Rituals mark passage of a famed Warm Springs son
Published 5:00 am Sunday, October 22, 2006
- Warm Springs Chief Delvis Heath bows his head during the funeral of his brother, Marty Heath, in Warm Springs early Thursday morning.
Martinez Heath 1945 2006
Here on Earth, he lived in two worlds.
In one world, he raced fast horses and mixed with jet-setting millionaire businessmen. He traveled from city to city, and relished the celebrity that his charisma and talent attracted.
The other world the one into which Martinez Marty Heath was born was simple and unhurried. He helped his family manage its herd of livestock, and helped his community to preserve its heritage.
After his death Monday from natural causes, 61-year-old Heath, a former thoroughbred jockey and Warm Springs tribal member, was prepared in a manner dictated by traditions thousands of years old, to lead the afterlife of a Plateau Indian.
