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Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is a federal government agency. Their job is to manage the 55.7 million acres of land held in trust by the US for the Native Americans. They claim their goal is to "… enhance the quality of life, to promote economic opportunity, and to carry out the responsibility to protect and improve the trust assets of American Indians, Indian tribes, and Alaska Natives." Quote -
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Fish-ins as protest
The goverment had bought many Native Americans land including land in Oregon that was meant to have maintained sacred fishing spots for local Indian tribes but eventually in constrcuting Fort Lewis the goverment took much of these river locations and eventually Native Americans would come and fish illegally only to be arrested and return in protest. -
American Indian Movement
Founded in Minneapolis Minnesota, by Dennis Banks, George Mitchell, Herb Powless, Clyde Bellecourt, Harold Goodsky, Eddie Benton-Banai and many others. Some goals that hey had were, to get back or just compensation for the land the government took away from them. End segregation in public areas, gain United States citizenship, and much more. Russell Means was one of the main, early, leaders in their protests. Link -
Russell Means
He joined the American Indian Movement on 1968 and eventually rose to become one of the leaders in 1970. He was also a part of the Alcatraz occupation in 1969. Link
Means was a very active participant, participating in nearly every protest, and many organizations. -
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Occupation of Alcatraz
A group of Native Americans called United Indians of All Tribes, went to occupy the island, they were mainly college students. They were there to protest federal policies Link -
Occupation of Wounded Knee by Oglala Sioux
As internal tensions contuined to rise on the Pine Ridge Reservation eventually AIM met to discuss the deteriorating situation and decieded to occupy the hamlet of Wounded Knee until the goverment immediately revived treaty talk and removed the local leader from office. Eventualy after 3 deaths AIM and the goverment disarmed and the 71 day long occupation was ended leaving the town much more violent -
Major accomplishments of AIM
Some major accomplishments were when they marched in the Trail of Broken Treaties which captured national attention and the occupation of Wounded Knee were the most attention gathering incidents of the group -
Two Issues still facing the AIM today
The group still faces racism and its consquences from so long ago leaving them very poor generally, also the AIM has split into two different factions recently with one headquarters in Denver and the other in Minneapolis
