The late Reuben A. Snake, Jr., a true warrior of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, a trusted man of great wisdom, an honorably discharged former Army Green Beret, a former Winnebago Tribal Chairman for many years, a former President of the National Congress of American Indians, will be honored for the month of January 2006 as our Warrior of the Month.

Reuben A. Snake, Jr., is referred to as a Native American Civil Rights leader in many stories and played an important part in American Indian politics. Mr. Snake fought in many arenas for the rights of Indigenous people. In addition, Mr. Snake served as the president of the Native American Church, Winnebago Chapter. His dedication as a spiritual leader of the NAC became the pulpit from which he began the Native American Religious Freedom Project and worked on the Native American Repatriation Act. Mr. Snake was a founding member and spiritual advisor for the American Indian Ritual Object Repatriation Foundation.  

Other notable organizations in which Mr. Snake was involved include First Nations Development Institute, Seventh Generation Fund, American Indian Law Resource Center, Native Lands Institute, Americans for Indian Opportunity, National Indian Community Colleges. Mr. Snake also chaired AIM, World Assembly of First Nations, and the Trail of Broken Treaties Walk.

By Annette J. Whitener                                                       

One day after his death, Reuben A. Snake, Jr. was publicly mourned in the United States Senate in a statement read by Senator Daniel Inouye. At that time, the Senate ordered that a speech recently given by Reuben Snake be entered into the Congressional Record. The Congressional Record for that day is available here.

  A video portrait of Reuben Snake, directed by Gary Rhine, is available from Kifaru Productions.  Click here to reach Kifaru Productions.