Opinion

Richard Powers: Defending the AIM occupation

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The following was written by Richard Powers, Fond du Lac Anishnabe from Minnesota and participant of the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

In his February 25th diatribe regarding the American Indian Movement and the Oglala people’s decision to commemorate the Occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973. Tim Giago continues to profess his brand of yellow journalism by printing innuendos and omitting some relevant facts. I am not criticizing him for his views; rather I am disappointed that a man supposedly as learned as Mr. Giago is, in both the white man's world and the Indian world, would continue to distort the facts.

Mr. Giago is intent on attacking and smearing AIM, wherever, whenever and in any public forum he can. For the sake of the many Tiospayes, brothers and sisters who have laid down their lives for the struggle that AIM continues to represent, for Leonard Peltier and for the many who continue to dedicate their lives to this struggle of Indigenous Sovereignty, I am humbly attempting this response.

Giago states in his article that a group of AIM people occupied the village of Wounded Knee. He is partially correct here in that probably no more than fifty of the two hundred and fifty people who went in to Wounded Knee on February 27th, 1973 were AIM warriors who were not either Lakota or Oglala. He also forgot to mention that many relevant people from the Oglala reservation made the collective decision to go to Wounded Knee.

Among those who provided leadership and direction to the people were Oglala Lakota Headmen, Holy Men, Tribal Elders and then current Tribal Council members. Here is a short list of some of them, Frank Fools Crow, Pete Catches, Ellis Chips, Edgar Red Cloud, Jake Kills Enemy, Morris Wounded, Ellen Moves Camp, Gladys Bissonette, Vern Long, Pedro Bissonette and Severt Young Bear to name just a few of the many. Giago also failed to mention that AIM was for the most part kept out of the decision making process which was conducted by the local Traditional people from Pine Ridge. What kind of honor and respect is Giago displaying to these people and the members of these Oglala Patriot’s families who asked AIM to enter the fight?

Mr. Giago makes it appear that AIM came to Lakota Indian country to bring trouble to the local Indian population. The truth is that AIM was asked to come to South Dakota in late December of 1972 to address racism and the continuing dual standard of justice that exists for Indian people in South Dakota. AIM was requested to come to assist the family of Wesley Bad Heart Bull, who was murdered by a white man who wasn’t charged or arrested for the murder. Bad Heart Bull was murdered around the same time an Indian had killed a white woman and had the book thrown at him. On January 6th, 1973, what is known as the Custer Riot occurred, which the aftermath of brought many Lakota and other Indians from throughout the US into the Rapid City area. On February 11th seventy five US Marshals along with a contingent of FBI agents occupied the BIA building in Pine Ridge with several .50 caliber machine guns and sand bank emplacements. They would also ride around the reservation accompanied by the GOON Squad intimidating the traditional people in packs of four to ten vehicles with gangs of four heavily armed thugs in each car. They were already wearing fatigues and brandishing AR 15’s and other automatic weapons. This was a good three weeks before Wounded Knee was taken.

Most people are not aware that an illegal war conducted by the US government took place in Wounded Knee and that several hundred thousand rounds of ammunition were shot into Wounded Knee. What the government did that was illegal was to turn law enforcement into a Pentagon commanded and supplied army which the US Constitution prohibits. There were daily firefights, throughout the siege thirty eight defenders were wounded, one US Marshal was wounded, Frank Clearwater a Cherokee and Buddy LaMont a Lakota from Pine Ridge were killed in firefights with US forces.

It was war. Every night during the occupation, the US forces would send up hundreds of magnesium flares which would cause fires and burn fields and buildings down, due to the shortage of water. Much damage was done to the village no doubt during the occupation, in war zones it is a quite common occurrence. When Wounded Knee ended there were several witnesses who describe what the government agents and the goon squad did to Wounded Knee after the occupiers were arrested or melted away into history. Stella Bear Shield, who was a ninety year old resident of Wounded Knee at the time and one who stayed until it was over witnessed BIA Police and the GOON Squad trash then burn her fields and her house down. Eddie White Rabbit another Wounded Knee resident witnessed BIA cops breaking into and smashing cars up as he was getting processed out of Wounded Knee. Grace Black Elk and many others also witnessed the destruction which took place as Wounded Knee switched hands from the Indian occupiers to the forces of the federal government.

In the end Wounded Knee was left destroyed, but much of the blame for the damage must be put where it belongs and that is on the laps of Dickie Wilson, his GOON Squad and the US governments. In 1973 there was not much in Wounded Knee and what was there, the people who were from Wounded Knee and those who were part of the occupying forces needed every building and resource we could utilize. AIM may be responsible for the damage that was done at Wounded Knee, but the damage we did was a costly consequence for answering the call of assistance put out to AIM by the Traditional people of Pine Ridge and for supporting and standing up with thetTraditional element of Lakotas to over a century of murders, lies, thefts and tyranny at the hands of wasicu and those who have helped him.

As far as Giago recommending that one read FBI agent Joseph Trimbach’s book “The American Indian Mafia” for the truth on AIM, without having even seen it I know it is filled with lies and distortions. Reading Trimbach’s book and expecting to find out the truth of those times in the seventies in Indian Country, well that would be like reading a book written by George W. Bush while searching for the truth on Iraq, weapons of mass destruction, Saddam, oil and the people of Iraq, it ain’t going to happen.

Concerning the trial of John Graham, Giago is right in that on June 17th, 2008, there will take place a real trial, not one like the Americans in their kangaroo court gave Arlo Looking Cloud. There and then, hopefully the truth will prevail in the case of the murder of Anna Mae Aquash. And that the US authorities who trailed, terrorized and threatened her with death if she wouldn’t cooperate with them in their investigation of the Peltier case will finally be held responsible for her murder. I might suggest to the OST Tribal President, Mr. John Steele that he hold a referendum concerning the Wounded Knee Tribal Holiday. I think the Oglala people would vote to maintain it.

Another Response:
Johnnie Flynn: Giago's Newest Rant (Indianz.Com Message Board)

Story on Pine Ridge Holiday:
Oglala Sioux Tribe marks Wounded Knee (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 2/27)