Lavetta Yeahquo – WARRIOR WOMEN PROJECT

About Lavetta Yeahquo

Contemporaneous Network(s) • Active with the American Indian Movement (AIM). • Connected with elders and leaders during the Wounded Knee occupation including Dennis Banks, Russell Means, Madonna Thunder Hawk, Gladys Bissonette, Lorelei Decora (a nurse), Ellen Moves Camp, Grace Black Elk, and “Grandma Sally.” • Part of the Hawkeye Bunker group during the occupation. Life Outline • Raised in Oklahoma, member of the Kiowa Tribe. • Attended Haskell Junior College in Lawrence, Kansas. • Met AIM members while at Haskell, which led to her involvement with the movement. • Traveled to Rapid City and then Pine Ridge following AIM calls to action. • Participated in the 1973 Wounded Knee Occupation at the age of 18-19. • Took on various roles including assisting elders, standing guard, and living in the Hawkeye Bunker. • Continued to serve and advocate for her Kiowa community after the occupation. Involvement in Major Events • Participated in the 1973 Wounded Knee Occupation, one of the key events in 20th-century Native American activism. • Witnessed and survived direct armed conflict, including being under siege and a close-call shooting incident. • Engaged in decision-making spaces as an AIM supporter and part of the physical occupation. Legacy and Influence • Lavetta’s participation in Wounded Knee gave her a lifelong commitment to community service, particularly in helping her Kiowa people. • The experience taught her survival skills, resilience, and strengthened her voice and activism. • She emphasizes the importance of standing for one’s people and being generous and compassionate, values she attributes to her Kiowa upbringing. • The memory and sacrifice of people like Buddy Lamont remain central to her sense of purpose and historical memory. Clusters • Wounded Knee Occupation Participants: Lavetta Yeahquo, Buddy Lamont, Dennis Banks, Russell Means, Madonna Thunder Hawk, Gladys Bissonette, Lorelei Decora, Ellen Moves Camp, Grace Black Elk. • AIM Members and Supporters. • Haskell Indian Nations University Connections. Miscellaneous • Lavetta first met AIM members in a bar near Haskell, drawn by their long hair, braids, and distinctive appearance, which was unusual for men in her community at the time. • She left Haskell without many belongings, traveling with only a pillowcase containing a change of clothes. • She vividly remembers the image of the caravan of car lights traveling to Wounded Knee—a memory that stayed with her. • She survived firefights, lived in rough conditions without proper sanitation, and faced fear but stayed committed to the movement. • Her time at Wounded Knee left her with a strong will to support and defend her people, fostering a sense of service that continued into her later life.