Robert Robideau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Robideau
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Robert Eugene Robideau
November 11, 1946 Portland, Oregon, U.S
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| Died | February 17, 2009 (aged 62) Barcelona, Spain
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| Nationality | American |
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Robert Eugene Robideau (born November 11, 1946 – died February 17, 2009) was an American activist. He was known for his work with the American Indian Movement (AIM). He was also involved in a major legal case in 1975, where he was found not guilty of charges related to the deaths of two FBI agents in South Dakota.
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Early Life and Education
Robert Robideau was born in Portland, Oregon, on November 11, 1946. He was the second of 12 children. His father, William Robideau, was from the White Earth Indian Reservation. He had Ojibwe, Dakota, and French heritage. His mother, Yvonne Lavendure, was from the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation.
Robert went to Roosevelt High School in Portland. Later, he studied at Portland State University. There, he earned a degree in cultural anthropology. He also studied art at the Institute of Native American Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Joining the American Indian Movement
Robert Robideau moved from Portland to South Dakota with his cousin, Leonard Peltier, and other family members. They joined the American Indian Movement (AIM). AIM was a group that protested against unfair treatment and difficult living conditions on Native American lands.
In 1973, AIM members occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota. This event is known as the Wounded Knee Occupation. It was a major protest to bring attention to Native American rights.
Legal Challenges and Advocacy
On June 25, 1975, two FBI agents, Jack R. Coler and Ronald A. Williams, were investigating a case on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. They were shot and died during an incident. The FBI named Leonard Peltier as a suspect.
Months later, Robert Robideau was driving Peltier's car in Kansas. An explosion happened in the car, which injured Robideau and other AIM members. Agent Coler's gun was found in the car. Robideau was arrested and tried in a Federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was tried alongside Darrelle Dean Butler for the agents' deaths. The jury found Robideau not guilty. His defense lawyer, Lewis Gurwitz, showed the jury a sacred pipe. He explained that Native American beliefs do not allow murder.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police later arrested Leonard Peltier. He was charged and found guilty of the deaths. He was sentenced to two life sentences. Robert Robideau then led a group that worked to get a pardon for Peltier. Robideau was featured in a 1992 documentary film called Incident at Oglala. The film was about the events on the reservation.
Later Years and Legacy
After these events, Robert Robideau became a painter. His artwork often showed Native American subjects. He also served as the director of the former American Indian Movement Museum in Barcelona.
In 2007, he traveled through British Columbia, Canada. He spoke about his cousin, Leonard Peltier, and argued for his innocence.
Robert Robideau passed away at age 62 on February 17, 2009, in Barcelona, Spain. Spanish officials believed his death might have been caused by seizures. These seizures were possibly related to small pieces of shrapnel that remained in his brain from the earlier explosion.
At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Pilar. He also had two sons from a previous relationship, Bobby and Michael Robideau. They live in South Dakota and Oregon.
Before he died, Robideau had planned to move back to the United States permanently. His niece, Starr Robideau, said that his body was brought back to Portland, Oregon, for his funeral. A service to honor him was also held in Edgewood, New Mexico, in March 2009.
