* Robert Satiacum; Indian Activist Became Fugitive

Robert Satiacum, 62, an Indian activist who for the last eight years was a fugitive from American justice. A former leader of Washington state’s Puyallup Indians, Satiacum led the charge for Indian fishing rights in the Pacific Northwest in the 1960s and ‘70s. Satiacum fled to Canada in 1982 while awaiting sentencing in the United States on racketeering charges that involved trafficking in contraband cigarettes, arson and the attempted murder of a rival tribal leader. He was captured in Canada in 1983 and jailed until 1987, when he won political refugee status on grounds that his activism had made him a target for U.S. authorities. But the decision was reversed by an appeals court and he was ordered deported. In 1989, however, while awaiting sentencing in Canada for molesting a 10-year-old girl, Satiacum disappeared again. He was captured last week and died in custody in Vancouver on Monday, apparently of a heart attack.