“Police harassment of Indians was the topic; the men formed an American Indian Movement Indian Patrol to cruise the streets of the section of Minneapolis where Indians congregated, watching for incidents of harassment.”(Kehoe 2006, 78)
Can you tell me some more about the AIM?
The years leading up to the establishment of the AIM, was brutal for our people. We were targeted by legislation and our culture and religion was suppressed by the government
Slidkalniņš: 2
At first it seemed like things would change because of President Johnson, but such was not the case...
“President Lyndon Johnson specifically included Indians in his War on Poverty, with a National Council on Indian Opportunity chaired by the Vice President, and the Civil Rights Act was extended to American Indians in 1968. Johnson said he wanted to stress Indian self-determination” (Kehoe 2006, 77)
Our people have always been suppressed by the Euro-Americans
Slidkalniņš: 3
It was a tough time, and we needed to show the government that we will not be disrespected like that no more
That was one the aspects we fought for, further then we used to say that: “We are striving to correct and to change, and to gain control of our own community, gain control of our schools, have some input into the city planning” (A Good Day To Die 2010, 21:10-21:24)
I heard that “AIM sought a universalistic Indian religion to legitimatize its pan-Indian ambitions. Its leaders were consciously creating, or cobbling together, a movement new but not alien to American Indians, a late-twentieth-century kind of Ghost Dance, they insisted.” (Kehoe 2006, 79)
Slidkalniņš: 4
We used religion to further our own goals as it gave remembrance to Indians of the past which resonated with the American public. “we started going to ceremonies and things. People started dressing Native, they started – I saw that on campus, we started growing our hair, it was an expression of our heritage.” (A Good Day To Die 2010, 27:23-27:37).
Religion had a major role in AIM, and we practiced it daily through ceremonies and rituals. It helped us make it through the brutal incidents.
Slidkalniņš: 5
Yes, we would do ceremonies and rituals to keep us connected to our ancestors and culture. Because even though the government tried to everything from us, then the AIM fought to keep our identity as a people.
I remember “In fact, Leonard Crow Dog actually revived the 1890 Ghost Dance ritual to express AIM’s purpose.” (Kehoe 2006, 79)
The AIM, really have a rich history, thank you
Slidkalniņš: 6
“AIM continues as a spiritual movement that encourages Native Americans to return to their traditional roots.” (A Good Day To Die 2010, 1:28:12)
How it the connection between AIM and religion today?