Dr. Stacey Robertson

1
Wounded Knee The American Indian Movement

• Dr. Stacey Robertson
• Bradley University

2
Introduction

• American Indians developed a movement for social
  justice amidst a time period full of social
  movements
• Theme of Native Americans similar to African
  Americans exploitation, oppression
• Two issues
• Land
• Assimilation
• Resistance
• Focus on Lakota Sioux because leaders of AIM

3
History--Laramie Treaty, 1868

• Autonomy
• Treaty ignored
• Civilize
• Church, educators
• Gold discovered
• Custer at Little Big Horn
• Declared illegal
• Wounded Knee, 1889
• 200 dead
• No traditional ceremonies
• White schools

Sitting Bull, General Custer, Crazy Horse
4
Indian Reorganization Act, 1934

• John Collier
• Traditional ceremonies
• Some self government
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• Assimilation still focus
• Tribal Councils
• BIA-influenced
• Divisions
• Assimilationists vs. traditionalists

John Collier, 1884-1968
5
Organization of AIM

• Fishing rights
• National Indian Youth Council and Clyde Warrior
• Marlon Brando, 1964 fish in

6
Organization of AIM

• Land protests
• Iroquois of NY
• Red power
• Inspired by Black Power
• Relocation programs
• Reservations to cities
• Unemployment, alienation

7
Focus of AIM

• Provide jobs, housing, education, protection from
  police brutality
• Opposition to Tribal Councils
• Upside-down flag

Upside-down flag
8
Leaders of AIM
Dennis Banks, Clyde Bellecourt, Russell Means
9
Alcatraz Occupation, 69-71

• Compared this former prison to Indian
  reservations (isolated, no industry, high
  unemployment, no running water or electricity)
• Conflict on island
• Compromise?
• Other occupations

Alcatraz, in the San Francisco Bay
10
Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan, 1972

• To Washington DC
• Protest against brutal treatment
• 5 days before presidential election
• BIA had no accommodations
• Took over the BIA for seven days
• Took documents

Floyd Young Horse
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AIM Wounded Knee

• Pine Ridge, SD
• Oglala Lakota
• Violence, conflict
• Raymond Yellow Thunder, 1972
• Beaten and killed
• 2nd degree murder
• AIM organizes
• 1400 people

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AIM Wounded Knee

• Internal Divisions
• Dickie Wilson
• Bootlegger and embezzler
• Head of Tribal Council
• Goons
• Economic fears
• Unemployment, no health care or education

13
AIM Wounded Knee

• Wesley Bad Heart Bull, Jan. 73
• Stabbed
• Involuntary manslaughter
• AIM organizes mtg
• Melee

Siege at Wounded Knee, 1973
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AIM Wounded Knee

• Symbolic protest
• Site of massacre 80 years earlier
• Surrounded
• FBI, State troopers, military
• 71 Days
• Nightly gunfire
• Food

15
AIM Wounded Knee

• National attention
• Radicalized urban Indians
• Arrested
• 185 indicted by FBI
• Accused of arson, theft, interfering with a
  federal officer

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AIM Wounded Knee

• Leaders put on trial in Minneapolis, June 74
• No fair trial possible in SD
• Support from Indians
• Thousands traveled to trial
• Fabrications
• Final witness
• Communist ties
• Judge criticizes FBI

Russell Means
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AIM Wounded KneeEnvironmental Corporate
Issues

• Strip-mining
• Kerr-McGee in Montana Wyoming, Colorado, NM,
  Arizona, SD
• Repression
• FBI infiltration
• Douglas Durham

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Reservation Murders, June 1974

• Wilsons terror campaign
• 100 Indians murders
• Shoot-out at Pine Ridge
• Two FBI agents murdered
• Wilson land
• FBI
• Misrepresentations
• Harrassment
• Four indictments
• Innocent
• Leonard Peltier
• Support for Peltier

19
Conclusions

• Cultural pride
• Recognition
• Image
• But problems persist

1992 SF march