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| {{verify|date=December 2008}} | {{verify|date=December 2008}} | ||
| The phrase "'''Red Power'''", attributed to ], commonly expressed a growing sense of pan-Indian identity in the late 1960s. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| The major catalyst of Red Power was the ] on ] in ] on ], ]. A group of 89 Indians, identifying themselves as "Indians of All Tribes", claimed the island according to the terms of an ] ] treaty that gave Indians rights to unused ] on Indian land. The group demanded federal funds for a multifaceted cultural and educational center. For the next year and a half, an occupation force averaging around 100 and stream of visitors from |
The major catalyst of Red Power was the ] on ] in ] on ], ]. A group of 89 Indians, identifying themselves as "Indians of All Tribes", claimed the island according to the terms of an ] ] treaty that gave Indians rights to unused ] on Indian land. The group demanded federal funds for a multifaceted cultural and educational center. They were visited by and inspired the members of the ] (AIM), who, on ] 1970, led a protest on the ] by painting ] red. For the next year and a half, an occupation force averaging around 100 and a stream of visitors from numerous tribes celebrated the occupation of Alcatraz. Although the protesters ultimately failed to achieve their specific goals, they had an enormous impact on the Indian community. With the occupation of Alcatraz, a participant testified, "we got back our worth, our pride, our dignity, our humanity." | ||
| ⚫ | At the forefront of this movement was '''AIM''', or the ], which was founded in 1968. Its members represented mainly urban ], and its leaders were young and militant. Like the ] and ], AIM was initially organized to work for civil rights in cities. They monitored law enforcement practices, and worked to highlight and prevent police harassment and brutality. AIM soon played a major role in building a network of ] centers, churches and ]s and in establishing the "]" that publicized news of protest activities across the country. Skillful in attracting attention from the news media, AIM quickly inspired a plethora of new publications and local chapters. Many young Indians turned to their elders to learn tribal ways, including traditional dress and spiritual practices. | ||
| ⚫ | The 1960s also marked the beginning of an "]" in literature. New books |
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| ⚫ | The 1960s also marked the beginning of an "]" in literature. New books ush as ]'s '']'' (1969) and the classic '']'' (1961), reprinted from the 1930s, reached millions of readers inside and outside Indian communities. A wide variety of ], ], and ], such as ]-winning ] and ], followed up these successes. Fiction and nonfiction works about Indian life and lore continued to attract a large audience. | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| Paul Chaat Smith and Robert Allen Warrior. 1996. Like a hurricane: The Indian movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee. New York: The New Press. | Paul Chaat Smith and Robert Allen Warrior. 1996. ''Like a hurricane: The Indian movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee''. New York: The New Press. | ||
| * |
*, ''Indian Activism'', pbs.org. | ||
| {{US-hist-stub}} | {{US-hist-stub}} | ||
Revision as of 14:45, 10 November 2009
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The phrase "Red Power", attributed to Vine Deloria Jr., commonly expressed a growing sense of pan-Indian identity in the late 1960s.
The major catalyst of Red Power was the occupation of the deserted federal prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay on November 20, 1969. A group of 89 Indians, identifying themselves as "Indians of All Tribes", claimed the island according to the terms of an 1868 Sioux treaty that gave Indians rights to unused federal property on Indian land. The group demanded federal funds for a multifaceted cultural and educational center. They were visited by and inspired the members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), who, on Thanksgiving 1970, led a protest on the East Coast by painting Plymouth Rock red. For the next year and a half, an occupation force averaging around 100 and a stream of visitors from numerous tribes celebrated the occupation of Alcatraz. Although the protesters ultimately failed to achieve their specific goals, they had an enormous impact on the Indian community. With the occupation of Alcatraz, a participant testified, "we got back our worth, our pride, our dignity, our humanity."
At the forefront of this movement was AIM, or the American Indian Movement, which was founded in 1968. Its members represented mainly urban Indian communities, and its leaders were young and militant. Like the Black Panthers and Brown Berets, AIM was initially organized to work for civil rights in cities. They monitored law enforcement practices, and worked to highlight and prevent police harassment and brutality. AIM soon played a major role in building a network of urban Indian centers, churches and philanthropic organizations and in establishing the "powwow circuit" that publicized news of protest activities across the country. Skillful in attracting attention from the news media, AIM quickly inspired a plethora of new publications and local chapters. Many young Indians turned to their elders to learn tribal ways, including traditional dress and spiritual practices.
The 1960s also marked the beginning of an "Indian Renaissance" in literature. New books ush as Vine Deloria Jr.'s Custer Died for Your Sins (1969) and the classic Black Elk Speaks (1961), reprinted from the 1930s, reached millions of readers inside and outside Indian communities. A wide variety of Indian novelists, historians, and essayists, such as Pulitzer Prize-winning N. Scott Momaday and Leslie Silko, followed up these successes. Fiction and nonfiction works about Indian life and lore continued to attract a large audience.
See also
References
Paul Chaat Smith and Robert Allen Warrior. 1996. Like a hurricane: The Indian movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee. New York: The New Press.
- "Alcatraz Is Not an Island", Indian Activism, pbs.org.
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