On December 24, 2008, a delegation of Lakota leaders delivered a message to the State Division saying that their folks had been unilaterally withdrawing from treaties signed with the US. Now not would they tolerate the federal authorities’s gross violations of those agreements; America was placed on discover that the Republic of Lakotah had been re-created. The brand new nation would concern its personal passports and driving licenses, and dwelling there can be tax-free-provided residents renounced their US citizenship. As has been the case for the previous 40 years, Russell Means, the longtime Indian-rights activist, was there, serving to see the declaration by and cosigning it. “We’re now not residents of america of America, and all those that dwell within the five-state space that encompasses our nation are free to hitch us,” he acknowledged.
Means is without doubt one of the best-known, most influential activists within the Indian neighborhood. He rose to prominence as a pacesetter of the American Indian Motion, and took part within the 1969 takeover of Alcatraz that lasted 19 months. He additionally participated in AIM’s takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs workplace in Washington, DC, and was one of many leaders within the well-known standoff between Native People and the federal government at Wounded Knee in 1973. Lately, he has directed Indian youth packages and labored vigorously to enhance the circumstances for his folks in Pine Ridge, 90.
Along with his lifelong dedication to Indian rights, Means has sought the governorship of New Mexico and battled Ron Paul for the Libertarian Occasion’s presidential nomination in 1987. He’s additionally a gifted actor who has appeared in quite a few movies, most notably Final of the Mohicans and Pure Born Killers In all his dealings, Means says that he strives “to talk from the center.” That forthrightness has generally induced controversy, however Means stays an important presence within the American Indian neighborhood.
Excessive Instances: Describe rising up as an Indian.
Russell Means: I used to be born on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, however I didn’t develop up there—I used to be 5 years previous after we moved to California. My dad labored within the protection business as a welder. Largely, I grew up in Northern California, within the Bay Space. I used to be the one Indian at San Leandro Excessive Faculty till my brother obtained there within the tenth grade. I used to be at all times very acutely aware of who I’m. I at all times have been—by my family members and prolonged household. I made continuous visits again house.
When did your activism start?
Not till after I obtained out of highschool—then the Indian-relocation program was going full swing. [The Relocation Act of 1956 provided funding to establish “job-training centers” for American Indians in various urban areas, and financed the relocation of individuals and whole families to these locales. It was coupled with a denial of funds for similar programs and economic development on the reservations themselves—in fact, those who availed themselves of the “opportunity” were usually required to sign an agreement stating that they wouldn’t return to the reservation to live there.]
I began hanging round with Indian folks on the bars in Los Angeles. The pressured relocation of American Indians from their land into city areas pressured us to get collectively as independents. They didn’t put us in particular neighborhoods; they dispersed us all through totally different ghettos and barrios. Our solely social exercise collectively can be at an area bar. However from the native bar, we fashioned athletic leagues and social occasions. That’s how we did our socializing as Indian folks. It actually opened us as much as an entire vary of various experiences in pondering from the totally different Indian peoples.
Discuss in regards to the early days of the American Indian Motion.
The American Indian Motion started in Minneapolis. Dennis Banks and Clyde Bellecourt had been the founders of AIM. We sat in a lodge room one Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis, and we’re all consuming beer and socializing, and there’s about seven or eight of us, which included a few of the ladies who had been founders. We requested questions of ourselves: Who’re we? The place did we come from? Why are we? And the place are we going? It was the consensus that we return to our respective reservations and discover out. We had been lucky that the true previous individuals who had been born within the 1800s had been nonetheless alive. They’d been raised by individuals who had been born free. None of them had been contaminated with the white man’s schooling; they’d a readability of thoughts and a purity of coronary heart. They’d our worldview intact as indigenous folks—and, after all, our personal language, our personal songs.
AIM definitely induced concern for the federal government. Have been you scared of repercussions?
No, it was an exhilarating time. Freedom is an exhilaration. I consider if in case you have concern, you’ll be able to’t be free. We come from a matriarchal society. Patriarchal societies are fear-based societies. Due to this fact, we had a head begin on the remainder of humanity, and we had no concern. We’ve got belief within the unseen, to place it a technique. The pleasure that was engendered, the self-dignity, was huge—and it unfold. It was thrilling.
Typically there was dissension throughout the AIM ranks. What induced that?
We’ve all been colonized, sadly, and to what diploma varies from particular person to particular person. These disagreements had been initiated out of misguided ego.
You turned a outstanding spokesperson, a good-looking, articulate presence—even charismatic. How do you suppose you might be perceived?
[Laughs] , I by no means considered myself as handsome. It wasn’t a consideration in my life. After I first joined AIM, a Crow man informed me: “Now that you simply’ve joined AIM, you’ve made your self a goal. Do not forget that. However at all times communicate from the center and you’ll’t go flawed.” That’s all I’ve completed my entire life is communicate from the center. Truly, our entire custom is that manner.
AIM usually staged occasions and protests that had been meant to tweak the federal government—just like the Mount Rushmore occasion, the place you and others planted a prayer employees there and renamed it “Mount Loopy Horse.”
The one factor I like within the American Indian Motion, and it was the very first thing I discovered: Don’t idiot with paperwork—go proper to the highest. Should you’re going to go to Washington, DC … determine it out. At Mount Rushmore, we went proper to the highest: These are our treaty rights, we personal that land, and we’re going proper to the highest, man! 4 white males up there, and I peed on George Washington’s head—one of many proudest moments of my life. Proper in entrance of God and everyone.
What present obstacles do Natives face?
Properly, so far as AIM is worried, the impediment has been and can at all times be america of America authorities and its subsidiaries—till it destroys itself.
Has activism modified over the previous 40 years?
There’s a really large distinction between then and now. When the civil rights motion started, it wasn’t referred to as “civil rights.” Every little thing was liberation—freedom, free speech, black freedom, ladies’s lib, homosexual liberation. Liberation, liberation! It was a good time in America. All over the place you went, all over the place you turned, folks had been speaking about liberation, and it lasted for an excellent 10 years. Whenever you’re younger, that’s a very long time.
Then the federal government threw a pair phrases in there that killed all of it: “civil rights.” Hastily, everyone lowered their sights on freedom all the way down to “I need to ask the highly effective white males for permission for a similar rights and privileges that they’ve.”
We had been now preventing for our “civil rights,” our “equality.” I don’t need to be “equal” to a white man—I don’t need to decrease myself! Who desires to be a white male when it comes to values? I come from a matriarchal society. Why ladies would need to decrease themselves is past me!
How do you view Obama?
The issue is, everyone desires freedom so long as it’s straightforward—and that’s Obama.
Truly, I’ve at hand it to the controllers of Americas. They introduced within the emperor with new garments—and the entire world all of a sudden simply modifications. Obama gives hope as a result of he’s like a preacher. People be ok with themselves. We had been the worst folks on the earth below Bush. However now we’ve obtained Obama! We’re nice People once more! Although Obama mentioned earlier than the election he’d think about invading Pakistan. And he’s not leaving Iraq—that’s the brand new Indian reservation.
Mass psychology, and it occurred in a single day! I’ve lived a really lucky life in a lucky time. In my lifetime, I witnessed this about America: Within the late ’50s, it began turning itself from a producing, productive nation right into a client nation. By the mid-’80s, it was full—a ravishing research of mass-psychological management of the lots. It was wonderful. George Orwell noticed all of it. People are so simply led, just like the slaves that they’re.
What do you suppose is the largest false impression about Native People?
There aren’t any misconceptions. There aren’t any conceptions, both—we’re out of sight, out of thoughts. And Hollywood is the second-mostracist, anti-Indian establishment in America—simply wanting the American authorities. They’ve perpetuated stereotypes, and that’s what folks consider us: We don’t have a mind, we’re nonetheless primitive. That’s why they received’t do away with these sports-team names—we’re out of sight, out of thoughts. We don’t have any energy within the white man’s world, in order that they don’t have to concentrate to us. They’ll’t be harmed politically or economically.
You will need to have distinct views on Hollywood’s Indian movies. Give us your tackle Dances with Wolves.
Keep in mind Lawrence of Arabia! That was Lawrence of the Plains. The odd factor about making that film is, they’d a girl instructing the actors the Lakota language. However Lakota has a male-gendered language and a female-gendered language. A few of the Indians and Kevin Costner had been talking within the female manner. After I went to see it with a bunch of Lakota guys, we had been laughing.
Thunderheart?
Good film … nice film. It was primarily based on the reality—however, sadly, it was fictitious. I want they’d centered extra on the story of Leonard Peltier itself.
Black Gown?
One of many worst. One of many worst! One of the anti-Indian films ever. It’s an announcement of the Jesuits.
Pathfinder, which you had been in?
Enormous disappointment. It was Marcus Nispel’s second film. He remade The Texas Chainsaw Bloodbath; it made $100 million, so he was scorching on the time. He obtained to do his ardour, which is American Indians. It’s all about violence, and there’s no story—it was a horrible, stereotypical film and, after all, it starred a white superman who taught us how you can combat, the place to go, and how you can stroll throughout ice and every thing else. The Native solid obtained collectively to alter the dialogue, however it was all lower out. It obtained panned by critics.
Final of the Mohicans?
Nice film, aside from that one scene—what I name the “African village” scene. Again earlier than black liberation took maintain on the African continent and in america, you at all times noticed the star rescuing the honest maiden within the African village, with the chieftain on his throne and his sub-chiefs round him with all their plumage on. After all, all the village is yelling for blood.
I’ll identify the films that had been good. Within the ’50s, there was Damaged Arrow, about Cochise. Within the ’60s, there was Inform Them Willie Boy Is Right here and Little Huge Man. Then there’s The Outlaw Josey Wales and Final of the Mohicans.
One of many issues Hollywood does to Indian folks is, we’re solely allowed to make two varieties of flicks:
Both we costume up in leather-based within the summertime, or we now have to be drunken, dysfunctional misfits in films like Skins or Smoke Indicators.
In January, Lakota leaders withdrew from all treaties with america. You had been on the forefront of this motion. You even referred to as some tribal councils “Vichy governments,” an allusion to French collaboration with the Nazis throughout World Battle II. Do you are feeling your rhetoric is divisive?
Hear, colonialism is divisive. Not solely in America: have a look at Guatemala, at Africa, Pakistan, India. Colonialism takes its toll. I attempt to name a spade a spade—I can’t assist it if persons are brainwashed.
What challenges does the Republic of Lakotah face?
Again within the ’80s, below Carter, this entire five-state space, which is the Republic of Lakotah, was designated as a “nationwide sacrifice space” due to its richness in coal and uranium and iron ore. The Black Hills Alliance defeated mining within the Black Hills by the lobbying of state legislators: Union Carbide, all of them—we beat these guys. That coalition was made up of Indian folks, white ranchers—pure Westerners. Now they’re gone, our previous persons are gone, and just some Indian persons are hanging on.
However there are extra battles sooner or later. We defeated the federal government pursuits as soon as with the folks of South Dakota, the landowners. And that’s what the Republic of Lakotah is all about: We need to embrace the landowners—particularly household farmers and founding ranchers—in a free nation.
The Northern Plains have been referred to as by consultants the “Saudi Arabia of wind power.” The solar shines on the Northern Plains over 300 days a 12 months. We’ve got all of this free power—we now have sufficient wind, in keeping with consultants, to gentle up each main metropolis in America 24/7, eternally.
However the coal firms management the power of the West. Some might say that it’s an unimaginable dream to combat in opposition to these guys and count on to win, however we’re going to. Folks can solely take a police state for thus lengthy, and you’ll’t mess with rural folks. As a result of rural persons are, by and huge, largely self-sufficient, or they’ve a really latest reminiscence of self-sufficiency. They’re not used to being pushed round. So they may react like we did within the ’80s in opposition to the deliberate sacrifice that opened mining within the Black Hills. I can see that by arbitration and mass psychology on this nation, they plan to colonize this rural space and the folks. That’s one more reason why the Republic of Lakotah was re-created. We will defeat them once more.
We’ve got non-Indians who’ve are available in. These are new immigrants to the Republic of Lakotah, however these are all skilled folks, very expert folks. It’s wonderful—they’re transferring right here. It’s not huge, and we wouldn’t need that, as a result of we’re rebuilding the muse of freedom. It’s going to be a free society. We’ve got our 4 main plans: well being, schooling, economics and politics.
You’ve run for tribal president in Pine Ridge 4 instances. Should you had been elected, what would your agenda be?
Freedom—outright sovereignty. If you wish to be sovereign, you must act sovereign. Freedom isn’t free. You’re free to be accountable, and if you wish to be accountable—subsequently free—it’s arduous work. Nevertheless it’s pleasurable work.
I ran on the “Freedom” ticket on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and 45 % of my individuals who voted needed freedom.
Do you intend to run once more?
No. We obtained a rustic to run.
Go to russellmeans.com or republicoflakotah.com
This text was Up to date within the July 2009 concern of Excessive Instances Journal. Subscribe right here.