The American Indian Movement

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American Indians once lived a prosperous and full life, relying on the bounty of land and nature. Colonization by white settlers disrupted this peaceful existence, uprooting tribes from their land and forcing them to assimilate to new cultural and religion views. Years of mistreatment and abuse led to the organization of the American Indian Movement to fight for their rights and liberty. Through the AIM, Indians attempted to gain recognition and spread knowledge of their culture and heritage to American citizens in order to attain a place in society. Leaders of the AIM created a manifesto of change in 1972 which listed goals they wanted to meet under three broad categories: economic, social and political. While the AIM was organized in response to the lack of basic rights and oppressive nature of the US government, their goals have yet to be met with any long term success.

The Wounded Knee Massacre politically altered the relationship between American Indians and the US government with long lasting repercussions. The massacre took place roughly one hundred years before the AIM was formed , on December 29, 1890, as the last battle of the American Indian war, a massacre took place at the Lakota Pine Ridge reservation near South Dakota. The US 7th Calvary intruded upon the reservation as a means to disarm the Lakota of their rifles. It is speculated that a deaf tribal man refused to give his rifle to American authorities, in response the Calvary point blank shot the man leading to chaos as the few Lakota warriors shot out as a defense mechanism before they were quickly outnumbered. (Nelson) The definition of a massacre is a killing of many unresisting human beings under circumstances of aristocracy. The incident at Wounded Knee is...

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...ribal Indians had to face yet once time passed, all was forgotten and now American Indians continue to be oppressed yet they are not speaking or activating on their struggles as they once did.

The American Indian Movement had both positive and negative effects on the community and liberty of the Indian tribes and people. Protests, and arguments became a way of unitement among tribes while also enforcing hope and strength to the oppressed Indians. Their will to fight became a new found hope and without that hope, the movement would not have succeed. The AIM's perseverance led to national knowledge of the issue which therefore led to governmental help thus creating a less oppressed and cruel nature for American Indians. Although the American Indian movement was not perfect it provided hope and helped to minimize the daily injustices American Indians were facing.

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