Children's book shares Billy Mills' journey to Olympic gold

Kalle Benallie
ICT

It has been 60 years since Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills, Oglala Lakota, won the 10,000 meter run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He still remembers it vividly and his new book “Wings of an Eagle,” co-authored with Donna Bowman, and illustrated by Lakota artist S.D. Nelson, is telling his story in a new way.

The children's picture book that is set to be released on July 2 takes readers through Mills’ childhood on the Pine Ridge Reservation, enduring poverty, racism, his severe health challenges and military service, all of which led him to his ultimate goal of becoming an Olympic athlete.

When Mills competed In 1964, the only other American athlete to have medaled in the 10,000 meter was Louis Tewanima, Hopi, who won the silver medal in 1912.

Mills, 85,  said Bowman first approached his wife Pat about five years ago about the prospect of having this book made. He said he was impressed by how much knowledge and research Bowman did about the Lakota and culture and what she knew about Mills.

“She in so many ways, for me, was the perfect writer to do the book on me. It allowed me to just sit back and be the expert on Billy,” he said. “I provided her the knowledge I could and the dreams of Billy as a child and as a soon to be 86-year-old man.”

Mills said what he hopes young readers will take away from the book is unity – national, local and global — the importance of honesty and truth and the importance of uplifting each other in their pursuit of finding their dreams and passions.

S.D. Nelson came to illustrate the book due to Bowman’s recommendation. It’s his second time illustrating a story about Indigenous Olympian. He worked on the children’s book “Jim Thorpe’s Bright Path” that was released in 2004.

“I’m excited to be part of a living legend,” Nelson said. “It really was a joy to illustrate this book because I got to run with Billy Mills. When you’re illustrating a story, you become totally involved and I got to be there on the wings of an eagle with Billy Mills.”

Mills said he cried when he found out Nelson would be the illustrator and considers him as one of his heroes.

“Anything he did, I was in total agreement. I think he did it with an incredibly cultural, Native perspective to what I’m hoping the book will be like,” he said.

Mills particularly loved how Nelson drew “little Billy” as not having a complete face. He said he’s been touched by the Cherokees and how their dolls don’t have a face because the child with proper mentorship will create who they are.

“It took me back immediately to my dad, for when my mom died, I was eight years old and my dad told me ‘son, you have broken wings. You cannot fly, but it takes a dream to heal broken wings,” Mills said.

Nelson said drawing Mills’ childhood face like that wasn’t intentional and was inspired by Lakota ledger-style art.

“A lot of what happened with the paint and brushes was subconsciously inspired,” he said.

Nelson worked for a year on the illustrations. He worked on hundreds of drawings, dwindling down his choices that would appear in the book, waited on the approval from the editors, Bowman and Mills and making the final paintings.

The main lessons in the books Mills included was his dad's influence and how his words helped him create who he would become and what he would look like spiritually, emotionally and physically.

“I never felt like I belonged and my dad would tell me ‘find your passion’ because my dad would take Lakota virtues and values and he would explain them to me. He didn’t do this with any of my siblings. Why would he do this to me? I don’t know,” Mills said.

Mills said before he went to the games, Oliver Red Cloud, who eventually became chief of the Oglala Lakota, said he needed to do a “humble himself to all creation, to honor his family, honor his tribal nation and honor the United States of America” and do a give away, a Lakota tradition that promotes sharing.

Mills said he’s done several give aways in his life. One was his involvement with the 1983 biographical movie “Running Brave.” Another one was him co-finding the nonprofit organization Running Strong for American Indian Youth with Eugene L. Krizek of Christian Relief Services.

Now Mills will add “Wings of an Eagle”as a giveaway to the youth, and it’s an emotional one for him.

Mills, Pat and his family, will be at the summer Olympics in Paris for over a week. It’s his 14th Olympic games that he’s attended. He plans to watch the 10,000 meter race and be at Cinque Mulini annual cross country running race in San Vittore Olona, Italy, which he ran in 1965 . Mills said Cinque Mulini is helping fundraise for Running Strong for American Indian Youth.

“I would love to see another American win (the 10,000). It would be extremely exciting if it was a Native American and it would be top highlight for me if it was a female winning the 10,000 and crossing that highlight if that female was Native American,” he said.

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