Former Councilmember Frank LaFountaine passes

Respected elder of the Colville Tribes, Frank LaFountaine has passed away at age 76. He served on the Colville Business Council for the Nespelem District from 1980 through 1984.

LaFountaine graduated magna cum laude from Seattle Pacific College in 1970. He earned a juris doctorate from the University of Washington School of Law and became an attorney.

In addition to his service on Tribal Council, he also served his community as a lawyer. He spent years working in Colville Tribal Court at various times as a prosecutor, a public defender, and an associate judge. LaFountaine also served as a judge for 12 tribes in western Washington and did a stint as a criminal investigator for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Division of Law Enforcement.

He was also a man of letters. In 2005 he wrote The Omak Lake Monster, which recounted the tales of monster sightings in Omak Lake. He followed in 2006 with Sasquatch Returns: A Story of an American Indian Legend.

LaFountaine served as president of the Grand Coulee Lions Club in 1984 and as junior governor of the Grand Coulee Moose Lodge in 1984.

The chairman of the Colville Confederated Tribes, said,

“We always grieve the loss of an elder, and today we mourn Frank LaFountaine as he walks on,” said Jarred-Michael Erickson, chairman of the Colville Confederated Tribes April 15. “But the stories Frank left behind, and the work he did to help his people and advance the causes of law and justice, will be long remembered.”

His remains were cremated and a celebration of his life will be held on June 1. He had 6 siblings. Frank was preceded in death by his daughter, Amy.