American Indian Movement Essay

American Indians have been discriminated against since the Europeans came to North America. They were driven from their homes and forced to surrender their land. They tried to build an alliance with France during the Revolutionary war, but ultimately they were defeated by the English. From then on, they were referred to as “savages”. The Proclamation of 1763 tried to separate the Native American land from the American colonial land. In the end, the American Indians lost their land and were forced to occupy smaller land areas, referred to as reservations, which were given to them through treaties. In 1979, a report from America’s Compliance with Human Rights Accords stated that

One of the first major events was the occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969, where large groups of American Indians reclaimed back the Island. They claimed that the Island had been illegally taken from them. But more relevantly they wanted to address issues about police brutality against indigenous and demand justice. The occupation was one of the major milestones for AIM because it received lots of publication from a large amount of media sources. The publications were so vast, to the point where the American government was forced to listen to the injustices committed against

All throughout history Native Americans and the United States Government have never gotten along. We took their land without permission, promised them many things that they would never receive, and put unrealistic scenarios into their heads. Native Americans are known to be stubborn, but in all reality we the United States Government have brought that upon them. There are many things that could have been and still done to prevent the living conditions in the Native American Reservations. The cruel treatment of Native Americans by the US government in the 1800’s has lead to high death rates, alcoholism, and the lack of education into today’s society.

From its birth, America was a place of inequality and privilege. Since Columbus 's arrival and up until present day, Native American tribes have been victim of white men 's persecution and tyranny. This was first expressed in the 1800’s, when Native Americans were driven off their land and forced to embark on the Trail of Tears, and again during the Western American- Indian War where white Americans massacred millions of Native Americans in hatred. Today, much of the Indian Territory that was once a refuge for Native Americans has since been taken over by white men, and the major tribes that once called these reservations home are all but gone. These events show the discrimination and oppression the Native Americans faced. They were, and continue to be, pushed onto reservations,

Native Americans have been working unremittingly for sovereignty over their own affairs since the very beginning of Euro-American contact. The twentieth century in particular was a progressive time for Native Americans as they continued to fight for sovereignty over their own affairs and Historians have taken note of this. Most historians of Native Americans have given a substantial amount of attention to the Indian Civil Rights Act (ICRA). Many historians concur that the ICRA was a fundamental tool for Natives to not only gain autonomy in a progressively bellicose society, but equally between themselves. After acknowledging that Indian Nations were not invited to the Constitutional Convention and that the United States Constitution was never

Another factor was the increase in federal aid. As time passed, President Nixon did not have the success he anticipated due to the increase in size of many protest groups. As a consequence, the American Indian Movement (AIM) forcefully fought their way into the Bureau of Indian Affairs literally taking over for six days. This movement regrettably like many other movements of that time failed to win full justice and equality for Native Americans. On the other hand, they achieved a series of new legal rights and protections that assisted them to be in a better

     Native Americans have felt distress from societal and governmental interactions for hundreds of years. American Indian protests against these pressures date back to the colonial period. Broken treaties, removal policies, acculturation, and assimilation have scarred the indigenous societies of the United States. These policies and the continued oppression of the native communities produced an atmosphere of heightened tension. Governmental pressure for assimilation and their apparent aim to destroy cultures, communities, and identities through policies gave the native people a reason to fight. The unanticipated consequence was the subsequent creation of a pan-American Indian

For the Native Americans, the original location of their tribes is the center of the universe and is considered a sacred place. According to the Native American perspective, imagination creates the world, and thus memory of their land is a part of their culture. Tribal history is built upon the stories told about the land. Hence the Native American Removal in the 1830s paved the way for the emergence of an identity crisis in the twentieth century.The government passed the Native American Removal Act in 1830 under the administration of Andrew Jackson. The act “authorized the removal of Native American tribes to a large, unorganized, ‘permanent’ Native American territory west of the Mississippi River” (Hirschfelder 34). The popular phase of the removal is the Cherokees’ Trail of Tears during the winter of 1838-39 (34). Even though this this movement guaranteed a great territorial acquisition for the White Americans, it bruised the mind and soul of every Native American and ingrained a subconscious sense of loss regarding their culture, traditions and spiritual power. A tribe can only reach the peak of its spiritual potential if they are located on the land that their people originated from, and thus the farther they move from their center or location that their indigenous location, the more their spirituality fades and like Native American

The American Indian Movement or “AIM” is a civil rights organization founded in 1968 to encourage determination among Native Americans and establish international recognition of their treaty rights. The movement was all about peace and standing up for civil rights in the Native Americans own way. Native Americans were not given adequate housing, people without electricity and plumbing. According to Bill Means, the money was not properly being used for healthcare and education for the Native Americans.

In the Lakota language, “wicozani” is a word that means wealth by living a happy and well balanced life with a physical and mental well-being in conformity with creation. In order to fulfill a life of prosperity and euphoria, it is crucial to be a well-behaved, humane person. In the Native American culture, being an impish, untrustworthy being goes against everything they believe in. One of the most meaningful values to the Native Americans is honesty. One of the most condemned traits is disrespect.

Founded in 1968, the American Indian Movement (A.I.M.) is an organization dedicated to the American Indian Civil Rights Movement. Its main objectives are:

The AIM (American Indian Movement) became an important organization for Native Americans to fight for their recognition. AIM was founded in 1968 to “encouraged self-determination among Native Americans and to establish international recognition of their treaty rights” (“American Indian Movement”). AIM’s demonstrations and protest raised Native American international awareness about the native people’s struggle. AIM and the Oglala Sioux Civil Rights Organization (OSCRO) occupied Wounded Knee, the site of the 1890 massacre of 300 Sioux by the US Seventh Cavalry, in South Dakota in February of 1973 “for 71 days to protest conditions on the reservation”and the US government's failure to fulfill treaties with Native American people and demanded the reopening of treaty negotiations” (“Wounded Knee”).

The island was claimed by a group called Indians of all Tribes (IOAT), but members of AIM also participated. In the beginning the government blockaded the island and demanded the immediate departure of all the protestors. When the Indians did not comply the government agreed to negotiate, but IOAT’s demands: the title to the island, $300,000 for a cultural center, among other things, were not conditions the government was prepared to grant and the occupation dragged on. The barricade was withdrawn and over time public attention began to wane and support diminished. The protestors themselves decreased in number as many were students from UCLA and had to return to classes. After 19 months, the occupation ended as the last few people were quietly escorted

Many Indians resorted to alcohol, believing that a beer could solve their problems, “He thought one more beer could save the world. One more beer and every chair would be comfortable, one more beer and the light bulb in the bathroom would never burn out” (The Lone Ranger and Tonto First Fight in Heaven, pg. 88). The goal of AIM was to help Indians get back on their feet and become successful (Hudson). To achieve their goal of helping their fellow citizens, AIM would help other Indians find jobs and get an education (Hudson). AIM simply wanted change for urban Indians by helping in anyway possible (Hudson). In addition to helping other Native Americans, AIM was also concerned with police abuse, specifically in Minneapolis (Hudson). In 1968, AIM created the Indian Patrol, which would watch ghettos and listen to police calls (Hudson). If the Indian Patrol saw police being unjust, they would take pictures to serve as evidence (Hudson). In 1969, AIM went to patrol Alcatraz Island (Hudson). The members along side the NIYC were there to defend their culture (Hudson). Through all of their efforts and actions, the outcome of AIM was quite successful. AIM was able to expand from being local to national, which was a great source for many Native Americans.

In 1963 the prison was closed and labeled Federal Surplus land. From November 20, 1969, to June 11, 1971 Alcatraz Island was held by a group of Indians called Indians of All Tribes (IAT). The IAT claimed that due to the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) ,between the U.S. and the Sioux, they had the right to claim the island. The treaty returned all retired, abandoned and out-of use federal lands to the Indians or native people. When Alcatraz penitentiary closed in 1963, the U.S. declared the island as surplus federal property. The Alcatraz Proclamation was issued by the dissidents so the world would know what they had done. The Alcatraz Proclamation stated that the Indians will “reclaim the land known as Alcatraz Island in the name of all American Indians by right of discovery.” and they “wish to be fair and honorable in our dealings with the Caucasian inhabitants of this land” and they will “further guide the inhabitants in the proper way of living. We will offer them our religion, our education, our life-ways, in order to help them achieve our level of civilization and thus raise them and all their white brothers up from their savage and unhappy state.”(1969 OCCUPATION OF ALCATRAZ). In response to the occupation the government cut off all electrical power and telephone service by late May of 1971 and following that