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Main Leader: Dennis Banks
Dennis Banks is a Native American leader, teacher, lecturer, activist and author. He is most renowned for his co-founding and leadership of the American Indian Movement (AIM). Dennis grew up on a Minnesotan Indian reservation where he witnessed police brutality and crippling poverty. He eventually developed AIM along with other Indians in order to fight against police brutality, achieve basic human rights and in order to receive the benefits of treaties that were made but never fulfilled. -
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Native American Rights Movement
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Founding of AIM
AIM is an American Indian advocacy group that was founded in July of 1968. This organization was founded in order to address Indian rights such as sovereignty and treaty issues. It was also founded in order to fight against police harassment and racism towards American Indians. AIM also looked to fight against issues within the “red ghettos” that included violence and drug abuse. The ultimate goal of AIM was to create “real” economic dependence for Native Americans. -
Occupation of Alcatraz
Starting in November of 1969, Native Americans took over Alcatraz and held it as Indian land. This takeover was led by the Native American group Indians of All Tribes (IAT). They did this in order to protest the unjust dealings of land by the federal government and to rightfully achieve their land that was given to them through a treaty. Their protest was forcefully stopped by the government 14 months later but helped show the mishandling of treaties by the government to the rest of the country. -
Occupation of Wounded Knee by Oglala Sioux
On February 27, 1973, approximately 200 Oglala Lakota and other followers of AIM occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota. This was done in order to protest both the tribal president Richard Wilson, who was incredibly corrupt, and in order to protest the national government’s failure to follow through with treaties made with the natives. This protest was very successful because it showed Americans the abuse of Indians that had been going on and it motivated generations of natives to come.
