Post by Okwes on Jun 21, 2006 20:17:57 GMT -5
The American Indian Movement brought to life
Britta Arendt
www.grandrapids-mn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=2&story_id=2208\
66
"You're only here on Earth for a short period of time,
maybe 100 years, but when you're dead you're gone
forever. What the Creator gave you, you have an
obligation for future destiny; to bring others into
the world—think about it."
This was a special message Leech Lake Ojibwe leader
Dennis Banks gave to students at Northern Lights
Community School during a warm spring day in early
June. Seated in a circle in the grass behind their
school under a bright mid-day sun, a small group of
students studying Ojibwe this year attentively
listened to the illustrious activist's life story and
the lessons learned from it.
One of the most influential persons in recent American
Indian history and, at one time, one of America's Most
Wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Banks
has made it his mission in life to protect the rights
of his people. In 1968, he co-founded the American
Indian Movement (AIM) and since then he has
participated in some of the most infamous protests of
the 20th century.
Born near Federal Dam on the Leech Lake Reservation,
Banks was raised by his grandfather. When he was
4-years-old, the government removed Banks and his
brother from their home and sent them to a military
boarding school 300 miles away. For seven years, Banks
said, he was not allowed to see his family.
"Back then, the government had a policy to separate
parents and children to deculturize them," explained
Banks, now nearly 70 years old. "It happened to
thousands of kids."
Although some close friendships were formed among the
children at the military schools, Banks said they were
never allowed to speak their native languages and
punished for speaking in anything but English. He said
the Native children also were required to attend
Catholic or Lutheran religious services.
"They tried to make Christians out of us—all this, to
take the Indian out of us."
Banks explained how he tried to escape from military
school several times only to be caught and sent back.
Because he did not know where he lived or how to get
home, he said, most times, he would get hungry and
confused and hoped he would be found.
"I knew I needed to head north; no one ever told me
but I knew my home was north."
After school, Banks spent eight years in the United
States Air Force and served in Tokyo for three years.
During the French occupation of Vietnam, Banks
remembered understanding why the Vietnamese people
were so determined.
"After 12 years, the French couldn't win against the
Vietnamese mainly because the Vietnamese were on their
own land," Banks told the students. "It's hard to beat
native people who fight on their own land because
you're coming to take their land."
As anti-war demonstrations became common throughout
the U.S. in the 1960s, Banks said discrimination
toward American Indians became prevalent as well.
Police brutality against American Indians coupled with
high unemployment and insufficient housing among the
American Indian population became driving forces for
founding AIM. Established to protect the traditional
ways of American Indian people and to engage in legal
cases protecting treaty rights of American Indians,
AIM became successful in bringing American Indian
issues to the public.
"Because of the discriminatory policies in this
country, that had roots hundreds of years ago,
eventually something had to happen," continued Banks.
"If the community school here wants to make Tuesday a
holiday, why would someone in Grand Forks care? Why
could you be trampled on because of what you believe
in? AIM was formed to bring about change. We didn't
realize how far they would go to try and stop us; put
us in jail."
In the early years of AIM, Banks participated in the
occupation of Alcatraz Island demanding that all
federal surplus land be returned to American Indian
control. In 1972, Banks helped organize the "Trail of
Broken Treaties," walking 3,600 miles from California
to Washington D.C., gathering attention and support in
a petition to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to defeat
bills that threatened to abolish certain treaties
between the government and the American Indian people.
"The walk took five and a half months," Banks
remembered. "We started with 200 people and ended with
14,000; it was a big moment for us."
Under Banks' leadership, AIM also spearheaded a
protest on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation against
government corruption which led to the 71-day
occupation of Wounded Knee which attracted national
attention. Banks is said to have been the principle
negotiator and leader of the Wounded Knee forces.
"We set up road blocks and allowed no one to enter
without permission," Banks explained. "The government
said we took over Wounded Knee but we didn't, it was
our land. Then they started shooting at us. They built
bunkers and we built bunkers."
According to Banks, U.S. soldiers surrounded Wounded
Knee with machine guns, armored personnel carriers and
snipers. Thousands of rounds of ammunition was fired
from both sides throughout the entire 71 days,
resulting in the deaths on both sides, until the
government agreed to look into AIM's claims of
corruption.
Arrested for felony to commit murder, Banks faced 250
years in jail plus a life sentence. His $250,000 bail
was put up by American Indian supporter and actor
Marlon Brando and he received amnesty in California by
then Governor Jerry Brown who refused to extradite him
to South Dakota.
Banks talked about the seven-month trial that resulted
in his acquittal. After it was discovered that the
prosecution's primary witness lied about being at
Wounded Knee at the time of the occupation and the
U.S. military was charged with wasting millions of
rounds of ammunition in the fight, Banks said the
judge scolded the FBI for the dangerous way the
situation was handled.
While in California, Banks earned an associate's
degree from the University of California and taught at
Deganawida Quetzecoatl University where he became the
first American Indian chancellor. He worked as a drug
and alcohol counselor on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation and established the first spiritual run as
well as the Great Jim Thorpe Longest Run from New York
to Los Angeles. Banks has continued his involvement in
AIM and is an active member of his Leech Lake
community, including Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School.
Banks encouraged the NLCS students to learn more about
the Ojibwe culture and ceremonies, "Here we have Fond
du Luth and Leech Lake reservations and why you
haven't been in a sweat lodge, I don't know—I've been
in a few churches."
Britta Arendt
www.grandrapids-mn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=2&story_id=2208\
66
"You're only here on Earth for a short period of time,
maybe 100 years, but when you're dead you're gone
forever. What the Creator gave you, you have an
obligation for future destiny; to bring others into
the world—think about it."
This was a special message Leech Lake Ojibwe leader
Dennis Banks gave to students at Northern Lights
Community School during a warm spring day in early
June. Seated in a circle in the grass behind their
school under a bright mid-day sun, a small group of
students studying Ojibwe this year attentively
listened to the illustrious activist's life story and
the lessons learned from it.
One of the most influential persons in recent American
Indian history and, at one time, one of America's Most
Wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Banks
has made it his mission in life to protect the rights
of his people. In 1968, he co-founded the American
Indian Movement (AIM) and since then he has
participated in some of the most infamous protests of
the 20th century.
Born near Federal Dam on the Leech Lake Reservation,
Banks was raised by his grandfather. When he was
4-years-old, the government removed Banks and his
brother from their home and sent them to a military
boarding school 300 miles away. For seven years, Banks
said, he was not allowed to see his family.
"Back then, the government had a policy to separate
parents and children to deculturize them," explained
Banks, now nearly 70 years old. "It happened to
thousands of kids."
Although some close friendships were formed among the
children at the military schools, Banks said they were
never allowed to speak their native languages and
punished for speaking in anything but English. He said
the Native children also were required to attend
Catholic or Lutheran religious services.
"They tried to make Christians out of us—all this, to
take the Indian out of us."
Banks explained how he tried to escape from military
school several times only to be caught and sent back.
Because he did not know where he lived or how to get
home, he said, most times, he would get hungry and
confused and hoped he would be found.
"I knew I needed to head north; no one ever told me
but I knew my home was north."
After school, Banks spent eight years in the United
States Air Force and served in Tokyo for three years.
During the French occupation of Vietnam, Banks
remembered understanding why the Vietnamese people
were so determined.
"After 12 years, the French couldn't win against the
Vietnamese mainly because the Vietnamese were on their
own land," Banks told the students. "It's hard to beat
native people who fight on their own land because
you're coming to take their land."
As anti-war demonstrations became common throughout
the U.S. in the 1960s, Banks said discrimination
toward American Indians became prevalent as well.
Police brutality against American Indians coupled with
high unemployment and insufficient housing among the
American Indian population became driving forces for
founding AIM. Established to protect the traditional
ways of American Indian people and to engage in legal
cases protecting treaty rights of American Indians,
AIM became successful in bringing American Indian
issues to the public.
"Because of the discriminatory policies in this
country, that had roots hundreds of years ago,
eventually something had to happen," continued Banks.
"If the community school here wants to make Tuesday a
holiday, why would someone in Grand Forks care? Why
could you be trampled on because of what you believe
in? AIM was formed to bring about change. We didn't
realize how far they would go to try and stop us; put
us in jail."
In the early years of AIM, Banks participated in the
occupation of Alcatraz Island demanding that all
federal surplus land be returned to American Indian
control. In 1972, Banks helped organize the "Trail of
Broken Treaties," walking 3,600 miles from California
to Washington D.C., gathering attention and support in
a petition to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to defeat
bills that threatened to abolish certain treaties
between the government and the American Indian people.
"The walk took five and a half months," Banks
remembered. "We started with 200 people and ended with
14,000; it was a big moment for us."
Under Banks' leadership, AIM also spearheaded a
protest on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation against
government corruption which led to the 71-day
occupation of Wounded Knee which attracted national
attention. Banks is said to have been the principle
negotiator and leader of the Wounded Knee forces.
"We set up road blocks and allowed no one to enter
without permission," Banks explained. "The government
said we took over Wounded Knee but we didn't, it was
our land. Then they started shooting at us. They built
bunkers and we built bunkers."
According to Banks, U.S. soldiers surrounded Wounded
Knee with machine guns, armored personnel carriers and
snipers. Thousands of rounds of ammunition was fired
from both sides throughout the entire 71 days,
resulting in the deaths on both sides, until the
government agreed to look into AIM's claims of
corruption.
Arrested for felony to commit murder, Banks faced 250
years in jail plus a life sentence. His $250,000 bail
was put up by American Indian supporter and actor
Marlon Brando and he received amnesty in California by
then Governor Jerry Brown who refused to extradite him
to South Dakota.
Banks talked about the seven-month trial that resulted
in his acquittal. After it was discovered that the
prosecution's primary witness lied about being at
Wounded Knee at the time of the occupation and the
U.S. military was charged with wasting millions of
rounds of ammunition in the fight, Banks said the
judge scolded the FBI for the dangerous way the
situation was handled.
While in California, Banks earned an associate's
degree from the University of California and taught at
Deganawida Quetzecoatl University where he became the
first American Indian chancellor. He worked as a drug
and alcohol counselor on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation and established the first spiritual run as
well as the Great Jim Thorpe Longest Run from New York
to Los Angeles. Banks has continued his involvement in
AIM and is an active member of his Leech Lake
community, including Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School.
Banks encouraged the NLCS students to learn more about
the Ojibwe culture and ceremonies, "Here we have Fond
du Luth and Leech Lake reservations and why you
haven't been in a sweat lodge, I don't know—I've been
in a few churches."