Unmarginalizing the Red Power Movement: The Origins and Legacy of the American Indian Movement
Project Case Study: Public History Curation and Digital Media Production
Executive Summary: This portfolio entry features the comprehensive script and audio asset for Episode 1 of The American Indian Movement: Uncovering One of the Largest Civil Rights Indigenous Movements in America. This public history media project explores the structural origins, sociopolitical catalysts, and complex legacy of the American Indian Movement (AIM) from its 1968 inception through the pivotal 1973 Wounded Knee standoff and the subsequent federal pushback. Utilizing a rigorous methodology of source criticism, this episode contrasts mainstream historical narratives against localized primary materials, cross-referencing digitized FBI surveillance files from the Archives Unbound repository with oral transcripts and speeches from foundational AIM leadership. The project demonstrates an applied approach to digital humanities, translating academic research regarding Pan-Indian sovereignty, mid-century termination policies, and institutional colonialism into an accessible, high-impact public educational resource.
The American Indian Movement:
Uncovering One of the Largest Civil Rights Indigenous Movements in America
Have you ever heard of the Native American Civil Rights Movement? Not many have. This podcast tells the story on the origins of A.I.M. or the American Indian Movement, providing an in-depth history on one the largest indigenous organizations in the U.S to exist in modern times.
Episode 1: 347 Years of Fighting Colonialism. In this episode we begin by briefly introducing AIM and factors that led to the culmination of one the largest civil rights movements for indigenous people in America. From its inception in 1969 to its occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1973, AIM has been a cornerstone in defining Native American fight for sovereignty and addressing colonialism.
About the creator: Antonio Torres is a graduate student at Arizona State University where he studies North American History and Public History. His interests are in civil rights history and Mexican revolution history. Committed to serving and educating his community, he works in education and volunteers in organizations committed to teaching and inspiring youth in the diverse communities of San Diego, CA. He enjoys gardening, playing board games and hiking with his dog Luna.
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SCRIPT/TRANSCRIPT:
[INTRO MUSIC]
[COLD INTRO - 1-2 MINS]:
Welcome to “The American Indian Movement: Uncovering one of the largest Civil Rights Indigenous Movements in America”, a podcast dedicated to telling the story of A.I.M, or the American Indian Movement, providing an in-depth history on one the largest indigenous organizations in the U.S to exist in modern times. This podcast delves into the history and impact of the American Indian Movement (AIM), a grassroots organization founded in the 1960s by Clyde Bellecourt and Dennis Banks. Rooted in the civil rights era, AIM emerged as a powerful voice for Native American rights, inspired by the African American civil rights movement and other growing influences. Although AIM is considered an American civil rights movement, it’s usually unheard of and not as popular in comparison to the Black Power Movement or Chicano Movement. The podcast explores AIM's origins in Stillwater State Prison and Minneapolis, its evolution into a national movement, and its controversial reputation. It highlights the Wounded Knee incident of 1973, the BIA takeover, and the Oglala Incident . Targeting history enthusiasts, civil rights advocates, and those interested in Indigenous issues, this podcast aims to challenge oversimplified narratives and offer a deeper understanding of AIM's role in American history. By revisiting forgotten stories, we hope to shed light on the struggles and resilience of Native American communities. I am your host, Antonio De Jesus Torres Moreno, bringing you historical background to the Native American Civil Rights Movement! Join us as we explore the history and evolution of the large civil rights indigenous movement in America, current and emerging topics and stories, policies that shaped this history, and engage in critical reflection on how these historical contexts have shaped our understanding of these movements. Content warning: This podcast includes sensitive historical materials and topics.
[EPISODE INTRO] Good evening podcast listeners, and welcome to “The American Indian Movement: Uncovering one of the Largest Civil Rights Indigenous Movements in America”, on today's episode, “347 Years of Fighting Colonialism” we are going to talk about AIM and factors that led to the culmination of one the largest civil rights movements for indigenous people in America. Today, we will be featuring archival documents/artifacts from the primary sources of:
FBI Files
Audio Interviews from AIM members, including Dennis Banks, Russel Means, and Clyde Bellecourt
Some secondary sources which are the bulk of the research done to inform listeners to are from:
Julia Davis’s: Survival Schools
Kent Blansett: A Journey to Freedom: Richard Oakes, Alcatraz, and the Red Power Movement
From its inception in 1968, AIM has been a cornerstone in defining Native American fight for sovereignty and addressing colonialism.
To start, let’s discuss the context of the Pan Indian Movement and AIM. The Pan-Indian Movements refers to the social and political movement that emerged in the early 20th century that aimed to unify Native American tribes and groups across the US to address policies to assimilation, the rights of Native Americans and their cultural preservation. The movement led to the development of multiple organizations, including the American Indian Movement, also known as AIM. In the late 1960s, AIM emerged as a powerful voice for Native American rights. Inspired by the African American civil rights movement and other growing influences, AIM emerged as a member of the growing power movements. Although AIM is considered an American civil rights movement, it’s usually unheard of and not as popular in comparison to the Black Power Movement or Chicano Movement. Despite being one of the most significant Indigenous rights movements in American history, its complex legacy is systematically marginalized in mainstream historical narratives and its history remains underexplored outside academic circles.
Early History
Alright! Before the American Indian Movement (AIM) began to take shape in the communities of South Minneapolis, Minnesota, a powerful, emerging Pan-Indian movement known as the Red Power movement was gaining momentum. This intertribal movement would serve as a blueprint for the eventual national coalition of AIM. Like many other "Power" movements of the time, a demand for social justice and political representation defined its mission.
For Native communities, the seeds of resistance had been planted long before AIM’s formation. Historical injustices, such as the disregard for ancient treaties between the U.S. government and Native tribes, along with the traumatic legacy of Boarding School Policies that forcibly separated Native children from their families, had fueled a growing resentment toward the governance of Native peoples in the United States. The final push that united Native communities across the country came in the 1950s with the introduction of devastating policies known as the "Termination Policies." With the support of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), these laws sought to strip away tribal affiliation, land sovereignty, and the very way of life for Native peoples. If not for the determined resistance and activism of Native communities, these policies would have completely erased Indigenous ways of life.
In response to these harmful policies, thousands of Natives mobilized politically to protect their sovereignty, lands, and cultural heritage—things they had fought tirelessly to preserve for over 300 years. The BIA’s actions and decisions ignited anger and frustration, leading to widespread organization and protest. This wave of activism would eventually culminate in one of the most iconic moments of the Red Power movement: the 19-month occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969.
Alcatraz, a small island off the coast of San Francisco Bay in California, was once infamous for housing notorious prisoners like Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly. But in 1969, it became a symbol of Indigenous resistance. Led by Richard Oakes and others, a group called "Natives of All Tribes" occupied the island, demanding visibility, justice, and resources for Native communities. They called for cultural centers, schools, and museums on Alcatraz to highlight the injustices faced by Indigenous peoples. While this event was not directly affiliated with AIM, it drew the attention of many future AIM members, putting the movement on the national radar.
The story of AIM itself begins in a much less likely place: Stillwater State Prison in Minnesota. It was there that Ojibwe leaders Dennis Banks, Clyde Bellecourt, and Eddie Benton-Banai first met and began envisioning a movement that would change the course of Native activism. Other prominent figures, such as Russell Means and Vernon Bellecourt, would later join their cause, but the seeds of AIM were planted behind prison walls.
As historian Davis notes, Dennis Banks recalled the inspiration he drew from the social and political movements of the time: the African American civil rights movement, the Black Power movement, student protests on college campuses, and the growing antiwar movement opposing U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Clyde Bellecourt, who had been incarcerated since 1962, often reflects on the movement's origins, stating, Quote "People always say that the American Indian Movement started in 1968. But to me, it started in the hole at Stillwater in '62." End Quote
So, how did these three men—Banks, Bellecourt, and Benton-Banai—come together? Bellecourt, who was often placed in solitary confinement, was approached by Eddie Benton-Banai and an Irish-American caseworker named James Donahue. They invited him to join their plans to start an Indian cultural studies group for Native prisoners. What began as a small initiative behind bars would eventually grow into a national movement, uniting Natives from all tribes in a shared fight for justice and sovereignty.
AIM’s story is one of resilience and determination, beginning as a series of conversations and dreams in Stillwater State Prison and blossoming into a powerful, unifying force for Indigenous rights across the country.
Many mainstream narratives about AIM focus on the more dramatic and violent events tied to the movement, such as the takeover of the BIA headquarters, the Wounded Knee occupation, and the tragic Incident at Oglala. These events are undeniably important, as they expose the harsh realities of how the U.S. government responded to Native activism and the desperate measures Native communities took to protect their nations. However, in this podcast, we want to focus first on the purpose and intentions behind AIM—its mission to address the daily struggles faced by Native communities. From poor housing and job discrimination to police brutality, unemployment, and inadequate education, these were the critical issues that drove the Natives of Minneapolis and beyond to action.
News Breaking Events
By the early 1970s, the American Indian Movement (AIM) had already made its mark as a powerful force for Native rights. But it was a series of dramatic and transformative events that would define AIM’s legacy and bring national attention to the struggles of Native communities. These events—The Trail of Broken Treaties, the takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) headquarters, the Wounded Knee occupation, and the Oglala Incident—would forever change the landscape of Native activism in the United States.
The story begins with The Trail of Broken Treaties, a 3,000-mile caravan of Native people traveling from California to Washington, D.C. in 1972. This journey was not just a protest—it was a declaration of sovereignty and a demand for justice. The caravan, organized by AIM and other Native leaders, brought together representatives from over 200 tribes, all united by a shared frustration with the U.S. government’s broken promises and its failure to uphold centuries-old treaties.
Let’s pause and take a look at one of our primary sources to hear and understand what philosophies were being lived during this time. I have here the Russel Means speech given in 1980 reflective of the movement during its most tumultuous times. He boldly proclaims that
“The European materialist tradition of despiritualizing the universe is very similar to the mental process which goes into dehumanizing another person. And who seems most expert at dehumanizing other people? And why? Soldiers who have seen a lot of combat learn to do this to the enemy before going back into combat. Murderers do it before going out to commit murder. Nazi SS guards did it to concentration camp inmates. Cops do it. Corporation leaders do it to the workers they send into uranium mines and steel mills. Politicians do it to everyone in sight. And what the process has in common for each group doing the dehumanizing is that it makes it all right to kill and otherwise destroy other people. One of the Christian commandments says, "Thou shalt not kill," at least not humans, so the trick is to mentally convert the victims into nonhumans. Then you can proclaim violation of your own commandment as a virtue.”
Russel Means, concerned with the spiritual degradation of Native American way of life, voices concern over “whitewashed” youth and Native Americans. He goes on to state that the Native way of life was in danger and that the current capitalistic society kept a level of oppression among all, not just natives.
Moving back to our AIM history we come back to the Trail of Tears where AIM presented a 20-point proposal to the Nixon administration, calling for the restoration of tribal sovereignty, the abolition of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the return of stolen lands. But the government’s response was dismissive and disregardful. This rejection ignited frustration and resolve, setting the stage for the next chapter in AIM’s fight.
Just weeks after the Trail of Broken Treaties, AIM leaders decided to take a bold stand. On November 3, 1972, a group of Native activists, led by figures like Dennis Banks, Russell Means, and Clyde Bellecourt, stormed the BIA headquarters in Washington, D.C. This takeover of the BIA was a direct response to the government’s refusal to address their demands. For seven days, protesters occupied the building, scattering documents, and symbolically “freeing” Native communities from the bureaucratic chokehold of the BIA.
The takeover drew national media attention, forcing the public to confront the realities of Native struggles. It also marked a turning point for AIM, as the movement gained widespread recognition and galvanized support from Native communities across the country. But this newfound visibility also came with a cost. The government began to view AIM as a threat, and the movement would soon face intense scrutiny and repression.
In 1973, the stage was set for one of the most iconic and dramatic confrontations in Native American history: the Wounded Knee occupation. Located on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, Wounded Knee was a deeply symbolic site—it was the location of the infamous 1890 massacre where hundreds of Lakota people, mostly women and children, were killed by U.S. soldiers.
In February 1973, AIM leaders, along with local Oglala Lakota activists, occupied the town of Wounded Knee to protest corruption within the tribal government and the ongoing violation of treaty rights. The occupation lasted 71 days, during which time the activists were surrounded by federal agents, marshalls, and military forces. The standoff was tense, with gunfire exchanged on both sides, but miraculously, no one was killed during the occupation itself.
Already, as AIM began to emerge as a powerful voice for natives, the FBI, records which we now have access to directly from their library, tell us the plots and enterprise made to keep track of and eventually sabotage AIM. Currently as of 2025, this is not new or controversial information. We know of Operation COINTELPRO, an FBI orchestrated plan to target and destroy Black civil rights leaders and many more now uncovered thanks to disclosure policies enacted in the past years like the Freedom Information Act. We have here from Archives Unbound a collection named the “American Indian Movement and Native American Radicalism.” This collection hosts over 69 files with redacted information mentioning AIM members, locations, and information. After some digging I found a file named Volume 37, where it explicitly marks and labels AIM as “Potentially dangerous because of background, emotional instability or activity in groups engaged in activities inimical to U.S” this document dates May 23 1974, not too long after the Wounded Knee Incident.
The Wounded Knee occupation was more than just a protest—it was a declaration of sovereignty and a call to action. It brought international attention to the plight of Native communities, and for a time, it seemed like the movement might achieve real change. But the aftermath of the occupation was far from peaceful.
The final event in this series is the Oglala Incident, also known as the Jumping Bull Incident, which occurred in June 1975. On the Pine Ridge Reservation, a shootout broke out between AIM members and FBI agents near the home of Henry Jumping Bull. The confrontation resulted in the deaths of two FBI agents, Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, as well as the death of AIM member Joseph Stuntz.
The FBI responded with a massive manhunt, and the reservation was effectively occupied by federal forces. The incident became a flashpoint in the government’s campaign to dismantle AIM. It also led to the arrest and imprisonment of Leonard Peltier, a prominent AIM leader, who was convicted of aiding and abetting in the deaths of the FBI agents. Peltier’s case remains one of the most controversial in Native American history, with many believing he was wrongly convicted and has spent decades behind bars as a political prisoner.
These events—the Trail of Broken Treaties, the BIA takeover, Wounded Knee, and the Oglala Incident—were defining moments in the struggle for Native rights. They exposed the deep-seated injustices faced by Indigenous communities and highlighted the resilience and determination of those fighting for their sovereignty and way of life. While the U.S. government succeeded in silencing some voices and dismantling AIM’s national influence, the legacy of these events continues to inspire Indigenous activism to this day.
[Short Pause]
Next Episode: The American Indian Movement: “Survival Schools, the history of AIM’s Native American Schools”
[Upbeat Outro Music Starts Playing]
Host (Over Music):
"Thanks again for tuning in. Until next time, take care, stay amazing, and Bye for now!"
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