The Death of Anna Mae Aquash

[Keith Millea]

http://www.aimovement.org/moipr/onrussellmeans.html


AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT GRAND GOVERNING COUNCIL
PRESS CONTACT: MINISTRY FOR INFORMATION
P.O. Box 13521
Minneapolis MN 55414
612/ 721-3914 . fax 612/ 721-7826
Email: aimggc@worldnet.att.net
Web Address: www.aimovement.org

PRESS STATEMENT
February 20, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TO ALL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS WORLDWIDE

On Sunday February 7, 1999 the Minneapolis Tribune and other news organizations nationwide carried a story filed by the Association Press Boston, MA Bureau entitled "Case Tests Legitimacy of Indian Courts"

In this article the Associated Press, again, erroneously identifies Russell Means as a "Long time leader of the Minneapolis-based American Indian Movement." This is not the first time that this has happened (see attachments, AP story filed on January 8, 1988 by their Fresno, California Bureau, and response from the American Indian Movement's Ministry for Information). This former personality who was previously associated with AIM resigned from the American Indian Movement at least six (6) times, the latest on January 8, 1988.
The American Indian Movement's Grand Governing Council repudiates Russell Mean's challenge to the jurisdiction and authority of the Dine (Navaho) Nation's Criminal Courts. His recent reckless mis-representation of the American Indian Movement's well established position supporting the sovereign authority and powers of Indian nation's governments plays into the hands of all the anti-Indian forces that want to erode the sovereignty of Indian nations.

In 1972 during the historic "Trail of Broken Treaties Campaign" (see AIM Archives in AIM's official website at aimovement.org) to Washington DC, the Denver Chapter of the American Indian Movement under the leadership of Alice Black Horse, Hunkpapa Dakota; Rod Skenandore, Blackfeet/Oneida; and Vernon Bellecourt, Ojibwe/Anishinabe, designed a bumper sticker entitled, "AIM for Sovereignty." This was long before any of our Indian or non-Indian writers, educators, academics, intellectuals, or tribal leaders understood the concept of sovereignty as it relates to the powers and authority of tribal governments and true self-determination.

Sovereignty, of course, has become the basis of all forms of development, be it the strengthening of Indian governments, court systems, law enforcement, educational institutions, and, yes, casinos and bingo halls which brought about an infusion of much needed capital and all forms of economic development. Today many of our tribal leaders and Russell Means have either forgotten or never understood this reality. They think that everything fell from the sky like mana. Perhaps one day someone, somewhere will say Megwitch (thank you) to the many sacrifices of the American Indian Movement.

The American Indian Movement has always supported all sovereign Indian nation's absolute authority and jurisdiction over all Indians and non-Indians alike who violate the laws of any sovereign native nation, be it the Dine (Navaho) Nation, or the Oglala Lakota Nation of which Russells Means is a member.

What is especially egregious, and outrageous about Russell Mean's violations of the laws of the Dine Nation is that he is charged with assault and battery against his father-in-law, Mr. Leon Grant who is a revered elder of both the Omaha and Dine Nation and is 80 years of age and has an artificial arm. We, of the American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council are no longer surprised by Russell's clownish antics. He continues to deceitfully mis-represent the American Indian Movement in order to deceive those peoples and organizations worldwide, who due to their goodwill, and support of the Indian cause may have already, or will contribute to his appeal through his personal web page where he solicits money for the Russell Means Philanthropy and AIM Club Membership in name of the American Indian Movement, and an "Immersion Indian School" that never existed, nor does it exist at this time.
Additionally, this is the same Russell Means who as Director of the Cleveland American Indian Movement filed a legitimate nine (9) million dollar lawsuit naming as defendant, Richard Jacobs, and the Cleveland Baseball Franchise due to their chief wahoo logo that promotes racism against Indian people.

Upon his first resignation from the Cleveland American Indian Movement, he directed his predecessor, Jerome Weitzel, a caucasion American, a wannabee now known as Jerome War Cloud whom on April 19, 1983 settled the suit out of court for $35,000, or 35,000 pieces of silver. When asked where the money went, Jerome Weitzel was very evasive as to where his $15,000 went, but divulged that Russell Means also received $15,000 which Russell now says went to a survival school which neither he, nor we, can substantiate. If it were not for the fact that this settlement agreement is so ridiculous that it would not be upheld in any court, it would undermine the work of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, and all others working on this issue.

From Attachment 1

Bellecourt also critized Means' 1995 autobiography, "Where White Mean Fear to Tread," in regard to its history of AIM. "Not one of the people in the movement was asked by Means' co-author, Marvin J. Wolf to confirm Means' version of events," Bellecourt said.
"It's a very reckless book. It puts out a lot of inaccuracies and petty attacks on people that are seen as very divisive." Bellecourt also sought to distance AIM from what he described as Means' recent forays into conservative politics. In the 1980's means traveled to Nicaragua to help rebel bands of Miskito Indians who were allied with the anti-revolutionary Contras. Means was being manipulated by reactionary elements under the guise of patriotism," Bellecourt said. He believes Means has allied himself with reactionary elements who seek to discredit AIM, a campaign which goes back, in one form or other, to the Nixon administration.
"We don't take any joy in seeing this happen to a man who at one time was very active in the movement, but obviously whose vision has taken him on another direction," Bellecourt said. "We have to disassociate ourselves from this kind of behavior...A lot of people feel, at this point, that Russell Means really needs some help." (See Council on Security and Intelligencepage).
AIM Grand Governing Council

From Attachment II

In 1985, he again resigned from Yellow Thunder Camp in the Black Hills stating, quote, "I'm tired babysitting Yellow Thunder Camp," and that he was going to go on to other interests. Those interests was to align himself with Ward Churchill, Glen Morris, and Brooklyn Rivera of the CIA-sponsored Miskito Indian faction of the contras, as well, Elliot Abrams, and the Reagan Administration's war against the Nicaraguan people of which the Miskito Indian people, and all Nicaraguans are the principal victims. During this time he went on a nationwide speaking tour sponsored by the Unification Church of the Reverend SunYung Moon, speaking to right wing audiences. The same groups who are totally opposed to Indian treaty, political, jurisdiction, water, natural resources, and territorial rights.