Alex Williams

Alex Williams — known to so many as Sonni Bunny or Sonni Rabbit — passed away peacefully in Seattle, WA, on January 24, 2026, at the age of 44. Born in 1981 in Pendleton, OR, (a Round-up premature baby and could fit into a shoebox) Sonni came into a family rooted in love, humor, and deep cultural strength. He was the son of Alex “Bones” Williams and Judy Allen, the grandson of Kenny Williams; Penny (and Don) Jones; Clifford Allen Sr. (Seelupaauyeen); Virginia Schell and Sylvia Shillal-Allen. He grew up alongside his brother, Isiaashelukas Metot-Waptes, forming a bond that carried through every chapter of his life.

From the moment he could stand, Sonni danced. His feet seemed to know the songs before he did. His love for his Nimiipuu culture was not something he learned — it was something he was. As a young dancer, he caught the eye of a photographer at the Daybreak Star Powwow, and his image was later published in POWWOW…Images Along the Red Road (Abrams, 1996). Even as a child, he carried himself with a presence that made people stop and watch.

Sonni graduated from Ingraham High School in North Seattle and soon returned home to the Nez Perce reservation, where he worked for the Nez Perce Tribe at the casino. At 19, while traveling to a powwow in southern Idaho, his life changed in an instant. A car accident left him paralyzed and ended his dream of dancing for the American Indian Dance Theater — a dream he had held close to his heart. But Sonni never let that moment define him. He shifted his path with courage, humor, and determination, pursuing studies at the Seattle Art Institute and later at North Seattle Community College, focusing on computers and new possibilities.

Sonni was preceded in death by his father, Alex “Bones” Williams; uncles Dwight and Kenny Williams; his grandfather Kenny Williams, Sr; his grandmother Virginia Schell, his grandmother, Penny and her husband, Don Jones, and his sister, Stephanie Williams. He is survived by his mother, Judy Allen of Tulalip, WA; his brother, Isiaashelukas Metot-Waptes of Tulalip, WA; his grandmother, Sylvia Allen of Culdesac, his aunt, Wilma Williams of Lapwai, and his sisters, Lawney, Angela and Joni Williams. He leaves behind a large and loving family of aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews — too many to name without filling pages, but each one held a place in his heart. Among them are Dr. Jake (Gail) Allen of Michigan; Sandra Maroney of Florida; Clifford Jr. (Lillian) Allen of Lewiston; Lawrence F. Allen of Pendleton; Mary V. Allen of Pendleton; Desiree E. Coyote of Pendleton; William T. (Bobbi) Allen of Lewiston; Terrence L. (Tracy) Allen of Pendleton; Misala Peo (Lawrence) Nelson of Casa Grande, AZ; Sheldon R. (Geneva) Allen of Culdesac; and Calvin D. Allen of Culdesac.

Sonni once wrote in Red Road, “We must not let traditions die away, because if they die, then we as a people will cease to exist.” Those words were not just something he said — they were how he lived. He spent countless hours learning from his grandfather, Clifford Allen, listening to stories, absorbing teachings, and carrying them forward in his own way. It is fitting that he will be laid to rest beside the elder he loved so deeply.

A memorial service will be held at Daybreak Star on Tuesday, February 3rd, with a drum group and snacks to follow. Funeral services will take place at the Pi-nee-waus on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 10:00 AM, followed by burial at Seelupaauyeen Cemetery in Culdesac and dinner afterward at the Pi-nee-waus.