Book Review on Russell Means
Whether we agree
with the politics of the American Indian Movement or not, a new book entitled Where
White Men Fear to Tread, The Autobiography of Russell Means (New York: Martins
Press 1995) gives an important perspective on a form of Indian leadership in
contemporary times. Additionally, the
book gives Means a venue to tell his side of the story on how AIM operated
during a period of reawakening for Indian people. Modern writings such as the Means book are needed
to give a balanced account of the turbulent years of the radical 1960 and
1970s. It was a time where life changed
drastically for all Indian people.
Means, no doubt, was a much criticized man of
his generation. He was criticized not
only for his revolutionary tactics and grandstanding but also his perceived
ego-trip at the expense of the masses.
These charges, warranted or not, are addressed to a degree in his book. Personalities aside, the book covers a
critical time in the lives of Indian people.
The movement opened up the eyes of many Indian people and more than a
few closed doors. It was a time when
Indian people decided they were no longer satisfied with the status quo and
were ready to follow anyone to change society.
The Indian people had long been acclimated to
years of exploitation, racial prejudice, blatant BIA politics and poverty so
rampant that it defied explanation. It
was a time for change. All of these numerous factors extended to the
reservation and the urban Indian. In
fact, one of the original purposes of the AIM group was to stop the terror
tactics of the Minneapolis police force where beating up a drunken Indian was
considered a sport.
This scenario was
comparable in towns bordering Indian reservations where the treatment was the
same from narrow-minded, racist police forces.
Changes started to
happen elsewhere in America when groups such as the Black Power and Woman’s
Liberation Movement decided to stand up for their collective rights, which
started a chain reaction in minority circles.
In Indian country,
people like Russell Means too decided they had enough of the daily
mistreatment. Thus, Russell Means was
viewed as a reactionary, but was he really?
Or was it the only method?
Whether we can give Russell Means, Dennis Banks or Clyde Bellcourt any
credit for this dramatic change because of their often confrontational
politics, it nonetheless happened.
Means’ early life was
not much unlike that of many of the rest of Indian people—a roller coaster ride, for sure. He grew up poor on an Indian
reservation where he encountered racial prejudice, lived in poverty and in an
alcoholic home, and attended schools where teachers did not care if Indians
learned or not.
Means experienced
several divorces and openly admitted a problem with alcohol. Later he experienced all the frustration of
trying to work in the white world where he found advancement was a word that
did not include Indians. Sound
familiar? All these factors played a
huge role in Means’ political evolution.
But, the whole book
was not all about Means. One strong area
of this writing was the coverage of the bits and pieces of different tribes’
oral traditions and history. This alone
made the book worth reading. Starting
with the creation of the Indian Center in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1960s, Means
used his organizing ability to get a center established that provided needed
services for the Indian people in that city.
Shortly afterwards, Means met the leaders of AIM, “all dressed up like Indians”
at a conference in San Francisco, and his life changed forever, both at home
and in his career. Means joined the ranks of Clyde Bellcourt and Dennis Banks
and soon became part of the inner circle of AIM.
In the book, Means
described what AIM stood for: they spoke
out against the injustices of the past, especially all the land grabs; they
challenged Christianity, colonialism and pointed out how the BIA had achieved a
slightly privileged class of colonial administrators. In his indictment of tribal councils, Means
referred to them as “hang around the fort Indians” and “to live a better life
than the rest of the people, they would do literally anything the BIA told them
to do.”
Sometimes the truth
hurts and this message was met with severe resistance from the BIA, tribal
governments and many Indian people. The
book gives an in-depth analysis of his experiences in this regard. Since the
message was often delivered in a militant manner, many Indian people did not want
to listen or enlist in the cause.
This didn’t prevent
AIM from recruiting a good following of Indian people who believed it was the
time for change, and it was. Indians
from all over the country followed Means and AIM to protests in small racist
towns in South Dakota, large cities, the takeover of Wounded Knee, and to the
top of Mount Rushmore to deliver the message that Indians were not going to
take unfair treatment anymore. AIM grew
in strength over the years but not without internal power struggles, which was
a drawback for the needed united front of a movement. The book describes the antagonism between the
leaders of AIM. For instance, solving an
argument with a gun was not out of the question. And the many other power struggles, no doubt,
prevented more goals from being reached.
As expected, the leaders of AIM had to put up
with persecution from tribal governments, local police and the court systems.
If it were not for lawyers like Larry Leventhal and Bill Kunstler putting in
long hours in their defense, the AIM leaders would have sat in jail for years.
But getting “pro-bono” work from top notch lawyers is not an option available
for the rest of Indians.
Another aspect of the
book gives Means’ side of the story in Longest Walk of 1978—a protest to bring
national attention to Indian problems—to counter the charges that he only
participated at the end of the walk for publicity. Means may not be the most popular Indian to
ever come down the trail, but the book is a must read to get one version of
Indian leadership in modern times and how obstacles are thrown in the path of
change.
