Chris Corpus Spotted Eagle

Chris Corpus Spotted Eagle was born on November 17, 1928, in New York, New York to Petronilo and Cecelia (Vidal) Corpus. He grew up in the Bronx with his younger brother, Calvin. As a very young man, Chris enlisted in the United States Army and became a sergeant. Upon his honorable discharge, he re-enlisted into the Air Force, where he again rose to the level of sergeant. During his military career, his interest in photography began.

After his military service, Chris moved to Chicago to work in photography, where he met Martha, a journalist, while covering a story together. The couple married, moved to New York City and together had two sons, Keith and Ben.

In New York City, Chris worked as a photojournalist, a filmmaker, and artistic director for one of the ten largest advertising agencies in the U.S. A passionate social justice activist, he advocated for civil rights and through connections in the film industry, Chris focused on causes and issues central to the Native American community. In the mid 1970, he moved to Minneapolis to cover the Wounded Knee Trials. Chris won multiple awards for his films, most notably for his documentaries The Great Spirit Within the Hole (1983) and Our Sacred Land (1985).

Chris worked at Twin Cities Public Television as a field producer and project manager. He produced and hosted the weekly radio show Indian Uprising in Minneapolis for a number of years. Chris’s activism and sense of justice were present in many capacities: He served multiple terms as secretary for the Minnesota ACLU; he was one of the original Native-American filmmakers involved in the founding of Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute, helping to lay the groundwork for the Institute’s commitment to Indigenous voices; and, his films were recognized with numerous awards nationally and in Europe.

Chris met Maurene Denzel in Minneapolis, growing from acquaintances to loving companions until his final days. They made their home on a farm in Granite Falls, MN.

Chris died at the age of 97, on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at Granite Falls Care Center. In honor of the man he was, Chris’s wishes were for those he loved to remember him as he lived – sensitive, principled and committed to the “fight for our cultural, human and indigenous rights,” as he once wrote.

Chris is survived by his loving companion, Maurene Denzel; sons, Keith (Roberta Wue) Corpus of California and Ben (Ilia Silva) Corpus of both California and New York; grandchildren, Isabel Silva Corpus, Ray Wue Corpus, Oliver Wue Corpus, Calvin Silva Corpus, Rowan Wue Corpus; as well as other close friends. Chris’s loved ones are grateful to the dedicated staff at Granite Falls Care Center for their wonderful care for Chris.

Chris is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Calvin.