to a local and worldwide clientele for 29 years. It began as a reward for the 2 Montana Native high school youth chosen from each reservation who had the best scores in math and science. The reward was a 3-day ride across the Northern Cheyenne Reservation on horseback and on buckboard wagons with presenters placed along the trail who demonstrated how math and science applied to careers. Sandy contacted Western Horseman Magazine when they decided to create a business of it and they ran a story she wrote and soon it morphed into horseback tours for people from 80+ countries with education still at the core of the business. On horseback and around campfires Native stereotypes and misconceptions were dispelled for guests and current issues discussed as well as our real, lived Cheyenne history. Ethnobotany classes were also provided, guests were entertained by Cheyenne Flute music, storytelling, powwow dancing, taught Native games and were housed in tipis, camping out as they traversed the reservation. This business was featured on television in Germany and Italy and on a KOA Campground commercial.

In his youth Zane was a talented athlete at many sports, baseball in particular. He was called the best pitcher in the state at the time by his legion baseball coach in Miles City and was recruited by a major league team. He had to turn down the offer as he couldn’t travel with a baseball farm club with his growing family.  Later in the 70’s he and his sons Bently and Troy and his brother Leo started a slow pitch softball team called Redbone that existed for 12 years.  They played with many local family and friends in the Colstrip and Hardin leagues and across the region in tournaments and even created their own local fast pitch tournament.  One year they went undefeated at 32-0.

Zane loved his Northern Cheyenne community with all his heart.  He was always brainstorming with his family about how to make things better for his students, the elders, the youth and everyone in between.  He always helped without hesitation when he was asked and gave whatever he had to those in need. He loved putting up camp at the 4th of July Chiefs powwow and riding horseback in the Ashland and Chiefs powwow parades.  He loved finding the elusive dry meat stew and menudo at each powwow and his coffee black with one sugar.  In 2003 he and his brother Leo and cousins Dennis Limberhand and Winfield Russell created the Morning Star Riders horseback ride to honor our relative Limber Bones who died at the Little Bighorn Battle and our other relatives.  Hundreds of riders have participated in it over the 19 years it’s been done. He was a true Cheyenne leader and an inspiration to so many.

Service Schedule

Funeral Service

11:00 am

Monday December 8, 2025

Boys and Girls Club

Lame Deer, Montana 59043

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Interment

Following the Funeral Service

Monday December 8, 2025

Spang Family Cemetery

Lame Deer, Montana 59043

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