Mazie Daniels

Mazie Jo Daniels (Tah-mah-yew tah likt – Josiah Red Wolf’s Mother’s name, and Kotskots-nim-

Liitskow), was born December 17, 1979, to Joseph “Hardy” William Daniels III and Belle Linda Walker.

Mazie was very proud of her 15/16 blood line of her Nez Perce ancestors. Her paternal grandparents are

the late Josephine P. Ramsey and Joseph W. Daniels Jr. Her maternal grandparents are Lois Maude

Oatman and the late Ronald Oatman. Her maternal grandfather is the late Harold Jerome Walker. Mazie

was named after her great grandmother Mazie Red Wolf, whose father, Josiah Red Wolf, survived the battles of the Nez Perce War of 1877 during his adolescent years, while unfortunately losing his mother and sister during the war.

Mazie Jo Daniels was a student at the Nez Perce Tribe’s Headstart Program. She attended Kamiah

Elementary and Junior High. She was raised by her maternal grandparents Lois & Ron and her big extended family on Beaverslide Road, in Kamiah, ID, alongside her brothers/cousins Joseph, Ryan, and McCoy Oatman. Mazie was blessed to have been raised in Kamiah by her Aunt Jennifer, Uncle Jim,

Uncle Wilbur, and Uncle RC. During the summer before her freshman year, Mazie moved to Lapwai, ID to live with her paternal Alat (grandma) Josephine and grandpa Don Taylor and was raised alongside her sister/cousin Roberta “Bad Berta’ Jose-Bisbee. While in Lapwai, Mazie was blessed to have been raised

by her father’s siblings Dennis “Gunny” Paul, Rich Ramsey Sr., and Jennifer “Woofy” Ramsey. Mazie and Berta graduated from Lapwai High School in 1998. During Mazie’s high school years, she was a cheerleader as well as the renowned wildcat mascot.

Mazie later attended Lewis Clark State College for two semesters and completed some core classes.

While attending college she also started working at the Headstart as an early childhood development

teacher. Mazie was able to obtain her Child Development Association certificate. She was beloved by the

many students she taught and was also loved by her co-teachers and all Headstart and Early Childhood

staff and Administration. After her employment at Headstart, Mazie worked at the Nez Perce Enterprises

Administration and Human Resource offices. She then moved on to the Nez Perce Tribe Vocation

Rehabilitation Program. Upon her passing, she was employed with the Mamaayasnim

Hiitemenwees—making it full circle as that is where her employment journey began.

In 2008, Mazie enrolled in college at the Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, KS. During her

time in Lawrence, Mazie joined different campus clubs and got involved with the Haskell Social Work

Club and helped distribute Thanksgiving and Christmas Baskets for the low-income Native families

living Lawrence, KS. The social work club would always ask Mazie to make her frybread for the

fundraisers they held to help low-income families. Mazie made many friends from California, to Texas, to

Oklahoma. She was loved by many at Haskell. Mazie also took classes at the Northwest Indian College

from 2009-2010, and 2002-2003. She was known for her beautiful penmanship, and she had amazing

organizational skills, her cousin Tee referenced Mazie as the family manager.

Mazie later returned home to the Nez Perce reservation and met Damion Redwolf Wilson, they later

married in 2011, and she loved and cherished Damion’s children – Keon, Sydell, and Dimitri. Mazie

referred to the kids as her “Wilson Kids”. They later divorced in 2016.

Mazie Jo was a big support to her mother Linda Belle and would also be like a second mother to her

younger sisters Frances, Lindsey, and Willissa Walker. Aunty Mazie would spend time with her nephew

Donovan and niece Rayne Harrison. She also spent a lot of time with her niece Remi Joy Williams. Her

nieces and nephews were her pride and joy. Mazie loved the time she would spend with her brother Mike

& Roberta Bisbee, and she relished her time with the Bisbee children: Micah, Michael III “BB”, Madden,

and Memphis. Mazie would travel to Dillon, MT, to visit the Bisbee family when Mike and Berta attended The University of Montana Western, Dillon, MT, even making one trip to witness the birth of

her precious nephew Michael ‘BB’ Bisbee.

Mazie loved the outdoors and wilderness. She enjoyed going to dig Qemus with her grandma Lois, Essie, JoAnne, Phyllis, Loretta, and Bunky. She learned the Nez Perce method of baking Qemus under the

ground. Mazie attended the First Indian Presbyterian Church as a little girl and in most recent months with her Grandma Lois. She attended the annual Talmaks encampment if she was living close in the area as she always looked forward to celebrating the 4 th of July in Talmaks for kids’ activities. She would volunteer to cook, clean, and organize as needed during the annual Talmaks Dinner & Sale.

Mazie enjoyed her time fishing and BBQ’n on the Selway River. She also traveled down to Rapid River,

where she caught her first salmon by dipnet with brothers Joe, Ryan, and Aaron Gould. Mazie said that

the first salmon was for her father Joe Hardy! Mazie would eventually make her way to the Columbia

River with her friend Crystal ‘Rabz’ Rabago, where she met the love of her life, Silas Howtopat. Silas and

Mazie would make their home on and near the Columbia River. While Mazie was living along the Columbia River with Silas, she was introduced to the Rock Creek Longhouse and attended the rootfeasts

and powwow. She returned home after living on the river for two years and when she returned to the Nez

Perce Reservation, she was skilled in making Cedar Baskets and Tule Mats—a skill she honed while

living near the Columbia.

Mazie was involved with many Nez Perce Tribal activities; she volunteered her time to serve the general membership as she was elected for more than 6 years as an Election Judge and Secretary for the General

Council. Mazie’s exquisite knowledge of the Nez Perce Tribe election ordinance and constitution is something she studied and knew how to administer.



Mazie had such an amazing personality, she was full of fun, and her beautiful smile will be missed. Mazie had so much love for everyone, no matter what she was going through in life, during holidays and birthdays she would ensure that she provided a gift to everyone, she never left people out when she was giving. Mazie took care of so many family members, and non-family members, she was well known for her frybread making skills, she would say that her meatpies, and rezdogs were the best, and if any of her nieces said differently, she would never forgive them. She was volunteered at times by her nephew and niece to bring frybread to school for show and tell and holiday parties.



In 2022, Mazie was diagnosed with cancer, she fought stage four cancer with smiles and grit. When she

should have been resting, she was helping and taking care of everyone around her. She sacrificed her

personal time to be of help to others, in so many ways by cleaning, fundraising, coordinating, organizing

fundraisers, baking, cooking, and always ensuring her nieces and nephews were active with family

activities. Mazie was hardworking, she worked up until the day she passed, she put pride in her work and

representation. Up until her final day, she was still giving orders and requests.

She is preceded in death by her father, Joseph “Hardy” Daniels III; paternal grandparents Josephine

Ramsey, and Joseph William Daniels, and Grandpa Don; her maternal grandfathers Harold Jerome

Walker and Ronald Oatman; a brother, Jason Daniels; two nephews, Michael Anthony “BB” Bisbee III,

and Titan John Charles Ramsey; and a niece Pauline Howtopat.

She is survived by her Mother Belle Linda Walker; maternal grandmother Lois Maude Oatman; sisters

Roberta (Mike II) Jose-Bisbee, Frances Walker, Lindsey Joleen Walker, and Willissa (D’Von) Walker;

brothers Joseph (RaeAnn) Oatman, Ryan Oatman, and McCoy (Augustina) Oatman; and an extended

family that extends far and wide. 



A funeral service will be held on Friday, May 5, 2023, beginning at 10:00 am at the First Indian

Presbyterian Church in East Kamiah, Idaho. A graveside service will be held on Wednesday, May 10,

2023, beginning at 10:00 am at the Spalding Cemetery in Spalding, Idaho. Flowers may be sent to:

Trenary Funeral Home, 18 1st Ave, Kooskia, ID 83539.