Robert Satiacum
|
|
Robert (Bob) Satiacum (1929-1991) was Puyallup tribal leader, and an advocate of native treaty fishing rights.
Satiacum first came to the public attention in 1954, when he was arrested for illegally fishing in the Puyallup River in Tacoma, Washington. Satiacum was convicted, but the Washington State Supreme Court overturned the conviction. This led to years of legal wranglings over the issue, as well as to "fish-ins" by Satiacum and his cadre of celebrity supporters (most notably Marlon Brando).
This ultimately culminated in the historic Boldt Decision, which held that treaties signed with native tribes and the federal government in the 1850s entitled the tribes to fifty percent of the total fish harvest.
In the 1980s, Satiacum ran afoul of RICO statutes for allegedly selling cigarettes illegally. He was convicted, but fled to Canada before he could be sent to prison. He died in Canada in 1991.
External links
- Chief Robert Satiacum (http://www.geocities.com/chief_satiacum/myfather.html) Tribute page
- History Link article on Satiacum (http://www.historylink.org/_output.cfm?file_id=2609)
- Indians fondly recall 'caring,' loyal Brando (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5355109/)
- The Boldt Decision (http://www.ccrh.org/comm/river/legal/boldt.htm)