Dick Wilson (tribal chairman) facts for kids
Richard A. Wilson (born April 29, 1934 – died January 31, 1990) was a leader for the Oglala Lakota people. He served as the chairman, or president, of the Oglala Lakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. His time as chairman lasted from 1972 to 1976, after he was re-elected in 1974.
During his leadership, some people raised concerns about his decisions. They worried that he favored friends and family when giving out jobs. There were also complaints that he used a private group, called the Guardians of the Oglala Nation (GOONs), to control political opponents. Because of these concerns, members of the tribal council tried to remove him from office through a process called impeachment in February 1973. The impeachment process did not finish.
Many Lakota people protested, asking for Wilson to be removed. US Marshals were sent to protect Wilson and his family. Later, members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and their Lakota supporters took over the town of Wounded Knee. This led to a 71-day standoff, known as the Wounded Knee Occupation. During this time, two Native Americans died, and a US Marshal was seriously hurt.
Wilson remained in office. After the Wounded Knee event, reports of increased tensions and conflicts on the reservation grew. Residents felt unsafe. The 1974 election for tribal chairman was also questioned. A US Civil Rights Commission investigation found problems with the election process, causing concern among voters. However, a federal court upheld Wilson's re-election. Political tensions continued. Wilson was strongly defeated in the 1976 election. After this, he and his family moved away from the reservation. By 1990, Wilson had returned to Pine Ridge. He was campaigning for a seat on the tribal council when he passed away.
Richard A. Wilson: A Leader for the Oglala Lakota
Early Life and Community Involvement
Richard A. Wilson was born on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He grew up and lived in the town of Pine Ridge as an adult. He learned the skill of plumbing and worked as a plumber. He and his wife had ten children.
Wilson became involved in politics by running for a councilor position. He was elected to represent the village of Pine Ridge on the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council. He served for six years and led the council's Labor committee. During this time, some people questioned if he used tribal money in ways that were not allowed. There were also accusations that he used his private group to intimidate opponents.
Becoming Tribal Chairman
The 1972 Election
In 1972, Wilson decided to run for tribal chairman against the current chairman, Gerald One Feather. Before this, his political connections were mostly in Pine Ridge. However, he campaigned across the entire reservation. He sought support from both traditional Lakota people and those who favored more modern approaches. He did not support the protests organized by AIM that year. The election was very close, but Wilson won five out of the reservation's nine districts. He had strong support in Pine Ridge village.
Challenges and Decisions
Wilson became chairman on April 10, 1972. He helped create the first Indian housing authority on the reservation. However, some people began to describe his leadership style as very strong. Early in his term, he questioned if a council member, Birgil L. Kills Straight, met the residency rules. He often preferred to make decisions with a smaller executive council instead of the full 18-member tribal council. Sometimes, he would only involve the full council on important issues at the last minute.
Wilson's main supporters were from the town of Pine Ridge. Traditional Lakota people, who often lived outside the town and followed older customs, criticized Wilson. They felt he was too close to white officials. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) still played a big role in reservation matters. Opponents also criticized Wilson for favoring people of mixed heritage (he was of mixed heritage himself) over those who were full-blood Oglala. They also said he gave special attention and benefits to his friends and relatives. Wilson reportedly responded by saying that tribal law did not forbid favoring family.
Views on Land and Activism
At that time, the Lakota Sioux tribe was suing the US government. They believed the government had wrongly taken the Black Hills in 1877. This was against the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, which had set up the Great Sioux Reservation. Wilson believed the tribe should accept a financial payment from the US government. He wanted to use this money to improve the reservation's infrastructure, education, and other areas. In contrast, traditionalists wanted the Black Hills to be fully returned to the Lakota people.
In early 1973, after a serious incident involving Wesley Bad Heart Bull in a nearby town, AIM groups started forming on the reservation. Oglala Lakota people felt they were often treated unfairly in towns outside the reservation. They also felt unhappy with the difficult conditions on Pine Ridge. Debates between AIM members and Wilson became more intense. AIM leaders from outside the reservation threatened to bring their protests to Pine Ridge.
Wilson agreed with AIM that Pine Ridge faced serious social challenges like unemployment and other difficulties. He also believed the US government had broken land treaties with the Sioux. However, Wilson saw AIM's strong actions as a "threat" rather than a help to Native American people. He later described AIM activists as "bums trying to get their braids and mugs in the press."
Wilson strongly disagreed with AIM's takeover of the BIA headquarters in Washington, DC, in November 1972. During this event, important Indian land documents were lost or destroyed. Wilson warned AIM leader Russell Means not to bring activist actions to Pine Ridge. He even got a court order to stop Means and Severt Young Bear from attending meetings on the reservation. When Means spoke at a meeting later that month, Wilson had him arrested. He also tried to suspend Tribal Vice Chairman David Long for inviting Means.
In late 1972, Wilson created a private group called the Guardians of the Oglala Nation (GOONs). He said he had the authority to do this based on an earlier council decision about maintaining order. There were questions about whether he used tribal money to fund this group. The GOONs were accused of using strong tactics against Wilson's political opponents. Reports suggested the GOONs intimidated residents of Pine Ridge Reservation for many years. Wilson's opponents claimed he was controlled by the US government.
Facing Impeachment and Protests
Impeachment Efforts
On February 9, 1973, tribal councilors Sioux Long, Kills Straight, and C. Hobart Keith brought eight charges against Wilson. They wanted to remove him from office through impeachment. The charges included favoring family in hiring, running the tribe without a budget, and using tribal resources for personal reasons. They also accused him of not making the treasurer provide an audit report, not calling the full tribal council as required, and using a smaller committee to bypass the housing board. He was also accused of illegally arresting Keith.
The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council voted 11–7 to suspend Wilson temporarily. To fully impeach him, a two-thirds vote was needed. Hearings began on February 22. Wilson chose to start the impeachment process right away, without waiting. The council agreed to have Vincent Thunder Bull lead the impeachment trial, which started the next day.
The prosecution had expected Wilson to use the waiting period, so they were not fully ready. When Thunder Bull did not allow new charges to be added, some council members and many people in the audience left. Soon after, the remaining council members voted to end the impeachment proceedings.
After the council meeting, several hundred protesters marched in Pine Ridge. Because of the high tension, Stanley Lyman, the BIA superintendent, asked the United States Marshals Service to protect Wilson and his family.
The Wounded Knee Standoff
On February 27, 1973, four days after Wilson's impeachment trial ended, local protesters and AIM activists took control of the town of Wounded Knee. They were protesting the outcome of the impeachment hearing and demanded Wilson's removal. A letter from AIM stated that they were helping the Oglala Sioux remove a "corrupt tribal president." They claimed Wilson was supported by various US government agencies, making it hard for anyone to disagree with him without facing trouble.
This standoff with law enforcement lasted 71 days. It resulted in two protesters dying and one marshal becoming paralyzed. The event brought national attention to Native American rights and the conflicts on the reservation. During the standoff, Wilson again tried to suspend David Long from his Vice Chairmanship. He also fired tribal employees who had protested against him.
On April 4, 1973, FBI Agents caught a group of AIM members leaving Wounded Knee. They had weapons and a list of people they opposed, which included Wilson and members of his GOON group.
Life After Wounded Knee
Continued Tensions
After the Wounded Knee incident ended, reports of conflicts on the reservation continued. In the next three years, many people who opposed Wilson faced serious challenges. One of them was Pedro Bissonette, a civil rights leader who had invited AIM activists to Pine Ridge. He passed away during a reported incident with a BIA policeman. Residents accused the GOONs of setting fires and frequent attacks. Wilson was accused of being involved in an incident with some AIM lawyers in February 1975, but no charges were filed. In 2000, the FBI released a report about these alleged incidents.
The 1974 Re-election
When Wilson ran for re-election in 1974, he faced many challengers. He came in second in the first round of voting. He then defeated Russell Means in the final election on February 7. A United States Civil Rights Commission investigation found problems with the ballots, many ineligible voters, and issues with how the election commission was chosen. The report described "a climate of fear and tension." It concluded that the election results were not valid. However, a federal court upheld Wilson's re-election. Wilson became only the third person to be elected to consecutive terms as Oglala Sioux Tribal Chair since the position was created in 1936.
In the 1976 election for tribal president, Wilson was defeated by Al Trimble by a large number of votes.
Later Years and Legacy
Wilson moved away from Pine Ridge after the 1976 election. He eventually returned and was campaigning for a council seat when he died in 1990. His death was caused by kidney failure and an enlarged heart.
