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Dennis Banks
Born an Anishinaabe on Leech Lake Indian Reserve in northern Minnesota. Earned an associate’s degree from the University of California, Davis. He taught at Stanford University. Co-founded American Indian Movement (AIM). Wanted to protect Indian civil rights -
Occupation of Alactraz
According to the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) between the U.S. and the Sioux, all land that was not in use was returned to the Native people, from whom it was stolen from. Since Alcatraz was retired in 1963 and, was excess government land, a number of activists believed the island qualified for reclamation by the Natives. This inspired other Pan-Indian movements to occur -
Occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in Washington, DC
Increasing demand for treaties enforcing rights of Native American Indians. A group of 500 Native Americans apart of the AIM took over the BIA building. The protesters vandalized the building because they felt the government was not listening to them. This resulted in $700,000 in damage. Many records were destroyed in the process, involving treaties and deeds, which set back some tribes many years -
Founding of AIM
AIM formed to address American Indian civil rights issues such as sovereignty, treaty issues, spirituality, and leadership, while it also addressed specific events such as police harassment. The “Longest Walk” (1978) and the “Longest Walk 2” (2008) were walks across the country meant to raise awareness of anti-indian legislation and promote ideas that they wanted to protect. AIM has successfully brought lawsuits against the federal government for the protection of Native American rights. -
Occupation of Wounded Knee by Oglala Sioux
200 Oglala Sioux and other followers took of the town for protesting reasons. The Oglala and AIM activists had control over Wounded Knee for 71 days, while law enforcement agencies such as the US Marshals Service and FBI contained the area. This resulted in the increase of violence in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation -
Cobell v. Salazar and the Claims resolution act
A class-action lawsuit brought by representative of the Native Americans to the US federal government claiming that the government had incorrectly accounted for the money owed to Native Americans in trust assets. The case settled in giving back $3.4 billion to the Natives. $2 billion of the settlement was used to purchase land that was distributed in the Dawes Act, the rest was given to the Natives.
