Eddie Hatcher was a Native American activist who fought government corruption in Robeson County North Carolina. He was angered by racist treatment of black and native people, the long list of unsolved murders of members of the community, and the alleged complicity of local law enforcement in major drug trafficking operations. This context informed his activism. In February of 1988, he became infamous when he and Timothy Jacobs, another member of the Tuscaroran tribe occupied the offices of the Robesonian newspaper. As their conditions for surrender, they demanded an investigation of the numerous unsolved murders of native and black people. Both Hatcher and Jacobs were initially acquitted of all charges by a primarily black jury. However, they were re-indicted for kidnapping in violation of the surrender agreement. After being charged, Hatcher fled to California, where he was arrested and extradited back to North Carolina despite his adamant protests. In Robeson County, he was assaulted by another prisoner under questionable circumstances. Hatcher saw himself as a symbol of the repression of Native Americans and continued to fight for the rights of under-served communities until his death in prison in 2009.