Raymond Whitetailfeather

Raymond Skinsa Whitetailfeather, 95, died Aug. 19, 2025.

He was born in what the Tribes called “Little Chicago” in 1930. This was down the hill along the Poplar River when the only major road was BIA Route 1 south of the railroad tracks.

He attended 11 years at the Poplar High School and his senior year at Stewart Indian School in Carson City, Nev. He had clerical training at the Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas. In 1949, he joined the U.S. Army and served for three years in Korea.

He returned to the reservation after his honorable discharge from service and met Ruby Jean (Wilson) Whitetailfeather. They were married in 1953. Soon after, they participated in the U.S. Government’s Indian Relocation Program and moved to San Jose, Calif. He attended the San Jose City College and studied English, psychology and history.

During his time in California, he helped organize two Indian Organizations — the United American Indians of Santa Clara Valley and the Bay Area Indian Activities Inc. — and served as chairman of the board of both organizations. He was also a commissioner on the Economic Opportunity Commission, (California State).

During that time, he wrote this for his interview with the board of directors of the United American Indians: “I have no selfish aims of personal glory or monetary gain, but I do have a sincere desire to see a constructive program developed for the Indian people here in Santa Clara Valley (present day San Jose). A program that will influence the American Indian to become self-sufficient as an individual and as a people. I believe it is high time that we as Indian people began to assert ourselves, that we begin to organize ourselves so that the younger generation to follow will be inspired and carry on what we establish. I know I can do this without rioting and protesting. We can do this by organizing and developing our own program, by cooperating with