Groundbreaking American Indian lawyer dies

A Rosebud Sioux Reservation man, who was well-known for his legal career, died Tuesday.
Ramon Arthur Roubideaux, 82, died in Tucson, Ariz. He was born November 15, 1924, in Rosebud, and was an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, according to information provided by his family. They said Roubideaux was the first American Indian to be a private-practice attorney in the state.

He worked in several areas, including Fort Pierre and Rapid City. Before his legal career, Roubideaux was in the Air Force, where he was commissioned 1st Lieutenant and awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and three battle stars. On the advice of Congressman Francis Case, Roubideaux went to Washington, D.C., and began law school at George Washington University in October of 1946.

Roubideaux served as assistant to the chief clerk of the South Dakota House of Representatives in 1951 and 1953 sessions. He was appointed Assistant Attorney General in January of 1951. In 1954, he was appointed city attorney, and in 1956, he was elected states attorney for Stanley County on the Democratic ticket. He was re-elected states attorney for seven successive two-year terms. Roubideaux also served in a legal capacity in various American Indian groups and with several tribes through the years. He also served as a negotiator during the Wounded Knee occupation in 1973 on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. His Indian name was "Brave Eagle."

Roubideaux retired from his law practice in 2002 and later moved to Tucson with his wife to live with their daughter.He was a leader and a pioneer among his people, was a role model for generations of American Indian law students and lawyers, and his legacy will live on, his family said.