Cornelius Little Light

Cornelius “Corn” James Little Light, Sr. was born on May 16, 1948, and passed on to be with his Lord and Savior on June 12, 2026.

His parents were Ellsworth and Martha (Real Bird) Little Light. His Crow name was “World Traveler” He was a member of the Whistling Water Clan and child of the Whistling Water Clan. He grew up in Crow Agency, MT.

In his younger years, he attended Crow Agency School, was a member of the Boy Scouts and attended the Crow Baptist Church. He graduated from Hardin High School in 1966.

He loved the Crow way of life, he enjoyed getting teepee poles for his family, his sisters, he loved going to the mountains. He threw arrows for the Reno District, his mother made sure he hot danced, was a member of the Native American Church, he composed peyote songs and never sang the same song twice during meetings. He began playing hand games for the Reno District. He was a champion Medicine Man for the Pryor District and River Crow District and was a Hi-Point Man for Pryor.

Cornelius met the love of his life, Janice Rock Above, and they married in 1970. They lived in Crow Agency, MT and Ft. Smith, MT until they made their home in Pryor, MT. Corn and Janice had six children and also raised a nephew, Neal Costa, as their own. They enjoyed doing everything together.

They prayed together, worked together, beaded many great masterpieces together, and took great joy in their children. They took their children throughout the United States and Canada for vacations, church, dance shows, work trips, which was their favorite part of their lives together. His beloved vacation destinations were Disneyland and Las Vegas.

He loved his Heavenly Father; there was nothing more important than his faith. In the Fall of 1989, Cornelius became the first Native American priest of the New Apostolic Church. He served the Pryor congregation until 2021. He loved his life of faith and was always encouraging his children, his siblings, and everyone who was in his life with his words and his wisdom.

Corn was thee Crow politician. Politicians throughout Crow Country came to Corn for advice and he would willingly give advice to all who came to him. In 1998, Cornelius was elected as the Vice-Secretary for the Crow Tribe under the Nomee administration. He loved to help people with jobs and even as a HR director during the Venne administration, he always found a way for people to work. He enjoyed talking about Crow politics.

Cornelius was a horseman in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. It was a job he enjoyed and was good at. He loved talking about the different names of the horses he trained and all the racetracks he had raced.

He enjoyed his family, his wife, his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, his sisters, his brothers. He knew his family history well. He took his Crow brother role very seriously and made sure his sisters’ sons knew what it meant to work outside, they would come out to spend time in Pryor, and he put them to work. He was proud of his daughter, Kitawna, when she played college basketball and always found a way to make her games. When his granddaughter, Macariah, was Miss Crow Nation, he was beyond happy and followed her throughout the different pow-wows she attended.

Cornelius lived a full life, filled with adventure, love, and faith. He was grateful for Henry for never leaving his side and being his caretaker and the family is thankful for being such an awesome caretaker for dad.

Cornelius is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, his daughter, Shari Doney and her husband, Glenn Doney, his grandsons, Khan Lee Little Light and Stetson Little Light, and son-in-law, Loren Pine, brothers, Frances Bear Claw, Bobby Little Light and Richard Szillat, sisters, Justine Little Light, Minnie Fitzpatrick, Carmen Little Light, and Mary Jane Little Light.

Corn is survived by his sons, James (Kristin), Franco (Sarah), Ellsworth Conan and Neil Costa, his daughters, Rosanna Pine and Kitawna (Michael) Parra, and his grandkids, Chasya, Henry, Macariah, Pius, Jonah, Khalyjah, Phoenix, Brooklyn, Hudson, Trisha, Kreedence, Thunder, and his great-grandchildren, Khaleeya, Khalil, Kingslee, Mileena, Rona, Preston, LT, Rose, and Koah. Sisters: Janice (Leo) Hudetz, Lena Little Light, Ellabeth Little Light, Norma Falls Down and Sandra Rock Above. He had many relatives he looked to as sisters, daughters, brothers, and sons, Curtis Real Bird, Joyce Moccasin, Helen Moccasin, Delon (Melissa) Rock Above, Harry (Maggie) Rock Above, Jordis Hugs, Leona Hugs, Justin (Clarena) Hugs, Lisa (Mike) Stevens, Mary Hudetz, Phileo (Rhea) Little Light, Heywood Big Day III, Estee (Theodore) Nomee, Lydia Falls Down, Champ (Vonna) Falls Down, Judy Wagner, Theresa (Sioux Boy) Neiss, Shawn Real Bird, Nicole Real Bird, Jessie (Micah) White Clay, Kennard Real Bird, Henry Real Bird, Birdie Real Bird, Edwina Little Light, Yvonne (Renee) Little Light, Clyde Little Light, Gordon Real Bird, Virginia Real Bird.

Please forgive the family if anyone was excluded, it was not intentional during their time of bereavement.