William Stanley Yellow Robe, Jr., Assiniboine playwright, actor, director and teacher died in Bangor, Maine on July 19, 2021, after a long illness. Although he had hoped to return to teaching in the fall, his body lost the fight against the traumas of colonization.
William Yellow Robe was born February 4, 1960 and raised on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Wolf Point, Montana. He attended reservation schools and was encouraged early by one of his teachers to become a writer. Becoming a playwright meant leaving the reservation; William attended the University of Montana in Missoula, honing his writing and acting skills, but encountering frustration when directors would cast him only in “Indian” roles, or not at all. He began to write his own plays, using the art form to tell stories of contemporary Native American people. William worked with other young Native American writers and actors all over the country in the budding Native American theatre movement of the 1980s. He was a member of La Mama Theater in New York, founded Wakiknabe Intertribal Theatre Company in Albuquerque, NM and became an advisor to Red Eagle Soaring Youth Theatre in Seattle, WA. He was recognized early in his career as a recipient of a Princess Grace Fellowship and a Jerome Fellowship. He taught theatre and playwriting at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM; over the years he was invited to lecture and teach at tribal colleges, Ivy League schools and state universities. Recently he was a member of the Creative Writing faculty of the University of Montana, and a lecturer and Libra Professor at the University of Maine. William Yellow Robe wrote over 70 plays, some of which are published in his three volumes of work: Where the Pavement Ends, “Grandchildren of the Buffalo Soldiers and other untold stories,” and “Restless Spirits.” His plays have been produced around the United States and in Europe, including venues such as AmerLinda, Inc. and The Public Theatre in New York, Penumbra Theatre Company in St. Paul, MN, Trinity Repertory Theatre in Providence, RI, the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Wash DC, and at the Mark Taper Forum in Loa Angeles, CA.
In December 2006, William married Jeanne Domek in South Dakota. Their time together was very happy, favorite activities included dog walks on the beach at New London, evenings of theater or movies, and attending summer powwows hosted by Narragansett, Wampanoag, and Pequot communities. Together they lived in Connecticut, South Dakota, Montana and Maine. In the last decade William Yellow Robe was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Naïve Writers Circle of the Americas, a Raushenberg Foundation residency, A Helen Merrill Award from the New York Community Trust, A Dramatists’ Guild Award, and the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Montana.
William Yellow Robe is survived by wife Jeanne Domek-Yellow Robe, his sister Karen Yellow Robe and daughter Canté Wasté Brown and son Ray Foote of Wolf Point, his niece Mina Yellow Robe Lingle and her daughter Kayla Lingle and son Sean LIngle of Spokane, WA, his nephew Stanley “Man” Lingle.
He is predeceased by his father William Stanley Yellow Robe and his mother Mina Forrest Yellow Robe, his brothers Alvin Yellow Robe and George “Fish” Redstone, his sister Helen Lingle and his nephew Mann Lingle.
He will be dearly missed by friends, students, and colleagues all over the world who learned from him and loved his work.
Service Schedule
Private Services
7:00 p.m.
Thursday July 29, 2021
Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel
102 Custer Street
Wolf Point, Montana 59201
Funeral Service
11:00 a.m.
Friday July 30, 2021
New Community Hall
Wolf Point, Montana 59201
Service Schedule
Private Services
7:00 p.m.
Thursday July 29, 2021
Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel
102 Custer Street
Wolf Point, Montana 59201
Funeral Service
11:00 a.m.
Friday July 30, 2021
New Community Hall
Wolf Point, Montana 59201
Jean Archdale says
Oh no, devastating news, I am so sorry to see this, billy was one of a kind and his talent was beyond measure, his family will be in my prayers
Abby Ybarra says
I will never forget the impact Will Stan Yellowrobe had on my life. Learned that Native writers existed and I had a place on the stage. Thank you, Bill, for your friendship wisdom keen sense of humor, and for bringing the imagination of an Indin Community of love to life. My most sincere condolences to his family and friends. All my relations. Hokka Hey Spam Man.
Ann Baker says
My sincere condolences to the family, friends, students and colleagues of Billy YellowRobe.
Robin HayesHernandez says
Condolences to Bill’s family
Pauline Azure-Feuvray says
We are sorry to hear of Bill’s passing but he is now with his parents, friends and other relatives. May he rejoice in their grand reunion.
Dale Stensland says
Condolences to the family.
Duella (Stribbe) Hull says
This saddens me deeply. I had Bill as a student on Wolf Point. I enjoyed his writing, his generosity of spirit, his humor and his acting ability. I have followed his career with interest. Rest easy, William (Billy.)
Dale Buckles says
RIP my friend. We were close classmates and friends from childhood. You were a good man Billy. My sympathies to the entire family. Love ya bro.
Iva Grainger says
Condolences to the family!
Pierre Berger says
In his early years his family treated us like their own. Stanley and Mina would invite us to Billy’ birthday parties and the spread they put out was amazing. All kinds of food. Stanley and Mina wouldn’t let us go until we couldn’t eat anymore. Billy use to like football and Joe, Billy and I would play football for hours at Sherman Park. Billy would always be the quarterback and Joe and I would be opposing teams. He liked Fran Tarkenton from Minnesota. He would say, “Tarkenton back to throw,” and then pass to either Joe or I. Then when it snowed hard one day, we were playing, and we could hardly run the snow was so deep. Joe and I would lay in the deep snow and Billy would roll over us, leaving us imprinted into the deep snow. Those were awesome days. Billy you are missed. I remember in my travels I would tell these stories to many people and they laughed so hard.
Mary Lou Gilman says
I was blessed to teach Bill and his buddy, John Pipe. Those two wrote for FUN during their time with me in 8th grade English. They lived for dialogue! They were so much fun and taught me as much as I did them. Rest in peace you two. Long live the Wolves.