The Red Power Movement of the 1960s and 70s transpired across the world; however, this works focuses specifically on the work of Native American activists in the United States (commonly joined by First Nation peoples from Canada). While A.I.M. (American Indian Movement) still a well known organization in many communities, few educational materials have discussed the history of the Red Power Movement. Our treaty rights movement receives little attention by the mainstream in comparison to other social movements of the 60s and 70s.
The most commonly discussed history from the Red Power era in the U.S. includes the American Indian Movement and their occupation of Wounded Knee in 1970, with key figures rising to fame, such as Russell Means, Dennis Banks, Clyde Bellecourt, Leonard Peltier, and Crow Dog. Many of the well-known A.I.M. leaders were men. Additionally, few realize that A.I.M. was first established in Minneapolis after many Native peoples were relocated there due to the twentieth century Federal Indian Policies of Termination and Urban Relocation. Inspired strongly by and working collaboratively with local members of the Black Panther Party, A.I.M. first began running patrols to protect Native Americans from police harassment and other forms of racism. Later they began running a similar free breakfast program and opening survival schools to help students and families get back in touch with their culture, traditions, and practices. A.I.M. is most well known for their Occupation of Wounded Knee. While a whole website or unit could have been created on the American Indian Movement and/or the Occupation of Wounded Knee, I decided to focus on various events and protests that brought different Native groups together across the country.
The next most common event known during this time is the Occupation of Alcatraz which came a year before the Occupation of Wounded Knee. Initially organized by Belva Cottier and taken up by the Indians of All Tribes (I.A.T.), this movement was focused on asserting treaty rights and exposing the conditions Native Americans are forced to live in. Referencing the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, I.A.T. activists reclaimed the land of Alcatraz after the U.S. government declared it surplus land, thus according to the treaty all retired or abandoned federal land was to be returned to the Native peoples from whom it was stolen. In 1964, a group of Lakota activists occupied the island for four hours. However, it was not until 1969, the I.A.T. claimed and occupied the land for about six months, under the leadership of Adam Fortunate Eagle, Richard Oakes, LeNada Means, and John Trudell (bridging together the original occupiers from 1964 with the Native American student group from UC Berkeley (along with various other Native American college groups from the Bay area). After the initial attempt to claim Alcatraz on November 9, 1969, the next day Oakes delivered the Alcatraz Proclamation (Document E), which claimed the island by right of discovery. Later that November, a larger group of Native American families, students, and activists set out to re-occupy the island. They quickly began mobilizing to gain complete control over the island, wishing to build a cultural center, spiritual center, an ecology center, and an American Indian Museum. The occupation came to a close in 1970.
The final event/mobilization addressed in this unit is the "Trail of Broken Treaties" (also known as the Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan. It was a cross-country protest beginning on the west coast of the North America in October 1972 with protesters traveling by car, bus, or van. It was collaborative effort between eight organizations from U.S. and Canada (American Indian Movement, the National Indian Brotherhood--Canada, the Native American Rights Fund, the National Indian Youth Council, the National Council on Indian Work, National Indian Leadership Training, and the American Indian Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse). In Minneapolis, the Twenty-Point Position paper was written (see Teacher Resources). The protesters reached Washington D.C. in early November 1972 and attempted to meet with the Nixon Administration. When the Nixon Administration refused to meet with the protesters to discuss the Twenty-Point Position paper, the protesters then took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs (B.I.A.) Headquarters. This mobilization focused on issues, such as treaty rights, living standards, and inadequate housing, and due to the occupation of the B.I.A., the federal government was forced to meet with the protesters and negotiated further treaty rights.
This unit obviously leaves out many global and local stories of this era. I chose to focus on the main events and mobilization efforts from the Red Power Era. However, this leaves out the narratives of Native Nations fighting for centuries to continue to secure their treaty rights and sovereignty. Much of this work by Native Nations during the Red Power Era focused on securing hunting and fishing rights. I have included a link to a documentary called "As Long as the River Runs" to provide some background of local movements and to make sure as many Native peoples' voices and Tribal Nations' perspectives are discussed because we represent various nations, cultures, and experiences. Many of these national movements began with our Native women, and many of the local movements were also created and mobilized by our women and elders. More lessons and historical work needs to draw attention to their activism that continues today.