Cletis Don Satepauhoodle

Cletis Don Satepauhoodle, a respected Kiowa educator, public servant, and cultural leader, passed away on Sunday, March 8, 2026. Born and raised in Carnegie, Oklahoma, he was the son of Sam Satepauhoodle and Nellie (Doyah) Satepauhoodle and a proud member of the Kiowa Tribe. From an early age he embraced both academic and athletic pursuits as well as the traditions of his people. At Carnegie High School he excelled as a multi-sport athlete in football, baseball, track, and basketball, serving as co-captain of the football team and earning All-District honors as a senior.

After graduating from Carnegie High School, he attended Southwestern State College in Weatherford, Oklahoma, where he earned his bachelor’s degree and later completed a master’s degree with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. He was a four-year starting player on the college football team and served as an officer in the Lettermen’s Club. In 1961 he began his career in education teaching history in Zuni, New Mexico, where he established the first football program at Zuni High School. In the early 1970s he served on the National Advisory Council for Indian Education, and in 1976 he was appointed Indian Education Coordinator for the Southwest Region of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. He later served as superintendent of Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Oklahoma.

Throughout his life Cletis remained deeply committed to Kiowa culture and faith. He was a lifetime member of the Kiowa Gourd Clan, active in Cedar Creek United Methodist Church, and served for many years as a priest in the Kiowa Chapter of the Native American Church. An avid horseman, he was known by all as the last camp crier on horseback, happiest when riding his horses Red or Dallas across the plains of Caddo County.

He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Evans Ray Satepauhoodle, Raymond Gene Satepauhoodle, and baby boy Satepauhoodle, as well as 23 first cousins including Anita Doyah Blackbear. He is survived by his wife, Gayle Cussen Satepauhoodle; daughters Tracey Satepauhoodle-Mikkanen (Arvo), Sloan Satepauhoodle, and Quinn Satepauhoodle Proctor (Billy); grandchildren Brandon Satepauhoodle-Mikkanen (Ashley), Julia Satepauhoodle-Mikkanen, Sonny Proctor, and Acee Proctor; and great-grandsons TK and Mac Satepauhoodle-Mikkanen. He leaves behind many other loved ones, relatives, tribal relations, friends, and former students who will remember him as a man of dignity and responsibility who honored the teachings of his elders while creating a lasting path for those who follow. His legacy endures in the songs, traditions, students, and family he loved, and in all those who called him coach.