Raymond Yellow Thunder
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Raymond Yellow Thunder (January 1, 1921 – February 13, 1972) was an
Oglala Lakota The Oglala (pronounced , meaning 'to scatter one's own' in Lakota language, Lakota) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota people, Dakota, make up the Sioux, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A ...
man, born in
Kyle, South Dakota Kyle (Lakota: ''Phežúta ȟaká''; "Branched Medicine") is a census-designated place (CDP) in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, United States. Its population was 943 at the 2020 census. Located within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of th ...
, on the
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (), also called Pine Ridge Agency, is an Oglala Lakota Indian reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota, with a small portion extending into Nebraska. Originally included within the territory of the ...
. He was killed in
Gordon, Nebraska Gordon is a city in Sheridan County, Nebraska, United States, in the Great Plains region. Its population was 1,612 at the 2010 census. History Gordon was incorporated as a village in 1885 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was n ...
. His death became notable as an example of a racially motivated assault against a Native American, as he was murdered by four white men who had bragged earlier that evening about beating an Indian. Members of the
American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is an Native Americans in the United States, American Indian grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues ...
went to Gordon in search of justice in the case. The prosecution of his killers aroused much controversy, as the two brothers, convicted of
manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...
, were given light sentences.


Early life and education

Yellow Thunder was one of seven children of Jennie and Andrew Yellow Thunder and the grandson of Chief
American Horse American Horse (; also known as American Horse the Younger; c. 1840 – December 16, 1908) was an Oglala Lakota chief, statesman, educator and historian. American Horse is notable in American history as a U.S. Army Indian Scout and a progressive ...
.Stew Magnuson, "Remember Raymond Yellow Thunder's life"
Opinion, ''Native Sun News,'' 13 February 2012, accessed 1 March 2012
He was noted in his reservation school to be an average student, a good athlete, and the best artist in the school. He was gifted in taming horses, which allowed him to work as a ranch hand in his adult years. The only meat he would eat was chicken.


Marriage

He married Dora Cutgrass when they were young. They divorced and did not have children.


Career

Yellow Thunder eventually pursued work in Gordon as a
ranch hand A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the '' vaquero ...
. As an employee, he was "so reliable that Harold Rucker, who employed Yellow Thunder for many years, was immediately alarmed when he wasn't at the appointed spot in Gordon where he picked him up to take him back to the ranch on Sunday evenings."


Death

On February 12, 1972, Yellow Thunder was walking down the street in Gordon. The brothers Les and Pat Hare along with friends Bernard Lutter, and Robert Bayliss, found him by a used-car lot. The Hares and Bayliss
assault In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or consent, unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may ...
ed Yellow Thunder. They had been heard earlier that night talking about "busting an Indian". They stripped Yellow Thunder of his pants and undergarments and shoved him into the trunk of their car. Jeanette Thompson was present, but reportedly did not participate in the assault or
kidnapping Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...
. The Hares, Lutter, and Bayliss took Yellow Thunder to the
American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...
club. There, they shoved the half-naked Yellow Thunder into the hall, where patrons briefly gawked at the spectacle. Though offered help by employees of the club, Yellow Thunder rejected assistance and left the club alone. The following day, February 13, 1972, Yellow Thunder was found by George Ghost Dog, an
Oglala Lakota The Oglala (pronounced , meaning 'to scatter one's own' in Lakota language, Lakota) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota people, Dakota, make up the Sioux, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A ...
boy. Yellow Thunder told him, "I got beat up by some white guys", and Ghost Dog left him. This was the last time Yellow Thunder was seen alive. It is believed that he took shelter in a car in the used-car lot and died a few days later of his injuries. This is where he was found eight days after Ghost Dog had seen him. The
autopsy An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...
showed that he had died of
subdural hematoma A subdural hematoma (SDH) is a type of bleeding in which a collection of blood—usually but not always associated with a traumatic brain injury—gathers between the inner layer of the dura mater and the arachnoid mater of the meninges surrou ...
, caused by
blunt trauma A blunt trauma, also known as a blunt force trauma or non-penetrating trauma, is a physical trauma due to a forceful impact without penetration of the body's surface. Blunt trauma stands in contrast with penetrating trauma, which occurs when a ...
to his forehead above his right eye.


Prosecution

Les and Pat Hare, Robert Bayliss, Bernard Lutter, and Jeanette Thompson were arrested as suspects for the death of Yellow Thunder, as numerous witnesses had seen them with the man before his death. The Hares, Bayliss, and Lutter were charged with
manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...
and
false imprisonment False imprisonment or unlawful imprisonment occurs when a person intentionally restricts another person's movement within any area without legal authority, justification, or the restrained person's permission. Actual physical restraint is n ...
. Thompson was also charged with false imprisonment. Lutter's charges of manslaughter were eventually dropped in exchange for testimony against the other defendants. All five defendants posted their
bail Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Court bail may be offered to secure the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when ...
. Thompson's charges were later dropped as the prosecution decided that she did not participate in the crimes. Upon hearing rumors perpetuated by newspapers and suspicious Indians that Yellow Thunder had been forced to dance naked at the American Legion Club,
torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons including corporal punishment, punishment, forced confession, extracting a confession, interrogational torture, interrogation for information, or intimid ...
d and
castrated Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses use of the testicles: the male gonad. Surgical castration is bilateral orchiectomy (excision of both testicles), while chemical castration uses pharmaceutical ...
before being killed, members of the
American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is an Native Americans in the United States, American Indian grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues ...
entered the case to protest for justice. The AIM vowed to pursue justice and demonstrated in Gordon against the brutalization of Native Americans, with Yellow Thunder's death at the center of the demonstrations. The police conducted a second autopsy, whose results dispelled the rumors of torture and mutilation. Les and Pat Hare were eventually convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six years with a $500 fine, and two years with a $500 fine, respectively. Incensed by the meager sentences, the AIM started a protest against the decision. The AIM's involvement in the Yellow Thunder case contributed to its gaining members for a chapter at Pine Ridge Reservation, and led to its involvement in the
Wounded Knee Incident The Wounded Knee Occupation, also known as Second Wounded Knee, began on February 27, 1973, when approximately 200 Oglala Lakota (sometimes referred to as Oglala Sioux) and followers of the American Indian Movement (AIM) seized and occupied the ...
, as well as gaining national media attention.


See also

* List of people from Nebraska * List of people from South Dakota


References


Further reading

*"2d Autopsy of Dead Sioux Finds No Torture Evidence," ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' ashington D.C.10 Mar 1972: 12. Proquest. Web. 18 Sept. 2010. *"Death of Indian Sparks Protest," ''New York Times'' 8 May 1972: 37. Proquest. Web. 15 Sept. 2010. *Engle, Michael J. ''Thunder On the Prairie: The Raymond Yellow Thunder Case and the Rise of the American Indian Movement,'' PhD Diss., The University of Texas El Paso, 1997. ELibrary. Web. 15 Sept. 2010. *"Jury in Nebraska Convicts 2 Brothers in Death of Indian," ''New York Times,'' 27 May 1972: 60. Proquest. Web. 15 Sept. 2010. *Magnuson, Stew. ''The Death of Raymond Yellow Thunder: and Other True Stories from the Nebraska-Pine Ridge Border Towns,'' Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech UP, 2008. Print.''
Matthias André Voigt (2024). ''Reinventing the Warrior: Masculinity in the American Indian Movement, 1968-1973''
Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. (). {{DEFAULTSORT:Yellow Thunder, Raymond Murdered Native American people People murdered in Nebraska 1972 murders in the United States 20th-century Native American people
Killing Killing, Killings, or The Killing may refer to: Types of killing *-cide, a suffix that refers to types of killing (see List of types of killing), such as: ** Homicide, one human killing another *** Murder, unlawful killing of another human without ...
Oglala people Native American-related controversies People from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota People from Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota People from Gordon, Nebraska Racially motivated violence against Native Americans 1972 in Nebraska 1921 births 1972 deaths Native American people from Nebraska