The county just lost one of its most fascinating people, Scott Sink, known more commonly as Scott Keltic Knot. Musician, activist, martial artist, tireless seeker of truth and justice and Spanish teacher at Dana Hills High School since 2004. I knew him, but not as well as many others did, so I will alternate their tributes and reminiscences with a bunch of his music, as I think he would like – Vern.
Rest in peace, Scott Keltic Knot.
Scott was an activist who stood up for Indigenous rights and against racism and injustice. He was a white American who chose to study history, educate himself, and stand in solidarity with people of color and Indigenous communities. He used his voice to expose police brutality, challenge racist school mascots, educate people about the true history behind “Thanksgiving” — or “ThanksTaken,” as he called it — and advocate for day laborers and working-class communities. He also taught self-defense, participated in educational workshops, supported environmental causes, and contributed to many local struggles.
His activism was not just something he talked about. He showed up.
Scott became more than an activist we worked alongside; he became our friend. He joined us at our Mexican carne asadas, shared meals and conversations with us, and became part of our community. He proved that he was truly down for the cause, giving his time, energy, and heart to local struggles and sacrificing much along the way.
One of the memories that will always stand out to me was protesting “Columbus Day” at Mission San Juan Capistrano. Those moments of resistance, education, and solidarity are part of the legacy Scot leaves behind.
Scott was a fighter, an educator, an ally, and above all, our dear friend. His absence will be deeply felt, but the work he supported and the people he stood beside will carry his memory forward.
Our deepest condolences go out to his wife, Gema, who stood beside him as a fighter and activist in her own right. May she and all of Scott’s loved ones find strength during this difficult time.
Rest in peace, Scott. You will be missed, hermano. Your solidarity, friendship, and commitment to the struggle will not be forgotten.
(with Gema)
A few words in the memory of Scott Keltic Knot , though words can feel pretty meaningless when someone is gone so soon.
I knew Scott over the last 30 years or so. He was among the most intelligent humans I have ever known, but he showed that intelligence wasn’t about knowledge alone but learning as a tool of understanding. And unlike so many folks who learn and do nothing , he turned understanding into action in every aspect of his public life. Whether it was fighting for immigrant rights in the streets of Fullerton, fighting Neo liberalism to protect all humanity, making resistance art to tell the truth about a world that decides who lives and who is forgotten – Scott attacked this failing system with his whole self.
I keep a small garden at my house and I can say without hesitation that nearly every part of it reflects something I learned from Scott. He didn’t see gardening as a hobby – gardening was an act of resistance and survival. It represented a chance to rebuild ancient knowledge about the human connection to the land that might outlast this broken system and serve those who could be found below and on the left.
Scott was a person trying to understand culture, language, and identity in very profound ways. You could say Scott was “White” by the colonial ways this society relates to being. But he was deep into the exploration of his own identity as a native – not to this land but a native all the same. He was elevating the idea that being connected to the land and its lessons wherever your people originate is the most important way to build lasting unity. He knew that for us to STOP being settlers and the colonized was the most revolutionary thing we could do TOGETHER.
I could go on but why? Scott was a friend, a teacher, a revolutionary, a poet and care taker. I was better because I knew him and can stay better if I don’t forget.
Teithia yn ddiogel, fy ffrind
Thanks for everything.
CS
Scott Sink. Scott Celtic Knot. Oscar Nudo Celta. Primo. Hermano.Warrior. I’ve been dreading this moment
Scott and I grew up together. We met in Middle School at Travis Ranch. I only have a couple friends I’ve known longer than him. He wasn’t a big fan of “documenting” personal things, as much as he documented everything else (like police brutality or the Welsh language lol) , so this feels impersonal and a method of summarization of a great human being that isn’t fitting to the person he was. But, we’ve all lit a path for him towards the Milky Way, said our prayers- did the important stuff. Now sharing stories is another way to carry on his spirit, his energy, his passion, his accomplishments. The tributes to him I’ve seen have been beautiful. Instantly I have felt a kinship with each of you who have posted something about our mutual amazing friend.
I became friends with Scott at PE during a volleyball game, when he was consistently pissing off his teammates across from us because he kept hitting the volleyball backwards out of bounds or so high up that nobody could see where it would drop. His antics were so over the top that I told him we should be friends as I cracked up .
We spent the next several years hiking all over the Yorba Linda hills, hanging out with friends, reading books, challenging school authority and drinking up all the Snapple Ice Teas his parents bought.
Increasingly we started learning about the history of Orange County, the Gabrieleno, the Spanish, and seeking out old adobe ruins or signs of Indigenous villages and remaining vestiges of ancestral connections. Eventually we started putting our own signs in front of the “Welcome to Yorba Linda” city signs that read “Welcome to stolen Gabrieleno land.” We would laugh at how long it took the city to take them down, and did the math about how many people in Yorba Linda must have seen our sign instead. We would make signs against Columbus Day, Thanksgiving and more and climb up on the roof of our high school on Sunday nights and staple these signs all across the roofs for everybody to see. We made flyers with derogatory caricatures of our school administrators and wrote elaborate explanations of why these people were abusive and How-tos of how to avoid interactions with them. Somehow, we got suspended but never expelled.
We read books by Vine Deloria, anthropologists, historians, old Spanish conquistadores, Middle Eastern scholars , books on ancient Celtic cultures, and had so many conversations about them.
In high school we started learning fluent Spanish, traveling to Mexico , using it at Burger King and Carl’s Jr where we worked, joined the Save Puvungna Coalition and started working on protecting sacred sites of local Tribes. It would be us 2 high schoolers and everyone else who was 60 and up. We’d sit and learn, listen and slowly build our own views on how to resist and educate about Native culture and history, undocumented rights, protecting the Earth and special places. We joined the American Indian Movement, participating in many actions such as Ward Valley land occupation, fighting racist mascots and more, traveling to different states and counties to participate in actions.
At 20, we took our first road trip across the country together with almost no money in our pockets. We traveled to 35 states, picking up our friend Nacho in Transylvania, visting every historic , sacred and other special place we could find. We tried to visit a friend on a military base and didnt know her last name so got told to leave, wound up at a massive protest where we eventually got local channel 6 in Minneapolis to film us protesting the county, saw a UFO in New Mexico that Scott and I still cannot really explain. We traveled through Amish country, to dozens of reservations and Tribal museums and national parks, where we drove around the parks because we couldn’t afford to get in.
In his early 20s Scott one day told me “I want to ACTUALLY know what it’s like to be an undocumented worker, so I’m going to be one.” So, we came up with an elaborate story that he was my cousin, half paisa, and had just crossed the border from Mexico. He claimed to our boss at the interview that he spoke no English- only Spanish and Cymru- and that he needed a job. I will always remember the look on the Mexican boss’s face, looking at the 6 foot 4 white guy in front of him , telling this elaborate story, with a good enough Spanish accent to believe that any interesting accent he had in Spanish could have been from also being a Welsh speaker. He spent 6 months being believed as a fry cook that he was undocumented. He had everyone fooled. One day his dad walked in and recognized him and he had to pretend he didn’t know him. “Hey Scott, it’s me , your dad!” While the other paisa came to Scott’s rescue to back him up Scott kept repeating “No conozco este guey! Quitate guey, no te conozco!” He still lived with his parents so when he went home that night he pretended the interaction had never happened. That was Scott.
One time Scott and I were following each other and a cop pulled me over. As the cop was asking me to get out of the car and open my trunk , all of the sudden Scott walked through some bushes with a notepad and pen, stood 10 feet away from the cop and started taking voracious notes, startling the cop as he looked like a madman attempting to document every move. The cop shut my trunk and quickly jogged to his vehicle and drove off. That was Scott. Always had your back.
Thousands of hours of deep discussion, hundreds of protests and actions, traveling , fighting together in the trenches at land occupations, learning and teaching with each other, fighting against injustice, constantly re-honing our ideas and thoughts on different subjects. There are so many Scott stories. I love seeing the ones in people’s tributes so far.
Scott was always learning, pushing me and others to learn and expand our minds. He was profoundly intellectual, and had an idea about what the world should be like, always leading by example, showing why we should criticize and contemplate systems that are in place. He was a part of many successes regarding municipal and police policies, as well as actions that led to protecting sacred places. Always reminding people how consumerism tricked down to someone being exploited out of sight, reminding us of consequences unseen. His impression on those who knew him are too profound to even pretend that he is gone. He will live on in his accomplishments, music, stories, students and in the places he helped save.
I’m so glad he met my kids and my wife. Im glad for the last time I got to spend with my brother and Gema- seeing him wincing in pain but taking it like a guerrero, still fighting with positivity , criticizing the medical system til the end, cracking jokes, catching up one last time. I’m so glad he had Gema Suarez , a woman that deserved him and who he was lucky-very lucky-to have. The peace of mind knowing he was in good hands in priceless, and I am forever grateful hermana.
Don’t forget Scott. You can’t anyway. There is no one else like him.
Donadagohv’i brother- we’ll see one another again
From Joe Ristrom of “Point of Impact MMA“
It’s with deep regret that we lost a good friend and talented martial artist Scott Sink. Scott was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer earlier this year and sadly lost his battle with it. I will always remember the good times with him, when he got his black belt in Kali, our long conversations on our trips to Rancho Cucamonga and just training with him. He was one of those dependable training partners who you know would never let you down. We will miss him greatly.
From the fundraiser to help Gema cover Scott’s medical bills:
Jennifer Ralph is creating this fundraiser for Gema, the wife of Jennifer’s dear friend and colleague, Scott Sink. For more than two decades at Dana Hills High School, Scott gave his heart, talent, humor, and seemingly endless energy to his students, friends, and community. He was a deeply loved teacher in CUSD since 2004, known for teaching all levels of Spanish and for being the colleague everyone turned to with a question about language or grammar. Scott was brilliant, curious, talented, generous, and always willing to step up when something or someone needed him. Beyond the classroom, he was also a martial arts instructor, musician, artist, activist, mentor, and friend who cared deeply about people and the world around him.
It is with profound sadness that we share that Scott passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer. In the difficult months following his diagnosis, there was also something beautiful to celebrate: Scott married his longtime partner and the love of his life, Gema. This fundraiser now continues in Scott’s memory and in support of Gema as she faces the financial burdens associated with Scott’s illness and passing. Donations will help ease those burdens and give Gema space to grieve without having to carry them alone.
Scott spent decades teaching, creating, advocating, mentoring, making music, and giving back to his community. He gave so much of himself to so many people. Now it is our turn to give something back in his memory and to surround Gema with the same love and generosity that Scott so freely gave to others. Please consider making a donation to support Gema during this extraordinarily difficult time. No contribution is too small. If you are unable to donate, sharing this campaign and helping us keep Scott’s memory alive are equally meaningful ways to show your support. There is also another way to honor Scott: keep listening to his music. Scott wanted his music to be heard, shared, streamed, and enjoyed, so please keep Scott Keltic Knot playing. Subscribe to his YouTube channels, stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and other platforms, add his songs to your playlists, share them with others, and follow Scott Keltic Knot on Facebook and Instagram. Rest in peace, Scott. Thank you for the lessons, the laughter, the music, the friendship, and the countless ways you made our lives richer. You will be deeply missed and never forgotten.
Scott’s final post, from June 4:
For those who haven’t heard, I was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I’ve been in the hospital this week. I am currently at home recovering and awaiting news about the biopsy results and my treatment options.
Special thanks to friends and family, especially my partner Gema, for all the love and support.
Please don’t send me food care packages. I can’t digest most foods right now. If you want to send me anything, I am accepting coffee and teas (all kinds).
If you want to support my music business, there are ways you can do so.
Subscribe to my Youtube channel: Scott Keltic Knot. Stream, like and leave comments.
Subscribe to the Scott Keltic Knot Topic Youtube channel. Stream, like and leave comments.
Follow me on the audio streaming platforms: Spotify, Apple, Amazon, etc. Add songs to playlists and share them with other like-minded folks.
Follow my Scott Keltic Knot Music Facebook page.
Follow me on Instagram: scott_keltic_knot
Check out www.scottkelticknot.com for infrequent updates.
Bump Scott Keltic Knot 24-7 until you’re sick of it.
