Kurt BlueDog ’77, Leading Voice for Native American Issues, Dies at 70

Kurt BlueDog ’77, a major figure in American Indian advocacy, jurisprudence, and legislation for more than four decades, died May 12 of complications from cancer. He was 70.

BlueDog grew up in Waubay, South Dakota, attending Enemy Swim Day School and Waubay High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota in 1972 and served as a signal officer with the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division before enrolling at Minnesota Law.

BlueDog’s career highlights were many and wide-ranging. In his first year as a lawyer, he assisted in drafting the American Indian Religious Freedom Act; he later worked on such legislation as the Texas Band of Traditional Kickapoo Act and the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act. He spent seven years as a staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund of Boulder, Colorado, represented numerous tribal entities and interests in federal court, and served for more than 20 years as a chief judge with the tribal courts of the Fond du Lac, Lower Sioux, and Prairie Island communities. More recently, he assisted in coordinating the purchase of the 2,600-acre sacred site known as Pe’ Sla, located in the heart of the Black Hills, and securing federal trust designation for the land.

At the time of his death, BlueDog was serving in leadership or advisory roles with several organizations, including the National Indian Gaming Association, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Smithsonian Museum’s Native American Veterans Memorial Project. 

“We are so saddened by the passing of Kurt BlueDog—a kind, intelligent friend to many and a staunch advocate for and defender of Native causes,” Keith Anderson, chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, said in a statement. “The many results of Kurt’s tireless passion and work will live on throughout Indian Country. As a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Kurt has been one of the pre-eminent Dakota attorneys in U.S. history…. Our community is so proud to have worked with Kurt for so many years, and his wise counsel will be missed.”