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As you review each source, record in your flow chart:

Where is the oppression?

How did people resist or fight back?

In what ways was justice expanded?

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DIRECTIONS: Login using your N.Clack school email.
"Among the problems addressed were poverty, substandard housing, the highest unemployment rate of any ethnic group, and police brutality."

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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"The movement was founded to turn the attention of Indian people toward a renewal of spirituality which would impart the strength of resolve needed to reverse the ruinous policies of the United States, Canada, and other colonialist governments of Central and South America. At the heart of AIM is deep spirituality and a belief in the connectedness of all Indian people."

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A Brief History of the American Indian Movement
by Laura Waterman Wittstock and Elaine J. Salinas

In the 30 years of its formal history, the American Indian Movement (AIM) has given witness to a great many changes. We say formal history, because the movement existed for 500 years without a name. The leaders and members of today's AIM never fail to remember all of those who have traveled on before, having given their talent and their lives for the survival of the people.

At the core of the movement is Indian leadership under the direction of NeeGawNwayWeeDun, Clyde H. Bellecourt, and others. Making steady progress, the movement has transformed policy making into programs and organizations that have served Indian people in many communities. These policies have consistently been made in consultation with spiritual leaders and elders.The success of these efforts is indisputable, but perhaps even greater than the accomplishments is the vision defining what AIM stands for.

Indian people were never intended to survive the settlement of Europeans in the Western Hemisphere, our Turtle Island. With the strength of a spiritual base, AIM has been able to clearly articulate the claims of Native Nations and has had the will and intellect to put forth those claims.

The movement was founded to turn the attention of Indian people toward a renewal of spirituality which would impart the strength of resolve needed to reverse the ruinous policies of the United States, Canada, and other colonialist governments of Central and South America. At the heart of AIM is deep spirituality and a belief in the connectedness of all Indian people.
During the past thirty years, The American Indian Movement has organized communities and created opportunities for people across the Americas and Canada. AIM is headquartered in Minneapolis with chapters in many other cities, rural areas and Indian Nations.

AIM has repeatedly brought successful suit against the federal government for the protection of the rights of Native Nations guaranteed in treaties, sovereignty, the United States Constitution, and laws. The philosophy of self-determination upon which the movement is built is deeply rooted in traditional spirituality, culture, language and history. AIM develops partnerships to address the common needs of the people. Its first mandate is to ensure the fulfillment of treaties made with the United States. This is the clear and unwavering vision of The American Indian Movement.

It has not been an easy path. Spiritual leaders and elders foresaw the testing of AIM's strength and stamina. Doubters, infiltrators, those who wished they were in the leadership, and those who didn't want to be but wanted to tear down and take away have had their turns. No one, inside or outside the movement, has so far been able to destroy the will and strength of AIM's solidarity. Men and women, adults and children are continuously urged to stay strong spiritually, and to always remember that the movement is greater than the accomplishments or faults of its leaders.

Inherent in the spiritual heart of AIM is knowing that the work goes on because the need goes on.

Indian people live on Mother Earth with the clear understanding that no one will assure the coming generations except ourselves. No one from the outside will do this for us. And no person among us can do it all for us, either. Self-determination must be the goal of all work. Solidarity must be the first and only defense of the members.

In November, 1972 AIM brought a caravan of Native Nation representatives to Washington, DC, to the place where dealings with Indians have taken place since 1849: the US Department of Interior. AIM put the following claims directly before the President of the United States:

1. Restoration of treaty making (ended by Congress in 1871).

2. Establishment of a treaty commission to make new treaties (with sovereign Native Nations).

3. Indian leaders to address Congress.

4. Review of treaty commitments and violations.

5. Unratified treaties to go before the Senate.

6. All Indians to be governed by treaty relations.

7. Relief for Native Nations for treaty rights violations.

8. Recognition of the right of Indians to interpret treaties.

9. Joint Congressional Committee to be formed on reconstruction of Indian relations.

10. Restoration of 110 million acres of land taken away from Native Nations by the United States.

11. Restoration of terminated rights.

12. Repeal of state jurisdiction on Native Nations.

13. Federal protection for offenses against Indians.

14. Abolishment of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

15. Creation of a new office of Federal Indian Relations.

16. New office to remedy breakdown in the constitutionally prescribed relationships between the United States and Native Nations.

17. Native Nations to be immune to commerce regulation, taxes, trade restrictions of states.

18. Indian religious freedom and cultural integrity protected.

19. Establishment of national Indian voting with local options; free national Indian organizations from governmental controls

20. Reclaim and affirm health, housing, employment, economic development, and education for all Indian people.

The Preamble and complete text of the Trail of Broken Treaties 20-Point Indian Manifesto.

These twenty points, twenty-six years later, state clearly what has to happen if there is to be protection of Native rights, and a future free from the dictates of the country that surrounds the Native Nations. These claims clearly reaffirm that Indian people are sovereign people. Despite the history and the accomplishments, AIM is difficult to identify for some people. It seems to stand for many things at once -- the protection of treaty rights and the preservation of spirituality and culture. But what else? Unlike the American civil rights movement, with which it has been compared, AIM has seen self-determination and racism differently. Desegregation was not a goal. Individual rights were not placed ahead of the preservation of Native Nation sovereignty. At the 1971 AIM national conference it was decided that translating policy to practice meant building organizations -- schools and housing and employment services. In Minnesota, AIM's birthplace, that is exactly what was done.

Over the years, as the organizations have grown, they have continued to serve the community from a base of Indian culture. Before AIM in 1968, culture had been weakened in most Indian communities due to U.S. policy, the American boarding schools and all the other efforts to extinguish Indian secular and spiritual life. Now, many groups cannot remember a time without culture. This great revival has also helped to restore spiritual leaders and elders to their former positions of esteem for the wisdom and the history they hold.
All of these actions are in concert with the principles of AIM and came into being at this time in history because Indian people have refused to relinquish their sovereign right to exist as free and uncolonized people.

1968 MINNEAPOLIS AIM PATROL : created to address issues of extensive police brutality.

ALCATRAZ ISLAND occupied for 19 months. AIM was there when United Indians of All Tribes reclaimed federal land in the name of Native Nations. First Indian radio broadcasts--Radio Free Alcatraz--heard in the Bay Area of San Francisco.
INDIAN HEALTH BOARD of Minneapolis founded. This is the first Indian urban-based health care provider in the nation.

1970 LEGAL RIGHTS CENTER : created to assist in alleviating legal issues facing Indian people.(In 1994, over 19,000 clients have had legal representation, thanks to AIM's founding of the Legal Rights Center).

AIM takeover of abandoned property at the naval air station near Minneapolis focuses attention on Indian education and leads to early grants for Indian education.
CITIZEN'S ARREST OF JOHN OLD CROW: Takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' main office in Washington D.C. to show improper BIA policies. 24 arrested for "trespassing" and released. BIA Commissioner Louis Bruce shows his AIM membership card at the meeting held after the release of those arrested.
FIRST NATIONAL AIM CONFERENCE: 18 chapters of AIM convened to develop long-range strategy for future directions of the movement.
TAKEOVER OF DAM: AIM assists the Lac Court Orieles Ojibwa in Wisconsin in taking over a dam controlled by Northern States Power which flooded much of the reservation land. This action leads to support by government officials and eventual settlement, returning over 25,000 acres of land to the tribe and actually providing significant monies and business opportunities to the tribe.

LEGAL ACTION FOR SCHOOL FUNDS: In reaction to the Trail of Broken Treaties the government abruptly canceled education grants to Heart of the Earth Survival School, Red School House and the Indian Community School of Milwaukee. Through successful legal action, the US District Court orders the grants restored and government payment of costs and attorney fees.
WOUNDED KNEE '73: AIM was contacted by Lakota elders for assistance in dealing with the corruption within the BIA and Tribal Council, which led to the famed 71-day occupation and battle with the US. armed forces.

INTERNATIONAL INDIAN TREATY COUNCIL (IITC): an organization representing Indian peoples throughout the western hemisphere at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
WOUNDED KNEE TRIALS: Eight months of trials in Minneapolis resulted from events which occurred during the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation. This was the longest Federal trial in the history of the United States. Many instances of government misconduct were revealed with the result that US District judge Fred Nichol dismissed all charges due to government "misconduct" which "formed a pattern throughout the course of the trial" so that "the waters of justice have been polluted."

FEDERATION OF SURVIVAL SCHOOLS: created to provide advocacy and networking skills to 16 survival schools throughout the US and Canada.
LITTLE EARTH OF UNITED TRIBES: HUD chose AIM to be the prime sponsor of the first Indian-run housing project.

FIRST EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR AMERICAN INDIAN OFFENDERS:
AIM establishes the first adult education program at Stillwater Prison in Minnesota. Programs later established at other state correctional facilities modeled after the Minnesota program.
CIRCLE OF LIFE SURVIVAL SCHOOL established on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota. The school receives funding for three years of operation from the U.S. Department of Education.
RUN FOR SURVIVAL: AIM youth organize and conduct 500-mile run from Minneapolis to Lawrence, Kansas to support "The Longest Walk."
THE LONGEST WALK: Indian Nations walk across the US from California to DC to protest anti-Indian legislation calling for the abrogation of treaties. A tipi is set up and maintained on the grounds of the White House. The proposed anti-Indian legislation is defeated.
WOMEN OF ALL RED NATIONS (WARN): established to address issues directly facing Indian women and their families.

1984 FEDERATION of NATIVE CONTROLLED SURVIVAL SCHOOLS presents legal education seminars for educators of Indian children at colleges and law schools in Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, South Dakota, Nebraska and Oklahoma. National conference held in San Jose, California, concurrent with the National Indian Education Association Convention.

1986 SCHOOLS LAWSUIT: Heart of the Earth and Red School House--successfully sue the U.S. Department of Education, Indian Education Programs for unfairly ranking the schools' programs below funding recommendation levels. The schools proved bias in the system of ranking by the Department staff.

1987 AIM PATROL: Minneapolis AIM Patrol comes full circle in restarting the Patrol to deal with the serial killings of American Indian women in Minneapolis.

ELAINE STATELY INDIAN YOUTH SERVICES (ESIYS): developed to create alternatives for youth as a direct diversion to gang-involvement of Indian youth.
FORT SNELLING AIM ANNUAL POW WOW: With the 20 th Anniversary of AIM, an annual pow wow is established at historic Fort Snelling. The event becomes the largest Labor Day Weekend event in any Minnesota state park.

1989 SPEARFISHING: AIM is requested to provide expertise in dealing with angry protesters on boat landings. Spearfishing continues despite violence, arrests, and threats from white racists. Senator Daniel Inouye calls for a study on the effects of Indian spearfishing. The study shows only 6% of fish taken are by Indians. Sports fishing accounts for the rest.

PEACEMAKER CENTER: with an American Indian spiritual base, AIM houses its AIM Patrol and ESIYS in a center in the heart of the Indian community.
SUNDANCE RETURNED TO MINNESOTA. With the support of the Dakota communities, a great spiritual rebirth took place at Pipestone, Minnesota. Ojibwe nations, too, have helped make the Minnesota Sundance possible. The Pipestone Sundance has since become an annual event.
In 1991, leaders of the Oglala Lakota, Cheyenne and other nations declared independence from the United States. The group established a provisional government and began the other work of developing a separate nation.
NATIONAL COALITION ON RACISM IN SPORTS AND MEDIA: organized to address the use of Indians as sports team mascots. AIM led a walk in Minneapolis to the 1992 Superbowl. In 1994, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune agreed to stop using professional sports team names that refer to Indian people.

1992 THE FOOD CONNECTION: organized summer youth jobs program with an organic garden and spiritual camp (Common Ground) at Tonkawood Farm in Orono MN.

1996 April 3-8, 1996 - As a representative of the American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council (AIMGGC) and special representative of the International Indian Treaty Council, Vernon Bellecourt along with William A. Means, President of IITC, attended the Prepratory Meeting for the Intercontinental Encounter for Humanity and Against Neo-Liberalism hosted by the Emiliano Zapata Liberation Movement (EZLN), held in LaRealidad in the Lancondone Rainforest of Eastern Chiapaz, Mexico
July 27 - August 3, 1996 - The second meeting for the Intercontinental Encounter for Humanity and Against Neo-Liberalism was again hosted by the EZLN and was attended by delegates of the International Indian Treaty Council and the American Indian Movement.

1998 February 27, 1998 - 25th Anniversary of Wounded Knee, an Oglala Lakota Nation resolution established February 27th as a National Day of Liberation.
July 16-19, 1998 - 25th Annual Lac Courte Oreilles Honor the Earth Homecoming Celebration to celebrate and honor the people of Lac Courte Oreilles and the American Indian Movement who participated in the July 31, 1971 takeover of the Winter Dam and the Birth of Honor the Earth.
August 2-11, 1998 - 30th Anniversary of the American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council; Sacred Pipestone Quarries in Pipestone, Minnesota. Welcoming Feast and Celebration/Conference commemorating AIM's 30th Anniversary.

February, 1999 - Three activists working with a group of Uwa Indians in Colombia kidnapped by rebels. Ingrid Washinawatok, 41 (Menominee), a humanitarian, Terence Freitas, 24, an environmental scientist from Santa Cruz, California, and Laheenae Gay, 39 of Hawaii were seized near the village of Royota, in Arauca province in northeastern Colombia on Thursday, February 25th while preparing to leave the territory of the Uwa after a two week on-site visit. Ingrid, Lahe and Terence were kidnapped on February 25th by armed gunmen in Uw'a Indian Territory of northeastern Columbia. On March 5th, their brutalized and bullet-riddled bodies were discovered across the border in Venezuela.

July, 2000 - AIM 32nd Anniversary Conference on the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Nation Reservation in northern Wisconsin

October, 2000 Commission to seek justice for Ingrid Washinawatok and companions established.

March 2001 Representatives of the American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council attend the Zapatista Army of National Liberation March for Peace, Justice and Dignity, Zocolo Plaza, Mexico City.

July 2001 11th Annual Youth & Elders International Cultural Gathering and Sundance, Pipestone, Minnesota

August 2001 Civil lawsuit for false arrest brought by five anti-wahoo demonstrators against the city of Cleveland

November 2001 The American Indian Forum on Racism in Sports and Media, Black Bear Crossing, St. Paul, Minnesota

August 2002 12th Annual International Youth & Elders Cultural Gathering and Sundance, Pipestone, Minnesota

May 2003- Quarterly Meeting of the AIM National Board of Directors, Thunderbird House,Winnipeg, Manitoba

August 2003 13th Annual International Youth & Elders Cultural Gathering and Sundance, Pipestone, Minnesota

August 2004 - 14th Annual International Youth & Elders Cultural Gathering and Sundance, Honor Your Grandparents: Wisdom Keeper of Tomorrow, Pipestone, Minnesota

May 2005 First Annual Clyde H. Bellecourt Endowment Scholarship Fund and Awards Banquet, Minneapolis Convention Center

July 2005 15th Annual International Youth & Elders Cultural Gathering and Sundance, International Prayer Vigil for the Earth, Pipestone, Minnesota

May 2006 Second Annual Clyde H. Bellecourt Endowment Scholarship Fund and Awards Banquet, Minneapolis Convention Center

July 2006 - 16th Annual International Youth & Elders Cultural Gathering and Sundance, Pipestone, Minnesota

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official website native american indian movement aim history grand governing council activism activists action warriors

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A Brief History of the American Indian Movement by Laura Waterman Wittstock and Elaine J. Salinas In the 30 years of its formal history, the American Indian Movement (AIM) has given witness to a great many changes. We say formal history, because the movement existed for 500 years without a name.

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Clip: Season 2013 Episode 39 | 11m 9s |

We interviewed Clyde Bellecourt and Bill Means about the significance of the American Indian Movement and then spoke with Laura Waterman Wittstock and Dick Bancroft who are co-authors of We Are Still Here, a photographic history of AIM.

Aired: 06/14/13

Rating: NR

Problems Playing Video? Report a Problem |

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Almanac | American Indian Movement History | Season 2013 | Episode 39

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Clip: Season 2013 Episode 39 | 11m 9s | We interviewed Clyde Bellecourt and Bill Means about the significance of the American Indian Movement and then spoke with Laura Waterman Wittstock and Dick Bancroft who are co-authors of We Are Still Here, a photographic history of AIM.

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"Were it not the turbulent decade of the 1960s, with civil upheaval and social protest sweeping across the country in waves, AIM might have stayed an urban movement focused on local issues."

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Photographs: Trail of Broken Treaties Demonstrations

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Photographs: Trail of Broken Treaties Demonstrations

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Civil Rights Digital History Project: American Indian Movement

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Civil Rights Digital History Project: American Indian Movement

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DIRECTIONS: Read the last two sections: "The Last Major Event of the American Indian Movement" & "Impact"

"The worldwide attention helped the Native American's and their struggle within America, influenced court decisions, and positively influenced the ways in which the Native Americans were treated. "

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In the summer of 1968, Native American activists Dennis Banks, George Mitchell, and Clyde Bellecourt gathered hundreds of like-minded individuals in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Armed with ultimate goal of forcing the United States to recognize Native American sovereignty, the activists formed the American Indian Movement group, or the AIM.

As stated on AIM's official website, the American Indian Movement's goals were: the recognition of Indian treaties by the United States government, among other goals such as sovereignty and the protection of Native Americans and their liberties. AIM has sought to accomplish these goals over the past five decades by bringing a multitude of successful lawsuits against the federal government with n the hopes of changing U.S. policy.

Key events for the American Indian movement include the group's formation in Minnesota in 1968, as well as the initial occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969. The movement also organized the "Trail of Broken Treaties" March, where protesters marched on Washington, D.C.

Following the 1973 occupation by AIM leader Russell Means and his supporters at Wounded Knee in South Dakota, the AIM became an internationally known and recognized civil rights group. The New York Times even ran a story that reported on the vanishing number of Indians, as well as to their unfair treatment by the United States Federal government. In an Atlanta newspaper in 1973, Russel Means said that if the Indian voice isn't heard among the U.S. government officials, "the situation...will evolve into a bigger and larger Wounded Knee." It seems that Means was indeed correct, as an FBI officer was killed in a shootout with AIM at the Pine Ridge Reservation two years later.

Symbols and Logos of the American Indian Movement
The Catalyst of the American Indian Movement
The dynamic movements of the 1960's-1970's gained momentum as several causes came to the forefront following the Civil Rights Movement. Previously believed to avoid protests, American Indians disproved this stereotype at the occupation of Alcatraz starting in November of 1969. It is said that this kickstarted the American Indian Movement. The decision to occupy Alcatraz originates from the government's House Resolution 108. This policy requires Native Americans to follow the same laws as American citizens. This law rules that reservation lands that were once protected, and limited to Indian tribes, are now open to the public. Concrete justification for their right to Alcatraz was demonstrated in the Sioux treaty of 1868. This treaty stated American Indians would receive land no longer used by the Federal government that was previously theirs.

In March of 1963, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was shut down. The first occupation of "The Rock" occurred a year later. Indian students mobilized for the second and third occupations after San Francisco Indian Center caught on fire. The second short occupation took place on November 9th, 1969. This occupation was significant due to media coverage airing the proclamation "To the Great White Father and All His People," which emphasized the island's significance to them. The third, final, and longest occupation started on November 20th, 1969. Nineteen months of resistance was organized by Indians of All Tribes. Indians who were reliant on the government for employment and living assistance following their forced removal and relocation found themselves with no means to support themselves. The government failed to implement a program that helped Indians adjust. Instead, Indians were displaced and had to rely on each other for aid. This new sense of community among Indians in a unfamiliar place began the formation of a strongly connected faction that would later be ready to challenge discriminatory practices.

The four hour occupation that took place in March of 1964 was a protest led by five Indians claiming the land and voicing their dissatisfaction with how Indians in the surrounding urban areas were treated. By November 20th of 1969, numerous tribes were ready for a full occupation of the island. The boats transporting 92 Indians successfully avoided the National Guard, and they quickly established themselves on the island. Requests were made for federal funding, but the government refused and decided to not intervene- this would later lead to the demise of the occupation. Despite lack of government aid or acknowledgement, Indians persevered for nineteen months. They vandalized the existing government signage to designate it as Indian property. The plan was to establish a cultural center in contrast with San Francisco's plan to make it a commercial hotspot. Negotiation rather than forced removal was proposed, but the Indian community was unaffected and did not plan to leave. Supplies came in on boats from activists and Indians still living in the Bay area. Facilities were formed rapidly. Housing was available and job formation was a staple of the island to ensure the incoming residents could adapt and function as they normally would. Educational services were provided as well. More Indians relocated to the island due to its success and support even from celebrities. After the daughter of the unofficial leader, Richard Oakes, died, the island transitioned to harsh leadership under Stella Leach. The island was torn into those in support of Leach and those who didn't like how the island was now being run. Bay Area Native American Council (BANAC) included Bay area Indians and occupiers. The government made a failed attempt to negotiate only with this organization rather than everyone involved in the occupation. All negotiations were refused.

To terminate their means of getting water, the government hauled away the barge providing their only source. When flames broke out, and with no water to put them out, the island's buildings burnt down. Leaders like Leach left, students came and went, and violence was unavoidable with the remaining residents on the island. When the government's back up plan was revealed via a reporter, a mere thirty Indians remained. Support was no longer coming in, and most Indians were ready to advocate for their cause in another way. The government sent federal agents to lead removal in 1971, and no resistance occurred. Although the significance of the Alcatraz occupation dwindled drastically near the end, the American Indian Movement became prevalent across the nation. The occupation banded together tribes of students, families, and Bay area citizens to bring attention to an issue that needed national attention, which it earned with great success.
Gallery
The trail of broken treaties originated out of an idea of a march on Washington. The focus of the march was to draw attention to treaty rights and issues that faced Native Americans. At the end of September, 50 representatives from different organizations met in Denver and discussed their plans for the march. It was at this meeting that the march was given the name of The Trail of Broken Treaties. Caravans started in Seattle, San Francisco, and LA and travelled from West to East. The caravans stopped at Indian communities along the way and gathered supporters before ending in DC in the last week of the presidential election of 1972. Upon arriving in DC, the members had planned to present their 20 Point Position paper to the presidential candidates, Nixon and McGovern. The paper was created in Minneapolis and it expressed the goals and ideology of the Trail of Broken Treaties including the demand for the federal government to return to treaty making with Indian Nations, a creation of a treaty commission that would review treaty violations and the appropriate compensation for these violations, and a call to conduct federal Indian policy in context of treaty relations. Unfortunately, when the caravans had arrived in D.C., they discovered that both Nixon and McGovern were out of town. The caravan also found that their lodging arrangements had fallen through. The activists had gone the next day to discuss their plans with Commissioner Bruce at the BIA. The activists were told they could stay in the BIA auditorium while the assistant secretary Harrison Loesch, Bruce and Trail leaders discussed housing arrangement. The activists were told that they could lodge in the Department of Interior which was across the street from the BIA, but when they arrived, they found that the doors were locked. The activists felt as if they had been tricked into leaving the BIA so they returned to the BIA. The occupation of the BIA eventually emerged from suspicious, tension, and paranoia.

Infromation taken from: http://www.framingredpower.org/narrative/

Trail of Broken Treaties and The Occupation of the BIA Gallery

This gallery displays 15 pictures from the AIM's march on Washington and their occupation of the BIA. The AIM wanted to present their 20 points of interest to Presidential candidates Nixon and McGovern. I have captioned these picutres with 15 of the AIM's requests. The requests are from the American Indian Movement's 20 Point Position Paper. http://www.aimovement.org/archives/index.html>READ THE ENTIRE PAPER HERE</>as.

All photos taken from this album https://www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/albums/72157633092409518

Preamble to the 20 Point Position Paper

This is the preamble to the 20 Point Position paper that AIM members wrote in Minneapolis on their Trail of Broken Treaties. The members sought to present their 20 points to the Presidential candidates, Richard Nixon and George McGovern.

Taken from: http://www.aimovement.org/archives/page45.html

Videos from the Trail of Broken Treaties and the Occupation of the BIA

These videos all document the American Indian Movement's occupation of the BIA. The first two videos are oral histories from activists who were present at the event. One of the women interviewed even recounts how she worked for the BIA. She confirms the abuse and neglect towards Native Americans that take place within and because of the BIA. She recounts how she helped lead the group of AIM members into the Bureau. The third video is hisotrical footage from the event.

Newspaper articles on the Trail of Broken Treaties and the Occupation of the BIA

These newspaper articles from the New York Times report on the Trail of Broken Treaties or the Occupation of the BIA. Before the takeover of the BIA, the caravan to Washington DC was sparsely covered. The New York times only produced one short article on the Trail of Broken treaties which is shown above. After the AIM seized control of the BIA, however, they began to receive national attention. The 500 Native Americans denied federal court orders to leave the building multiple times. The Native Americans made several demands from the federal government including reform of land policies, speedy treaty revisions, and the removal of several Federal officials who deal with Indian Affairs. Many Native Americans as well as other supporters gathered outside of the BIA to show their support and bring reinforcements and supplies. During their time in Washington, the AIM had also planned a march to Arlington Cemetery to conduct a spiritual ceremony to honor Indians who have fought in wars, but the march was banned by the US Army. The Native Americans eventually left the building after about a week. The Nixon Administration had promised a thorough review and consideration of their grievances as well as amnesty for the occupation and the $2,000,000 of damage left to the building. On their way out of the building, demonstrators took with them artifacts and paintings from the BIA.

Below is a transcript from an NBC news report of the occupation of the BIA.

AIM Leaders Dennis Banks and Russell Means speak on BIA Occupation

Mr. DENNIS BANKS (American Indian Movement): The nine-point peace package has been accepted by the Interior Department for further exploration. Justice Department officials further assured us, the occupants of the BIA building, that no arrests would be made during the next thirteen hours. The negotiating committee will reconvene at nine o'clock Sunday morning to deal with the proposed peace package and to get clarification on the duties and responsibilities that John Ocroe has here with the BIA. That's the end of that statement regarding our meetings with the Justice and Interior officials. I'm, I'm--The meeting is favorable, however the committee is not comfortable with the results at this point, that's why the, we've asked to continue negotiations for tomorrow. Now, I understand also that Interior Secretary Morton has made a statement that the people gathered here do not represent Indian people. He claims he does. Secretary Morton is not Indian and for the past so many years that the secretary or Interior Department has handled Indian affairs, the only conclusion that I can arrive at is that the Interior Department also has never represented Indian people.

Mr. RUSSELL MEANS (American Indian Movement Leader): The fact is the press, you know I love the network coverage tonight that concern Carl MacIntyre and that unfortunate incident of the little girl this morning. Our points are not getting across by the national press and once again I want to say that the national press is managing to edit Indian people out of existence. Sensationalism is continually brought out to the front rather than the fact that we are putting our lives on the line for a twenty-points solution paper to any problems.

Mr. BANKS: The Interior Department has been negative to all of the recommendations and demands that we have set before them. They have done so even early this morning when the secretary confined Commissioner Bruce to the Interior Department building. Point number four demanded that there be a restoration of duties and responsibilities and power and authority back to Commissioner Bruce. We demanded that the Interior Department reinstate Commissioner Bruce's authority. They answered by confining him and restricting him to the Interior Department building. That was their answer. Which again, in the face of what is happening here, they have slapped again, slapped the Indian in his face trying to use Commissioner Bruce as a tool for their benefit. They have kept him behind locked doors which is symbolic in a way because all of us are political prisoners. And I want to restate a position that only with general assembly approval will we release this building. The other alternative is for them to come in here and take it by force. And we will resist at all cost until that decision has been reached by the general assembly itself again.

1972, November 5). AIM Leaders Dennis Banks and Russell Means on BIA Occupation. [Television series episode]. NBC Learn. Retrieved from https://highered.nbclearn.com/portal/site/HigherEd/browse/?cuecard=36530

NBC News Report Transcript

House Committee Hearings Begin into Takeover of Bureau of Indian Affairs- 12/4/1972

JOHN CHANCELLOR, anchor:

A month ago, 500 angry Indians took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, stayed there for a week and ransacked the place. The Bureau is still not functioning. Today, Congressional hearings opened on the takeover. Ron Nessen reports.

RON NESSEN reporting:

While the mess at the Bureau of Indian Affairs is still being cleaned up, a House subcommittee began hearings to determine which government officials were responsible for letting the Indians occupy the building, stay six days, and wreck it. The first witnesses were Interior Secretary Morton, Indian Commissioner Bruce, and Assistant Secretary Loesch. Indians crowded the spectator section but no Indians from the protest were invited to tell why they did it. Loesch said he intended to have riot police clear the building the first night of the occupation. But Morton said this was overruled by John Ehrlichman of the White House with President Nixon's approval to avoid violence. Morton said he agreed to try to get the Indians out by court order rather than by force.

Mr. ROGERS MORTON (Secretary of Interior): The decision was made to use due process of law. The event in my judgment, and I will take full responsibility for that judgment, was that the event was of such a character that the courts should become involved and the Department of Justice should become involved and that's the route we chose.

Reporter: But Mr. Loesch, you wanted to handle it differently. You wanted to go in and move them out with police the first night.

Mr. HARRISON LOESCH (Assistant Secretary of Interior): That's true.

Reporter: Well who overruled that decision?

Mr. LOESCH: You heard my testimony. This was an administration decision.

Reporter: That means a White House decision?

Mr. LOESCH: No, sir. That means a decision in which Mr. Hitt and Secretary Morton were fully advised and fully concurred.

NESSEN: The subcommittee invited John Ehrlichman and other White House officials to explain their handling of the Indian occupation. The subcommittee especially wanted to know whether a showdown was delayed to avoid to possible violence just before the presidential election. But Ehrlichman and the others declined to testify on grounds that presidential advisors are not required to answer such questions. So the whole story may never be known publicly. Ron Nessen, NBC News, Washington.

The occupation of Wounded Knee began February 27, 1973 and lasted until May 9, 1973. The 71 day occupation began as a result of the failed impeachment of tribal chairman Dick Wilson, who the Oglala Lakota residents of the Pine Ridge Reservation believed to be corrupt and disrespectful of their culture. After this failure, they turned to AIM for help to protest and remove Wilson from office. On February 27, more than 50 cars full of demonstrators entered the hamlet of Wounded Knee and marked the beginning of the occupation. United States Federal Marshals and the National Guard were prepared for a demonstration from AIM and they blocked off the four routes leading into Wounded Knee. They also cut off electricity and water to the town in an effort to quickly end the siege. The event was covered extensively by the media and garnered support and sympathy from those outside of the reservation. Included in this group of sympathizers was Larry Levin, a member of the airlift crew that dropped food and supplies for the cut-off residents of Wounded Knee.

On the day of the supplies drop, April 17, 1973, Levin described the scene of Wounded Knee from their aircraft:

"I saw the whole panorama of Wounded Knee open up before me -- the hard metallic shapes of armored personnel carriers and military vehicles totally surrounding the village. There were roadblocks on all approaches to the village, and satellite bunkers, communication outposts, and sandbagged trenches everywhere... I saw no people, no movement."

During the occupation, two Native Americans, Frank Clearwater and Lawrence Lamont, died and one FBI agent, Lloyd Grimm, was shot and paralyzed. After the death of Lamont on April 26th, the Oglala Lakota decided to pursue an agreement with the government to end the occupation. While members of AIM wanted to continue the occupation, an agreement was reached between the occupiers and the government and on May 9th, 1973 the occupiers officially surrendered. More than 300 people were arrested attempting to enter or leave the town during the occupation and, as the agreements called for the arrest of any occupiers with outstanding warrants against them, more arrests ensued at the end of the occupation. Russell Means, one of the AIM leaders during the occupation, was charged with assault, larceny and conspiracy after the occupation but his case was eventually dismissed.

The failed impeachment of Dick Wilson sparked the occupation of Wounded Knee, but another objective was to bring attention to the broken treaties between the federal government and the Native Americans throughout U.S. history. The location itself was a statement to the abuses the Native Americans faced from the federal government due to the previous atrocities committed on the site. In the aftermath of the 1973 occupation, AIM continued to bring attention to the broken treaties, even citing the agreement to end the Wounded Knee occupation as a broken agreement. The document in the gallery below, produced by AIM, states the agreement was "immediately and perfunctorily broken" and serves as another example of AIM attempting to point out the injustices of the federal government toward the Native peoples even after the occupation.

Wounded Knee Gallery

The Longest Walk ended the American Indian Movement's series of major events. From San Fransisco (the location of the Alcatraz occupation) to Washington D.C's Washington Monument, the American Indian Movement's Dennis Banks presented the idea for the approximately 3,000 mile march against recently proposed bills. These bills endangered hunting and fishing rights as well as potentially shutting down schools and hospitals used by Natives. American Indians' tribal legal capacity would be restricted. Two thousand participants marched, Native Americans, and supporters of the Indian resistance movement marched. More than 20 people walked the entire distance for five months. In the end, none of the bills were passed. The Civil Right's period American Indian Movement 's last major event ended with success. Today, Longest Walks are still used to commemorate the first Longest Walk. "Longest Walk 5" is in process right now. Each Longest Walk following the first one focuses on different issues affecting the Native American community.

The picture above is an image of an Indian emcampment at Wounded Knee in 1973 and shows how the native populations experienced a cultural revival during this time.

There is little doubt that the formation of the AIM provided a much needed cultural revival for the American native peoples. Due to the militant nature of their organization, however, many of the activists who were involved with AIM were constantly busy battling with the United States in the form of court appearances and various legal fees. Despite this, however, the occupations that were organized by the American Indian Movement still served to draw international attention to the issues of current Native Americans. The worldwide attention helped the Native American's and their struggle within America, influenced court decisions and positively influenced the ways in which the Native Americans were treated. By changing both the perspectives of individual people as well as striving to change written law, AIM has succeeded in improving the standard of living for Native Americans living in the United States.

"1978: 'Longest Walk' draws attention to American Indian concerns." Native Peoples' Concept of Health and Illness . Accessed on March 28, 2017. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/timeline/546.html

"A brief history of the American Indian Movement." AIMmovement.org. None. April 1 st, 2017. https://www.aimovement.org/ggc/history.html

"A Good Day to Die- Bureau of Indian Affairs Sit-In." Youtube, January 26, 2012. Accessed March 31, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCa510f13Iw

"A Long List of Grievances." New York Times (1923-Current File), Nov 12, 1972. 1. Date Accessed March 28, 2017, http://proxy-remote.galib.uga.edu:80/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/119392572?accountid=14537.

"AIM and Wounded Knee Documents."American Indian and Cultural Support. Accessed April 1, 2017. http://aics.org/WK/

"AIM Leaders Dennis Banks and Russell Means on BIA Occupation." [Television series episode]. NBC Learn. 1972, November 5. Accessed on March 28, 2017, https://highered.nbclearn.com/portal/site/HigherEd/browse/?cuecard=36530

"American Indian Movement." Brittanica.com. None. April 2 nd, 2017. https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Indian-Movement

"American Indian Movement." Enclyclopedia.com. None. March 31 st, 2017. http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/united-states-and-canada/north-american-indigenous-peoples/american-indian-movement

"American Indian Movement." Libguides.mnhs.org/images. None. March 30 th, 2017. http://libguides.mnhs.org/aim/images

"American Indian Movement: Overview." Libguides.mnhs.org. None. March 30 th, 2017. http://libguides.mnhs.org/aim

"A Photographer Remembers Wounded Knee, 40 Years Laters." NPR. February 27, 2013. Accessed on April 1, 2017. http://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2013/02/27/173048452/revisiting-wounded-knee-40-years-later

Bell, Chuck. "AIM Leader Protests Motion by Prosecutors." The Atlanta Constitution (1946-1984) Sep 12 1973: 1. ProQuest. 29 Mar. 2017

Goldstein, Margaret. You Are Now on Indian Land: The American Indian Occupation of Alcatraz Island, California, 1969. Minneapolis, MN. Lerner Publishing Group, 2011.

"Holding the Rock: The "Indianization" of Alcatraz Island, 1969-1999." The Public Historian. 2001. Accessed on March 28, 2017. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/tph.2001.23.1.55?&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

"House Committee Hearings Begin into Takeover of Bureau of Indian Affairs." NBC Learn. December 4, 1972. Accessed March 28, 2017, https://highered.nbclearn.com/portal/site/HigherEd/browse/?cuecard=36530

"Indians in Capital Defy a Court Order." New York Times (1923-Current File), Nov 04, 1972. 42, Date Accessed March 28, 2017, http://proxy-remote.galib.uga.edu:80/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/119524181?accountid=14537.

"INDIANS STAYING IN U.S. BUILDING." New York Times (1923-Current File), Nov 05, 1972. 37, Accessed March 28, 2017, http://proxy-remote.galib.uga.edu:80/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/119503102?accountid=14537.

"INDIANS TO BEGIN CAPITAL PROTESTS." New York Times (1923-Current File), Oct 31, 1972. 31. Date Accessed, March 30, 2017, http://proxy-remote.galib.uga.edu:80/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/119447380?accountid=14537.

"Memories of the Wounded Knee Airlift April 17, 1973." February 17, 1998. Accessed April 1, 2017. http://www.dickshovel.com/lsa7.html

"Native Americans Take over the Bureau of Indian Affairs:1972." Washington Area Spark, November 29, 1972. Accessed March 28, 2017, https://washingtonspark.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/native-americans-take-over-bureau-of-indian-affairs-1972/

"Native Americans walk from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. for U.S. civil rights, 1978." Global Nonviolent Action Database. Accessed on March 28, 2017. http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/native-americans-walk-san-francisco-washington-dc-us-civil-rights-1978

" Occupy Wounded Knee: A 71-Day Siege and a Forgotten Civil Rights Movement." The Atlantic. October 23, 2012. Accessed April 1, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/10/occupy-wounded-knee-a-71-day-siege-and-a-forgotten-civil-rights-movement/263998/\

"Occupation of Wounded Knee is Ended." The New York Times. May 9, 1973. Accessed April 1, 2017. http://proxy-remote.galib.uga.edu:80/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/119905358?accountid=14537

"Planning, the Caravan, and the Breakdown." Framing Red Power, 2009-2017. Accessed March 30, 2017, http://www.framingredpower.org/narrative/tbt/planning/

Sterba, James P. "They'Re Trying Not to Vanish." New York Times (1923-Current file) Nov 11 1973: 232. ProQuest. 29 Mar. 2017.

"The 20 Point Position Paper Preamble and the 20 Point Position Paper" The American Indian Movement, October 1972. Accessed March 29, 2017, http://www.aimovement.org/archives/page45.html

"The Occupation of Alcatraz Island: Roots of American Indian Activism." Wicazo Sa Review. 1994. Accessed on March 28, 2017. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1409133?&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

"Trail of Broken Treaties." Youtube, February 27, 2013. Accessed March 31, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXqh_gQyCiU

"Urban Rez: BIA Takeover." Youtube, October 11, 2013. Accessed March 31, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByjAEGcvk7g

Wurtzburg, Susan J. "American Indian Movement (AIM)." The
Seventies in America (Online Edition), January. April 1 st, 2017. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx
?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89110759&site=eds-live

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the summer of 1968, Native American activists Dennis Banks, George Mitchell, and Clyde Bellecourt gathered hundreds of like-minded individuals in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Armed with ultimate goal of forcing the United States to recognize Native American sovereignty, the activists formed the American Indian Movement group, or the AIM.

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(Extension) Podcast: Standoff at Wounded Knee

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(Extension) Podcast: Standoff at Wounded Knee

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The Standoff at Wounded Knee - The Trail of Broken Treaties | 1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In early 1973, the militant civil rights group the American Indian Movement (AIM) takes control of the town of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The action launches a 71-day standoff between Indians and federal forces.