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Janet McCloud

AKA: Yet-Si-Blue
Released
Date of birth:30. 03. 1934
Date of death:25. 11. 2003
Age:69† Deceased
Gender:Female
Race:Native American
Era:1970s
State:Washington
Support
Indigenous Sovereignty
Janet McCloud

Biography

Janet McCloud, born on the Tulalip Reservation and a descendant of Chief Seattle, was a Tulalip-Nisqually fishing-rights leader at Frank's Landing who organized the early 1960s fish-ins alongside her husband Don McCloud, Hank Adams, and Billy Frank Jr. At a 1965 fish-in on the Nisqually River she and five others — including her husband — were arrested; she served six days and conducted a hunger strike in jail. She published the underground newspaper 'Survival News,' co-founded the Survival of American Indians Association, and later founded the Indigenous Women's Network from her Yelm, Washington home, which she named Sapa Dawn Center. She died in 2003.

Cases

Washington state and county jails
Charges: Obstructing a public officer during the October 13, 1965 Nisqually fish-in
Arrested: Oct 13, 1965
Incarcerated: Oct 13, 1965
Released: October 1965
Sentence: Arrested October 13, 1965; acquitted by a jury in January 1969. Laura McCloud recalled that the defendants posted bail within hours of arrest, while the 2003 Seattle Post-Intelligencer obituary reports six days in jail and a hunger strike. These conflicting custody accounts remain unresolved; no exact release day or verified six-day total is assigned. October 1965 release is retained at month precision. Janet McCloud also described a separate 1966 arrest and hunger strike with Edith McCloud and Dick Gregory; that episode must not be conflated with this prosecution.
Convicted: No
Institution State: Washington
Charges: Interfering with a police officer during a 1966 Nisqually fish-in with Dick Gregory
Arrested: 1966
Incarcerated: 1966
Sentence: Janet McCloud and Robert Casey described her arrest with Edith McCloud and Dick Gregory during a separate 1966 fish-in. She and Edith pleaded not guilty and awaited jury trials; all three remained in jail on hunger strike. The exact arrest and release dates, duration and final disposition of this separate episode are not established in the cited account.