Mean Dean

Mean Dean was the only guy that ever beat French in a fight. This is something that French disputes, but it was at least a draw: nil -nil. He would hang out with us every once in a while. French had a lot of respect for Dean. He always referred to him as "a stand up guy".

Dean's full name was Dean Medicineshield - he was 1/2 Arapaho and 1/2 Cree. I credit him with "the best fight ever". French refers to it as "the quickest".

Pancake, French, Sweaty, Mean Dean and I were walking home, late one night, down main street; when a pickup truck with a couple of rednecks drove by. This one good ol'boy yelled at Dean: "Hey Dean - you an apple - you a bush nigger". Then he laughed like a maniac and high-fived his pals. They all started to hoot and holler and make tomahawk chopping motions.

French took off running after the truck, but Mean Dean held him back and said: "he's mine". Dean slipped out of his cowboy boots and sprinted after the truck. I could see the look of fear from the boys in the truck, but they didn't go fast enough; he caught up. Mean Dean climbed up over the tailgate, grabbed the good ol'boy by the neck and absolutely hammered him in the face. I could hear the fleshy thud down the street. The good ol'boy was knocked out and slumped to the floor of the truck. Dean jumped off the side as the truck still rolled and walked back to us in sock feet.

French handed him his cowboy boots. All he said after this brief fight was "thanks French".