Rating: 
Summary: Very Balanced Story of the Radical Indian Movement AIM
Review: Well written book by Native Americans who write an objective history of the 60's style Indian movement that merged into Dennis Banks' American Indian Movement. The first section about the Alcatraz take over is very informative about the Bureau of Indian Affairs plan to move Indians off the reservation to assimilate them in Cities. Unfortunately, many of the Indians that relocated off the reservation ended up in their own Ghettos in poverty. However, these urban Indians such as the Mohawk Russell Oakes get personally involved in the take over of Alcatraz. The authors define well how the plans to take over landmarks comes about, the value of publicity and they bluntly
describe the failures in organization. The failures botch attempts to take Ellis Island and leave the Trail of Tears caravan virtually without shelter which inadvertently results in the take over of the BIA building. Unfortunately, the movement seems to falter with acts of vandalism, burning of a building in Custer, South Dakota and the destructiuon of buldings at the seige of Wounded knee and the unfortunate circumstance of kidnapping. The damage to property, reports of alchol abuse such as the get together in Warrenton, VA. undermines the movement in my mind. Thse acts seemed to diminish the goals of the Indian Movement although the authors make a point that even Martin Luther King could not control all the elements of his movement. Although the actions of AIM do obtian publicity and sympathy for their movement, the authors ironically note that their followers never materialize in large numbers. The book peaks with the reoccupation of Wounded Knee that succeeds as a great reminder of the mistreatment Indians in the past and invoking tribal rivalry between the current council President and AIM. In the finale, the authors note the failure of AIM to maintain itself after many of its leaders such as the charismatic Russell Means are put on trial or in some cases put in jail. The authors quote admirers and critics of the movement which is punctuated with the lack of concrete ideas that could translate to realistic acheivable goals and a lack of organization. Overall a very fascinating book that I wish spent more time on the transition of its main leaders to "Reborn Capatalists" (Banks)
and movie Stars (Means - Pochohontas and "the Last of the Mohicans). In addition, I wish the book provided more detail on the desires of reservation Indians, their problems and ideas for positive change. Very unfortunate that Clyde Warrior, one of the main leaders of the 60's rebirthing of an idealistic Indian movement, dies in the late 60's at the youthful age at 29. If he could have maintained his health and vision, his impact on AIM might have led to greater organization and acomplishments. It was interesting to note that the authors refer to Sitting Bull as a Oglala Sioux when in fact he was a Hunkpapa Sioux (page 190).
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