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American Indian Movement

Website:

www.aimovement.org/
Location:

Minneapolis, MN
Experian Number:

770065127
Type:

Native American Activist Organization
Formation:

1968
Executive Director:

Lisa Bellanger

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American Indian Movement is a Native American activist organization that was originally founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1968 1 to address poverty and policing issues associated with Native Americans who moved to Minneapolis as a part of the Urban Relocation Program. 2

In 1975, AIM activists engaged federal officers in a firefight at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation that resulted in the death of two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents. 3 4 5 AIM activists occupied a small Native American settlement in Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973 for 71 days. The Wounded Knee occupation resulted in two deaths, a paralyzed U.S. marshal, 12 wounded, and 1,200 arrests. 6 7 8 9 10 AIM also occupied the offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) as a part of the “Trail of Broken Treaties” in 1972. 11 12 13

AIM has demanded transfer of 110 million acres of land to American Indian control, repeal of government jurisdiction on Native American lands, recognition of Native American sovereignty, 14 the abolition of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other claims. 15 The group has also called pioneer Kit Carson an “Indian murderer,” 16  toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus, 17 18 and organized rallies with the left-of-center NDN Collective. 19

History and Leadership

American Indian Movement was co-founded by Clyde Bellecourt, Vernon Bellecourt, 20 Eddie Benton Banai, 21 George Mitchell,  Dennis Banks, 22 and others on July 28, 1968. 23 24 25 26 The group was originally formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to address poverty and police relations in the city after many American Indians moved to Minneapolis as a part of the Urban Relocation Program. 27

In 1972, AIM delivered a message to the Nixon administration demanding restoration of treaty-making, transfer of 110 million acres of lands from the U.S. government to tribal authorities, repeal of state jurisdiction on tribal lands, abolition of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and tribal immunity to regulation of commerce, among other things. 28 AIM also established “survival schools” for tribal education as an alternative to the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ government-funded schools in 1972. 29

Prior to his death in 2007, AIM co-founder Vernon Bellecourt met with foreign leaders such as Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Moammar Gadhafi of Libya, and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela to direct AIM’s overseas work. 30

As of June 2022, Frank Paro was National President of AIM and Lisa Bellanger was the executive director of the AIM governing body, the American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council (AIMGGC). 31 32 33

Activities and Funding

AIM is governed by the American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council (AIMGGC), which consists of executive leadership in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and sanctioned chapters in Texas, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Indiana and Kentucky, Oregon, Michigan, Florida, 34 North Carolina and Minnesota. AIM also has support groups in Pennsylvania, California, and Missouri. 35 AIM opposes the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. 36

In 2020, AIM referred to pioneer Kit Carson as an “Indian murderer” and urged the removal of a statue of Carson from the larger Denver, Colorado, pioneer monument. 37 In 2022, AIM organized a rally with the left-of-center activist group NDN Collective to support a class action lawsuit against the Grand Gateway Hotel and Cheers Lounge in Rapid City, South Dakota. 38

In August 2020, American Indian Movement leader Michael Forcia was charged with felony destruction of property for allegedly toppling a statue of Christopher Columbus at the Minnesota State Capitol. 39 Forcia said, “for healing, this needed to happen,” in reference to the toppling of the statue of Columbus. 40 41

Militant Activities

In 1975, American Indian Movement activists engaged Federal officers in a firefight at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation resulting in the death of two FBI agents and a Coeur D’Alene Native American named Joseph Stuntz. 42 AIM supports the release of imprisoned AIM activist Leonard Peltier, 43 who was convicted of aiding and abetting in actions that resulted in the death of two FBI agents in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation shootout. 44 45

In 1973, the group occupied the small Native American community of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, for 71 days—which led to a standoff that resulted in two dead protestors, one paralyzed U.S. marshal, 12 wounded, and 1200 arrests. 46 47 48

In 1972, AIM activists occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) at the Department of Commerce for six days during the “Trail of Broken Treaties” march in Washington, D.C. 49 50 51

In 1971, a group of Native Americans led by AIM activists scaled and occupied Mount Rushmore to demand the recognition of the Treaty of Fort Laramie, resulting in 20 arrests. 52 This came after other Native American Activists led by United Native Americans, including AIM organizer Madonna Thunderhawk, set up camp on top of Mount Rushmore in August 1970 to protest U.S. government violations of the Treaty of Fort Laramie. 53 54 55 In November 1970, AIM activists also occupied Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. 56 57 58 59 AIM activists were involved with the 18-month occupation of Alcatraz Island by Native American Activists that was started by activist group “Indians of All Tribes” and ran from November 1969 to June 1971. 60 61 62

References

  1. “American Indian Movement.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Indian-Movement.
  2. Thompson, Erin L. “Meet the Indigenous Activist Who Toppled Minnesota’s Christopher Columbus Statue.” Smithsonian Magazine. February 3, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/meet-the-indigenous-activist-who-toppled-minnesotas-christopher-columbus-statue-180979488/.
  3. “BPA Office Takeover, 1975.” Oregon Historical Society. Updated May 1, 2019. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/bpa-office-takeover-1975/.
  4. Ortiz, Erik. “Leonard Peltier, imprisoned Native American activist, has new message for Biden in clemency push.” NBC News. March 24, 2022. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/leonard-peltier-imprisoned-native-american-activist-new-message-biden-rcna19731.
  5. Thompson, Carolyn. “FBI releases documents in Leonard Peltier case.” NBC News. April 6, 2004. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4678006.
  6. Kaiser, Robert L. “Patriotism rises above all else.” Chicago Tribune. October 29, 2001. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-10-29-0110290241-story.html.
  7. “Wounded Knee.” History.com. November 6, 2009. Updated Augsut 12, 2022. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/wounded-knee.
  8. “Incident at Wounded Knee.” U.S. Marshals Service. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.usmarshals.gov/who-we-are/about-us/history/historical-reading-room/incident-wounded-knee.
  9. “BPA Office Takeover, 1975.” The Oregon History Project, A Project of the Oregon Historical Society.” Updated May 1, 2010. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/bpa-office-takeover-1975/#.Y1xfG-zMJhE.
  10. Williams, Alex. “Tim Giago, Native American Newspaperman, Is Dead at 88.” New York Times. July 28, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/28/us/tim-giago-dead.html.
  11. Cooper, Lauren. “Native American Activism: 1960s to Present.” Zinn Education Project. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://libguides.mnhs.org/aim#:~:text=AIM%E2%80%94the%20American%20Indian%20Movement,Dennis%20Banks%2C%20and%20Clyde%20Bellecourt.
  12. Blair, William M. “Indians in Capital Defy a Court Order.” New York Times. November 4, 1972. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/04/archives/indians-in-capital-defy-a-court-order.html.
  13. Blakemore, Erin. “The radical history of the Red Power movement’s fight for Native American sovereignty.” National Geographic. November 25, 2020. Accessed via Web Archive October 28, 2022. https://archive.ph/pjGDO.
  14. “American Indian Movement.” University of Georgia Exhibits. Accessed October 29, 2022. https://digilab.libs.uga.edu/exhibits/exhibits/show/civil-rights-digital-history-p/american-indian-movement.
  15. Laura Waterman Wittstock and Elaine J. Salinas. “A Brief History of the American Indian Movement.” American Indian Movement. Accessed August 10, 2022. http://www.aimovement.org/ggc/history.html.
  16. McKinley, Carol. “City to Kit Carson: You say and we say goodbye.” The Denver Gazette. August 10, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://denvergazette.com/news/city-to-kit-carson-you-say-hello-and-we-say-goodbye/article_1b775584-14ef-11ed-bb03-7f6f1d113e28.html.
  17. [1] Nesterak, Max. “Native activists pull down Christopher Columbus statue at State Capitol.” Minnesota Reformer. June 11, 2020. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://minnesotareformer.com/2020/06/11/native-activists-pull-down-christopher-columbus-statue-at-state-capitol/.
  18. Thompson, Erin L. “Meet the Indigenous Activist Who Toppled Minnesota’s Christopher Columbus Statue.” Smithsonian Magazine. February 3, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/meet-the-indigenous-activist-who-toppled-minnesotas-christopher-columbus-statue-180979488/.
  19. “NDN Collective Responds to Rapid City Hotel Threat to Ban All Native Americans With Civil Rights Lawsuit.” NDN Collective. March 22, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://ndncollective.org/ndn-collective-responds-to-rapid-city-hotel-threat-to-ban-all-native-americans-with-civil-rights-lawsuit/.
  20. “AIM Leader Vernon Bellecourt Dies at 75.” Associated Press. October 13, 2007. Accessed via Web Archive October 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20071112212142/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iJxB-9AliRGcw5gKuYnJiiIhWWqAD8S8Q4R80.
  21. “Eddie Benton-Banai, leader in American Indian Movement, dies at 89.” Washington Post. December 3, 2020. Accessed October 29, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/eddie-benton-banai-leader-in-american-indian-movement-dies-at-89/2020/12/03/991ab816-35a1-11eb-b59c-adb7153d10c2_story.html.
  22. McFadden, Robert D. “Dennis Banks, American Indian Civil Rights Leader, Dies at 80.” New York Times. October 30, 2017. Accessed via Web Archive October 29, 2022. https://archive.ph/br7gy.
  23. Thompson, Darren. “Clyde Bellecourt, One of the Original Founders of the Native American Indian Movement Passes Away.” January 11, 2022. Accessed October 29, 2022. https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/clyde-bellecourt-one-of-original-founders-of-the-american-indian-movement-passes-away.
  24. Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “American Indian Movement.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed October 29, 2022. https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Indian-Movement.
  25. Deepa Shivaram and Doualy Xaykaothao. “Clyde Bellecourt, co-founder of the American Indian Movement, dies of cancer at 85.” National Public Radio. January 12, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/12/1072435745/clyde-bellecourt-american-indian-movement-dies-obituary.
  26. “Storied 1968: American Indian Movement.” Minnesota Historical Society YouTube Channel. Uploaded October 1, 2019. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.news5cleveland.com/sports/baseball/indians/cleveland-american-indian-movement-to-protest-outside-progressive-field-before-home-opener.
  27. Thompson, Erin L. “Meet the Indigenous Activist Who Toppled Minnesota’s Christopher Columbus Statue.” Smithsonian Magazine. February 3, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/meet-the-indigenous-activist-who-toppled-minnesotas-christopher-columbus-statue-180979488/.
  28. Laura Waterman Wittstock and Elaine J. Salinas. “A Brief History of the American Indian Movement.” American Indian Movement. Accessed August 10, 2022. http://www.aimovement.org/ggc/history.html.
  29. Cooper, Lauren. “Native American Activism: 1960s to Present.” Zinn Education Project. 2016. Accessed October 29, 2022. https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/native-american-activism-1960s-to-present/.
  30. “AIM Leader Vernon Bellecourt Dies at 75.” Associated Press. October 13, 2007. Accessed via Web Archive October 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20071112212142/http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iJxB-9AliRGcw5gKuYnJiiIhWWqAD8S8Q4R80.
  31. “Letter to Walter Ruiz from American Indian Movement -Grand Governing Council.” American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council. June 16, 2020. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://twitter.com/AmericanIndian8/status/1273997717526597633/photo/2.
  32. “Letter RE: Un-sanctioning of Support Group AIM OC (Orange County, CA).” American Indian Movement – Grand Governing Council. August 18, 2022. Accessed October 29, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=608774207554592&set=a.178255110606506.
  33. “Eddie Benton-Banai, leader in American Indian Movement, dies at 89.” Washington Post. December 3, 2020. Accessed October 29, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/eddie-benton-banai-leader-in-american-indian-movement-dies-at-89/2020/12/03/991ab816-35a1-11eb-b59c-adb7153d10c2_story.html.
  34. “American Indian Movement Florida State Chapter.” American Indian Movement Florida LinkedIn Page. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-indian-movement-florida-state-support-group/about/.
  35. “Facebook Post.” AIM Grand Governing Council Facebook. Posted July 16, 2022. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/AIMGGC/posts/pfbid02RSm4RrYpPtMU2zRmqg48XqVdX6wnj6rK5joXHnwK8KnaBYsV6ZXEPAPHRWxRQh7sl?__cft__[0]=AZVxqWWMH3RBWm6huGpsJ3s_iVysFCnc9DkrqXDp0MkvUcGbVh_CnWCwx6MOuDZW55ppxuxaELs0Wl4hU6LZrOHHz54IZogW1nfeH3nXjvlkl1webQzqjs1afzyE2FFLz3ad-gwKZMhgcRRjjVbAM4egFQV92sxlQ7aPOAN8YPtwK3n8UqtlYswzzgSWcN0Eu24&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R.
  36. “Dakota Access Pipeline.” American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council Ministry for Information. August 13, 2016. Accessed August 10, 2022. http://www.aimovement.org/moipr/DAPL.html.
  37. McKinley, Carol. “City to Kit Carson: You say and we say goodbye.” The Denver Gazette. August 10, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://denvergazette.com/news/city-to-kit-carson-you-say-hello-and-we-say-goodbye/article_1b775584-14ef-11ed-bb03-7f6f1d113e28.html.
  38. “NDN Collective Responds to Rapid City Hotel Threat to Ban All Native Americans With Civil Rights Lawsuit.” NDN Collective. March 22, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://ndncollective.org/ndn-collective-responds-to-rapid-city-hotel-threat-to-ban-all-native-americans-with-civil-rights-lawsuit/.
  39. Sawyer, Liz. “American Indian Movement leader charged with felony for toppling Columbus statue at Minnesota State Capitol.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune. August 13, 2020. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.startribune.com/aim-leader-charged-in-toppling-of-columbus-statue-at-state-capitol/572101452/.
  40. Nesterak, Max. “Native activists pull down Christopher Columbus statue at State Capitol.” Minnesota Reformer. June 11, 2020. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://minnesotareformer.com/2020/06/11/native-activists-pull-down-christopher-columbus-statue-at-state-capitol/.
  41. Thompson, Erin L. “Meet the Indigenous Activist Who Toppled Minnesota’s Christopher Columbus Statue.” Smithsonian Magazine. February 3, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/meet-the-indigenous-activist-who-toppled-minnesotas-christopher-columbus-statue-180979488/.
  42. “BPA Office Takeover, 1975.” Oregon Historical Society. Updated May 1, 2019. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.oregonhistoryproject.org/articles/historical-records/bpa-office-takeover-1975/.
  43. “Facebook Post.” Leonard Peltier’s Walk to Justice Facebook Group. Posted May 5, 2022. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/LeonardPeltierWalkToJustice/photos/a.108237541738735/145596914669464/.
  44. Ortiz, Erik. “Leonard Peltier, imprisoned Native American activist, has new message for Biden in clemency push.” NBC News. March 24, 2022. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/leonard-peltier-imprisoned-native-american-activist-new-message-biden-rcna19731.
  45. Thompson, Carolyn. “FBI releases documents in Leonard Peltier case.” NBC News. April 6, 2004. Accessed August 11, 2022. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4678006.
  46. Williams, Alex. “Tim Giago, Native American Newspaperman, Is Dead at 88.” New York Times. July 28, 2022. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/28/us/tim-giago-dead.html.
  47. “American Indian Movement (AIM): Overview.” Gale Family Library, Minnesota Historical Society. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://libguides.mnhs.org/aim#:~:text=AIM%E2%80%94the%20American%20Indian%20Movement,Dennis%20Banks%2C%20and%20Clyde%20Bellecourt.
  48. “Incident at Wounded Knee.” U.S. Marshals Service. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://www.usmarshals.gov/who-we-are/about-us/history/historical-reading-room/incident-wounded-knee.
  49. Cooper, Lauren. “Native American Activism: 1960s to Present.” Zinn Education Project. Accessed August 10, 2022. https://libguides.mnhs.org/aim#:~:text=AIM%E2%80%94the%20American%20Indian%20Movement,Dennis%20Banks%2C%20and%20Clyde%20Bellecourt.
  50. Blakemore, Erin. “The radical history of the Red Power movement’s fight for Native American Sovereignty.” National Geographic. November 25, 2020. Accessed via Web Archive August 29, 2022. https://archive.ph/pjGDO.
  51. “The Trail of Broken Treaties: A March On Washington, DC 1972.” College of William and Mary Exhibition. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://muscarelle.wm.edu/rising/broken-treaties/.
  52. Rave, Jodi. “Why Native Americans Have Protested Mount Rushmore.” History.com. November 18, 2020. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.history.com/news/mount-rushmore-native-american-protests.
  53. Beem, Kay. “Warrior Women.” South Dakota Public Broadcasting. January 30, 2019. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.sdpb.org/blogs/arts-and-culture/warrior-women/.
  54. Rave, Jodi. “Why Native Americans Have Protested Mount Rushmore.” History.com. November 18, 2020. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.history.com/news/mount-rushmore-native-american-protests.
  55. Rao, Sameer. “47 Years Ago: Native Activists Occupied Mount Rushmore to Protest Treaty Violations.” Color Lines. August 29, 2017. Accessed August 29, 2022. https://www.colorlines.com/articles/47-years-ago-native-activists-occupied-mount-rushmore-protest-treaty-violations.
  56. Cooper, Lauren. “Native American Activism: 1960s to Present.” Zinn Education Project. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://www.zinnedproject.org/materials/native-american-activism-1960s-to-present/.
  57. Deloria, Vine Victor, Jr. “Red Power: Pan-Indian Activism.” Vassar College. February 17, 2015. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://pages.vassar.edu/theirsorours/2015/02/17/red-power-and-the-politics-of-identity/.
  58. “Faces of AIM Exhibition.” Muscarelle Museum of Art. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://muscarelle.wm.edu/rising/plymouth/day-of-mourning/.
  59. Lannry, Alysa. “Native History: Mayflower Brings First Permanent Settlers to Plymouth.” Indian Country Today. December 18, 2013. Updated September 13, 2018. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/native-history-mayflower-brings-first-permanent-settlers-to-plymouth.
  60. “American Indian Movement Occupation of Alcatraz.” University of Arizona Special Collections Photograph. Accessed October 28, 2022. https://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/american-indian-movement-occupation-alcatraz.
  61. Blakemore, Erin. “The radical history of the Red Power movement’s fight for Native American sovereignty.” National Geographic. November 25, 2020. Accessed via Web Archive October 28, 2022. https://archive.ph/pjGDO.
  62. “AIM occupation of Wounded Knee Begins.” This Day in History – February 27—The History Channel. Accessed October 29, 2022. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/aim-occupation-of-wounded-knee-begins.
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American Indian Movement

PO Box 17238
Minneapolis, MN