Ben Campbell Obituary

Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, artist, Olympic athlete, decorated veteran, tribal leader, and former United States Senator, died peacefully on December 30, 2025, surrounded by family. He was 92.

Born April 13, 1933, in Auburn, California, Campbell overcame a difficult childhood marked by poverty and time spent in St. Patrick's Catholic Orphanage in Sacramento. Those early hardships shaped the resilience and determination that would define his life.

As a young man, Campbell found direction through service and discipline. He enlisted in the United States Air Force and volunteered for the Korean War. While serving, he earned his GED and later used the GI Bill to attend San Jose State University, graduating in 1957 with degrees in physical education and fine arts. His exposure to judo, introduced to him by Japanese immigrants while working as a farm laborer, became a lifelong pursuit. He trained in Tokyo at Meiji University, became a three-time U.S. National Judo Champion, won gold at the 1963 Pan American Games, and in 1964 captained the U.S. Olympic judo team in Tokyo, becoming the first Native American Olympian in judo.

Following the Olympics, Campbell worked as a deputy sheriff, coached the U.S. national judo team, and taught high school. In 1966, he married Linda Price, a Colorado native and public school teacher. Together they built a life grounded in family, land, and tradition.

Campbell's artistic career flourished alongside his public service. Drawing inspiration from Native traditions and techniques learned from Japanese sword makers, he became an internationally acclaimed jeweler, earning more than 200 national and international awards. His work has been collected by U.S. presidents and notable figures including Mick Jagger and Robert Redford.

In 1977, the family purchased a 120-acre ranch near Ignacio, Colorado, bordering the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. There, they raised their children and built a life centered on horses, heritage, and community. Campbell later reconnected with his Northern Cheyenne relatives in Montana and was enrolled in the Black Horse family. At his naming ceremony, he received the name Nighthorse and later served as one of 44 Chiefs of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

Campbell entered politics in 1982, winning a Colorado state legislative seat considered unwinnable. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986 and, in 1992, made history as the first Native American U.S. Senator in more than 60 years. He served 22 years in Congress, switching political parties in 1995 over fiscal conservatism while remaining socially progressive.

His legislative legacy is substantial. Campbell authored the legislation establishing the National Museum of the American Indian and was instrumental in advancing laws for the protection and repatriation of Native American remains. He was the first and only Native American to chair the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and co-authored the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. He helped establish two national parks, sponsored the National Law Enforcement Museum, and championed the renaming of Custer Battlefield to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Lake Nighthorse in southwestern Colorado bears his name.

Among his most personal achievements was the establishment of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site. A descendant of massacre victims Red Dress and Yellow Woman, Campbell worked for years to ensure the site was formally recognized and honored.

Throughout his life, Campbell remained unmistakably himself. He rode his Harley-Davidson motorcycle to the Capitol, led the Colorado POW/MIA Recognition Ride for a decade, held a commercial trucking license, and in 2005 personally drove the National Christmas Tree from Colorado to Washington, D.C.

His many honors include the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom, the Order of the Rising Sun from Emperor Akihito of Japan, induction into the National Native American Hall of Fame, and the Sovereign Warrior Award.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Linda Campbell; daughter Shanan Campbell; son Colin Campbell and his wife Karen; granddaughters Lauren and Caroline Campbell; and grandsons Luke and Saylor Longfellow.

A private family burial was held Sunday, January 4, 2026. A public celebration of Ben's life will take place on April 13, 2026, what would have been his 93rd birthday, at the Sky Ute Casino Event Center at 1:00 p.m., with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations may be made to the Northern Cheyenne Boys and Girls Club in Lame Deer, or to a charity of one's choosing.