Perry Ray Robinson

Ray Robinson (born Perry Ray Robinson; 12 September 1937 – approx. 25 April 1973), was an African-American civil rights activist. He is perhaps best known for being a victim of the Wounded Knee incident that took place in 1973 at Wounded Knee, South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Early life

Ray Robinson was born on 12 September 1937 in Bogue Chitto, Alabama.^[2] According to Bradford Lyttle, founder of the United States Pacifist Party, Robinson described himself as an ex-prize fighter.^[5]

Activism

Perry Robinson was a well-known civil rights activist. He was present at Martin Luther King, Jr.'s delivery of the I Have a Dream speech.^[1] Ray was also in attendance at the funeral held for three civil rights workers killed in the state of Mississippi in 1964. Robinson also participated in the mobilization of Resurrection City, a camp set up at the Washington Mall to draw attention to the plight of poor people of color in the United States in 1968.^[4] Rose Sanders, the first Black female judge in the state of Alabama, described the civil rights movement as being a calling for Ray. She was quoted in a telephone interview as saying, "He was a true soldier. He was a true liberator. He really believed all people should be free."^[5] Ray Robinson was also affiliated with Bradford Lyttle, the founder of the United States Pacifist Party. Lyttle is quoted as saying with regards to Ray, "He was quite forthcoming and very vigorous and willing to take risks. He put himself out in front of the project. And we decided we would take him on into the South."^[4] Ray Robinson was a member of the anti-war organization, Vietnam Veterans Against the War (known by the acronym VVAW). It was while participating in an anti-war rally in Madison, Wisconsin, that Ray would meet the woman who would become his wife, Cheryl Buswell.^[6] She had been raised in a staunchly Republican household, but dropped out of college to help organize demonstrations.^[4] During a meeting of VVAW, Robinson heard about the ongoing and soon to be infamous occupation of the second largest reservation in the United States,^[7] the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. According to his wife, Robinson thought the occupation would be an excellent opportunity to unite the Black Movement and the Indian Movement.^[6]

Disappearance

In a letter dated 29 December 1974, Cheryl Robinson wrote that she'd been informed Ray Robinson had backpacked into Wounded Knee during the night in order to avoid checkpoints and was later shot for not following an order to immediately report to one of AIM’s co-founders.^[8] On 11 March 2014, the FBI released documents confirming the death of a Black civil rights activist during the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee.^[2] A memorandum from the FBI dated 21 May 1973 reported an Indian woman who departed from the village had enumerated 200 Indians, 11 whites and two blacks. Robinson had reportedly been accompanied to the siege by a Black female. While she returned from the standoff, he was nowhere to be found.^[9] Robinson would later be declared legally dead.^[10] However, to this day, the whereabouts of his body are still unknown.^[11]

Conflicting Accounts

A Former leader within the American Indian Movement, Dennis Banks, claimed to have no knowledge of Ray Robinson. Banks insists that he can’t recall ever meeting Robinson, and only heard about him from inquires about Ray made by Robinson family members. “Over the years, the Robinson name has popped up and I’m not sure even who would have that information or where it was. That’s a complete blank to me.” ^[1] However in 2001, Darlene (Ka-Mook) Nichols, one of Dennis Banks' common-law wives, conducted an interview with him while trying to uncover more information about the Anna Mae Aquash murder. In a case of serendipity, she was able to learn new details regarding the missing civil rights activist. Banks openly discussed the fate of Ray Robinson, revealing that the victim had been shot by another AIM officer. Banks told his wife he saw the corpse shortly after the incident, and perplexed as to how to solve the problem, he decided to order a subordinate to “bury him where no one will know.” He disclosed that the subordinate was “gone for about five hours” and that Robinson had been buried “over by the creek.”^[12] According to Banks, the identity of the subordinate who disposed of the body is Cris Westerman, brother of political activist, actor and musician Floyd Westerman.^[13] In another account of the incident involving Ray Robinson, Dennis Banks claimed that Harry "Mr. X" David Hill was the triggerman responsible for shooting Robinson.^[3]

The FBI believes Robinson was murdered by militant members of the American Indian Movement, according to newly released documents.^[2] FBI files obtained by the Robinson family lawyer in 2014 contain testimonials that state 'Robinson had been tortured and murdered within the AIM occupation perimeter, and then his remains were buried "in the hills."'^[13]

The FBI documents include testimony describing Robinsons' short time on the reservation. One witness interviewed by agents indicated that the activist had been in Wounded Knee for approximately a week. During this time, the witness claimed that Robinson had trouble adapting to the harsh conditions caused by the siege.^[14] These conditions included a lack of food, the constant surveillance and consistent bombardment of being "under fire" and the unilaterial AIM command.^[15] The witness said Robinson immediately tried to discuss strategies in the bunker, but no one listened or gave any serious consideration to him. Robinson got into a heated exchange with another someone else, and was escorted to a house by a security team.^[16] Once inside the house, Robinson grabbed a butcher knife from a table and security formed a full circle around him. According to said witness “The next thing, I heard a loud bang and saw Mr. Robinson’s lower leg spin from the knee and rotate outward as he started to fall forward. His eyes rolled up as he went down.”^[14] The security team is alleged to have consisted of, among other members, Leonard Crow Dog, Carter Camp, Dennis Banks, Frank Blackhorse, Stan Holder, Harry David Hill, and Clyde Bellecourt.^[17] According to Bernie Lafferty, a witness who confirmed the presence of Robinson within the reservation during the Wounded Knee incident:

One account also suggests the role that race played in the situation. One former AIM member described Robinson as a “loud mouthed n*gger, who refused to pick up a gun during a firefight,” and was labeled suspicious by AIM.^[6][18] There were also many in AIM who believed Robinson to have been an informant from the FBI.^[19] Robinson's non-violent, peaceful philosophy, which culminated in his supposed refusal to participate in the fights, is said to have put him at odds with AIM, and fueled more suspicion about his motives in participating in the Wounded Knee occupation, specifically as they pertained to his affiliation with the FBI.^[6][20]

Another account claimed Robinson's death could be attributed to an inability to follow orders. “He was sitting on somebody’s porch eating oatmeal. An Indian dude came up, ordered him to go see Dennis Banks. Ray said, ‘In a minute – I’m eating my oatmeal – I’ll go when I’ve finished.’ The Indian dude got affronted by Ray’s lack of servility. The Indian shot Ray dead,” Cheryl Robinson wrote.^[8] AIM member Richard Two Elk stated about the incident that, "He would eat what little food we had. There was no food so everyone was trying not to eat and this guy was eating freely all the time."^[4] Of her husband, Cheryl claimed that, "Ray did not respond well to that authoritative direction."^[20] Richard Two Elk also claimed that Robinson was actually the aggressor in the incident that led to him being shot. "I think it was just a reaction. He jumped up and he had a knife and started moving and someone reacted. It happened in a couple of seconds. I think it was someone's gut level reaction in the middle of a firefight."^[4]

Diverging slightly from the above transcript, yet another account details how Robinson was shot in the knee after the team entered the bunker. Then he was dragged outside, beaten and taken to the Wounded Knee Medical Clinic operated ran by Madonna Gilbert Thunderhawk and Lorelei DeCora Means as well as several other volunteer nurses and medics including several non-Indians. Ray was then reportedly shoved into a closet, where he died of exsanguination.^[21] In correspondence with AIM members, Carter Camp notes that he left Ray in Eagle Bunker after he had been shot in both legs.

According to the late Carter Camp in a handwritten letter, after Carter shot Clyde Bellecourt, "I had to make the decision not to bring in Buddy Lamont until late afternoon after I knew he was killed in the early morning. I had to leave Ray's life to fight alone in eagle bunker after he was shot through both legs. I did these things to save other Indian lives."^[3]

AIM co-founder Clyde Bellecourt, who was present for 51 days of the siege, claimed Robinson was not present during AIM's occupation of Wounded Knee, and he had only recently learned of the name.^[6]

Former leader of a chapter within the American Indian Movement, Vernon Bellecourt, older brother of Clyde Bellecourt, indicated an awareness of Robinson's murder during the occupation. Vernon made a statement to the effect that AIM had "really managed to keep a tight lid on that one over the years."^[16]

One theory related to Robinson's death contends that the Guardians of the Oglala Nation, more commonly known by the acronym GOONs, are responsible for killing him. The GOON Squad consisted of anti-AIM Pine Ridge residents who were granted authority by federal agents to patrol checkpoints within the reservation. Carter Camp informed one of Robinson's daughters that these people were responsible for the death of her father.^[19][22] However, the theory has been criticized for mischaracterizing the true history of the Wounded Knee incident without providing substantive evidence.^[23]

Legacy

Robinson is survived by his widow, Cheryl Buswell-Robinson,^[24] as well as their three children,^[4] daughters Desiree Mark and Tamara Kamara as well as son J. Marc Robinson. On 04 July 2013, the Buffalo News revealed that youngest daughter Tamara Kamara has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Buffalo.^[25] Michael Kuzma, the Buffalo lawyer representing the family, has launched a Freedom of Information suit in the Buffalo federal court, and wishes to pressure the FBI and other parties involved to release information related to Robinson's disappearance and the whereabouts of his body.^[25]

Knowledge of the truth behind Robinson's murder is suspected as being one of the main reasons Anna Mae Aquash was executed in 1975.^[17]

The omission of any mention of the murders of Perry Ray Robinson Jr. or Anna Mae Aquash in a 2009 PBS documentary, We Shall Remain: Wounded Knee, covering the American Indian Movement during the Wounded Knee Incident received criticism.^[26][27]

Author Barbara Nixon authored a series of volumes about the events that transpired at Wounded Knee. The books were entitled Mi' Taku'Ye-Oyasin: Letters from Wounded Knee. Mi' Taku'Ye-Oyasin is a phrase that, in the Lakota language, means "All My Relations".^[28] Nixon published several letters related to Robinson within the pages.^[29]

See also

• List of people who disappeared mysteriously
• Resurrection City
• Vietnam Veterans Against the War

References

External links

• Perry Ray Robinson, Jr.
• Missing Persons of America Perry Ray Robinson, Jr. Report