HIDDEN HERITAGE…The Story of Paul LaRoche
By Barbara Marshak
SYNOPSIS
Imagine waking up one day to discover you belong to a completely different culture. Imagine also being 38 years old and longing to pursue music professionally, but everything you’ve tried so far hasn’t succeeded. In and out of music; in and out of regular jobs. Drained physically, emotionally, and financially, Paul Summers hits rock bottom.
Kathy Summers knows how deeply her husband of 18 years is hurting. She suggests a phone call to trace his roots as a way to deal with whatever is at the heart of his pain. When they find a contact within days, Paul isn’t sure what to think. How does one prepare to face truths that have been hidden for years? As Paul, Kathy and their two teenage children prepare to meet his Lakota relatives in November 1993, he silently wonders if this unearthing is a blessing or a curse. Will he find hopelessness? Dysfunction? Or worse, rejection…the one thought haunting him more than any other.
The trip to Lower Brule proves to be much more than Paul ever dared dream. He and his family are warmly welcomed home and bestowed with a Lakota Star Quilt, a gift of honor. Reunited with a brother, sister and many extended relatives, the discovery of his true heritage overwhelms him. The rustically elegant landscape of central South Dakota stirs Paul’s thoughts. The wide expanse of the Missouri River, the rolling, open prairie, even the sky seems bigger…and he wonders what it was like in the days of his ancestors.
Born in 1804, Paul’s great-great-great grandfather was swaddled in an American flag as an infant by Lewis and Clark when the Corp of Discovery first stopped at the Yankton encampment. Years later, Struck By the Ree traveled to Washington DC and was the first chief to sign the Yankton Sioux Treaty of 1858. The Ancestors Speak, (Chapter 5) continues with a glimpse of the subsequent generations; Hotanka, forced to give up his Indian name at the Hampton Institute in Virginia where the Indian children were “civilized,” transforming into Joseph Thompson at age 15. His son, Benjamin, a successful rancher in South Dakota, trained to give up his language and heritage and live ‘the white man’s way.’ Both Ben’s wife and mother had wonderful musical talents, playing piano and singing, much to their children’s delight. And in 1955 Arlene Thompson LaRoche, Ben’s daughter, gives up her infant son for adoption, her reasons forever a secret.
Intrigued to discover his inherited musical gifts from his blood family, yet recognizing the actions of his loving adoptive parents who provided the avenue for him to develop as a musician, Paul turns his powerful feelings into a musical concept. White America, Native America. Mainstream America, indigenous America. Living in one culture, yet within the soul, another lies hidden.
Paul subsequently gives up his engineering career to carve out a brand new genre, a musical blend of both cultures. He creates Brule’s unique sound in a cramped, music studio in Albuquerque on a shoe-string budget. Broke and unsure what to do next, Paul, Kathy and their two children make the decision to leave suburban Minneapolis and move out to the “rez.”
Gig by gig, Paul slowly carves out his own fan base and learns the ins and outs of the business. Surrounded by the captivating landscape, Paul immerses himself in the Lakota culture, learning the traditions and ceremonies, a journey that’s part lament, part joy. At home now, the land speaks to his soul, rejuvenating his spirit. His purpose and mission becomes clear, and he commits to exposing the beauty and wonders of the Native American culture through his concerts.
Over time, Brule’s status elevates professionally, creating a contagious excitement that sweeps the nation. Paul’s mission is far from over, however. He is still committed to sharing a message of hope and healing, and above all, still desiring to have a permanent place in Paha Sapa, the Black Hills, sacred land of the Lakota to perform his music.
