Remembering Harvey Arden
On Nov 17th I received a text that one of my dear friends, and mentors, Harvey Arden, had passed away at his home in DC, after being in hospice care for a couple weeks. For those that don’t know, Harvey Arden has been a very important person in my life since the fall of 2000, when I reached out and asked if he would come speak at my school, Northeastern University, in Boston, for an event I was hosting called “In Pursuit of Justice: the Leonard Peltier story”. Harvey Arden was the editor for Peltier’s book, “Prison Writings”. I knew that this 23+ year veteran writer for National Geographic, author of many books by/about Native Americans and Indigenous People was a total rock star, and it was unlikely he would be able to make it to the event. But I decided to email him after finding his contact information online. I had secured some funding for the event, so I told him I could cover his airfare, hotel fair and a speaking fee, or honorarium. 10 minutes later, I get a reply and he says, “send the honorarium money to the Peltier defense committee and book my flight. I’d be happy to come speak and meet you in Boston”. Needless to say, I was VERY excited!
On the morning of the event, Harvey flew into Boston almost 11 hours before we had to be at NU to start setting up. We spent the whole day talking, hanging out, and getting to know each other. To say a friendship was born would be an understatement. Harvey and I continued to talk often after the event, and when I mentioned I wasn’t sure if I wanted to use my teaching degree after graduating the next spring, he offered me a job to go work with him, putting out multimedia enriched projects that were by, for, and about Indigenous Elders, worldwide. I stayed on board with that company for a couple years as a part owner and multimedia director. Eventually, I moved back to Houston and he and I started our next project together, HYT Publishing, to put out our first book, “Have You Though of Leonard Peltier Lately?” – which was a follow up to the book he produced with Peltier years before. I spent two years working on that book, spending countless hours in Harvey’s basement going through boxes and boxes of materials to see what should be included in our final book. He also came to visit Texas a couple times, and even got to visit the ranch with me, to see where I first started learning about and having profound respect for Native American Indians. The book project was so much more than just putting together a layout and design….those moments working with Harvey were the real magical moments for me. I got to really know him and his huge heart! We became best of friends over those years, and I, delightfully, followed in his footsteps.
We went on to put out a handful of successful projects together with our publishing company: a second printing of Arvol Looking Horse’s “White Buffalo Teachings”, a book by Edna Gordon called “Voice of the Hawk Elder, and 2 audio CDs “Noble Red Man”, and “My Life Is My Sun Dance”. Both CDs nominated for a total of 5 Native American Music Awards; “My Life Is My Sundance” won the Best Spoken Word NAMMY!
We worked on some other projects together, but over the last few years we didn’t produce much for our publishing company. We did continue our friendship with phone calls and emails and I was lucky enough to get to speak with him a few days before he passed, to let him know how much he meant to me and how much I loved him. His daughter, Sylvia, held the phone to his ear while I spoke (thank you, Sylvia). While I couldn’t decipher all of what he was trying to say back, I did hear, “I love you” and she said he was smiling while I spoke to him. A couple days later I said my last goodbye to him, but he was unable to respond very well at that point, but he tried and Sylvia said it was the most she heard him try to speak to anyone. That made me smile. I knew that was likely my last time to communicate with him. I got off the phone, cried, and started to reflect upon my time with Harvey.
Harvey was a wonderful man. I always had wished I had known him during all his incredible journeys he went on during his time with National Geographic. He spoke of those times with a light in his eyes. I have many hours of video and audio recordings to share about his assignments. He had some incredible stories! I loved those stories, but I loved our friendship and getting to know Harvey even more. He was the first to admit getting older was tough on his body and mind, but that each decade that passed was better than the decade before. That always stuck with me, along with his kind and always giving heart!
I’ve seen his generosity of spirit displayed many times over the last 18 years of our friendship. Harvey was always giving to others, always trying to help preserve a legacy for others, to put out a project that was overlooked by others, to try to spread and share knowledge that would make us unite as human beings to see how “we are all connected”. Even with our projects with HYT Publishing (www.HaveYouThought.com), we always put our profits from one project into the next project. It was never about the money. It was about GIVING and creating something for others to enjoy and learn from. He gave away more than he probably ever made trying to get all these projects going. He was successful as a writer, successful as a producer, successful as a director, and successful as a human being, trying to leave the world greater after he left it. He truly achieved that last one!
Over the last few years, Harvey insisted that I put together HIS book after he passed. It is a project I was honored to be asked to do, but beyond sad to actually have to work on it now. I will be compiling something in the form of writings, video and audio recordings, photographs, personal stories and anecdotes, etc – to create and share with the world. If anyone has any photos, videos, or stories to share, please feel free to send them to me at [email protected]
Harvey – you hilarious, joyous, beautiful man…I miss you more than words could ever express! You enriched my life, and so many lives around you. Thank you for being YOU! Your work is not done and we will carry the light from here on out for you, with your spirit guiding the way! A-ho! Mitakuye Oyasin!
~George Bowe Blitch
On the morning of the event, Harvey flew into Boston almost 11 hours before we had to be at NU to start setting up. We spent the whole day talking, hanging out, and getting to know each other. To say a friendship was born would be an understatement. Harvey and I continued to talk often after the event, and when I mentioned I wasn’t sure if I wanted to use my teaching degree after graduating the next spring, he offered me a job to go work with him, putting out multimedia enriched projects that were by, for, and about Indigenous Elders, worldwide. I stayed on board with that company for a couple years as a part owner and multimedia director. Eventually, I moved back to Houston and he and I started our next project together, HYT Publishing, to put out our first book, “Have You Though of Leonard Peltier Lately?” – which was a follow up to the book he produced with Peltier years before. I spent two years working on that book, spending countless hours in Harvey’s basement going through boxes and boxes of materials to see what should be included in our final book. He also came to visit Texas a couple times, and even got to visit the ranch with me, to see where I first started learning about and having profound respect for Native American Indians. The book project was so much more than just putting together a layout and design….those moments working with Harvey were the real magical moments for me. I got to really know him and his huge heart! We became best of friends over those years, and I, delightfully, followed in his footsteps.
We went on to put out a handful of successful projects together with our publishing company: a second printing of Arvol Looking Horse’s “White Buffalo Teachings”, a book by Edna Gordon called “Voice of the Hawk Elder, and 2 audio CDs “Noble Red Man”, and “My Life Is My Sun Dance”. Both CDs nominated for a total of 5 Native American Music Awards; “My Life Is My Sundance” won the Best Spoken Word NAMMY!
We worked on some other projects together, but over the last few years we didn’t produce much for our publishing company. We did continue our friendship with phone calls and emails and I was lucky enough to get to speak with him a few days before he passed, to let him know how much he meant to me and how much I loved him. His daughter, Sylvia, held the phone to his ear while I spoke (thank you, Sylvia). While I couldn’t decipher all of what he was trying to say back, I did hear, “I love you” and she said he was smiling while I spoke to him. A couple days later I said my last goodbye to him, but he was unable to respond very well at that point, but he tried and Sylvia said it was the most she heard him try to speak to anyone. That made me smile. I knew that was likely my last time to communicate with him. I got off the phone, cried, and started to reflect upon my time with Harvey.
Harvey was a wonderful man. I always had wished I had known him during all his incredible journeys he went on during his time with National Geographic. He spoke of those times with a light in his eyes. I have many hours of video and audio recordings to share about his assignments. He had some incredible stories! I loved those stories, but I loved our friendship and getting to know Harvey even more. He was the first to admit getting older was tough on his body and mind, but that each decade that passed was better than the decade before. That always stuck with me, along with his kind and always giving heart!
I’ve seen his generosity of spirit displayed many times over the last 18 years of our friendship. Harvey was always giving to others, always trying to help preserve a legacy for others, to put out a project that was overlooked by others, to try to spread and share knowledge that would make us unite as human beings to see how “we are all connected”. Even with our projects with HYT Publishing (www.HaveYouThought.com), we always put our profits from one project into the next project. It was never about the money. It was about GIVING and creating something for others to enjoy and learn from. He gave away more than he probably ever made trying to get all these projects going. He was successful as a writer, successful as a producer, successful as a director, and successful as a human being, trying to leave the world greater after he left it. He truly achieved that last one!
Over the last few years, Harvey insisted that I put together HIS book after he passed. It is a project I was honored to be asked to do, but beyond sad to actually have to work on it now. I will be compiling something in the form of writings, video and audio recordings, photographs, personal stories and anecdotes, etc – to create and share with the world. If anyone has any photos, videos, or stories to share, please feel free to send them to me at [email protected]
Harvey – you hilarious, joyous, beautiful man…I miss you more than words could ever express! You enriched my life, and so many lives around you. Thank you for being YOU! Your work is not done and we will carry the light from here on out for you, with your spirit guiding the way! A-ho! Mitakuye Oyasin!
~George Bowe Blitch