Russell Means and Dennis Banks

Russell Means and Dennis Banks played a significant role in the American Indian
Movement. Russell was born in South Dakota in 1939 and later joined Arizona State University
but did not finish his studies. At the age of 25 years, he organized and held a rally on Alcatraz
Island where he urged the government to consider the rights of Indian tribes in America. Means
focused on the rights of Native Americans, which led him to engage in activism activities hence
joining the Americans Indian Movement. On the other hand, Dennis Banks was born in northern
Minnesota in 1937. Be held several titles, including a teacher, writer, lecturer, and leader. Bank
acquired a degree in quasi-liberal arts from Davis University. He led a walk for justice from
Alcatraz to Washington for four months.
Both Means and Bank were leaders of the American Indian Movement in the 1960s. The
duo became the best spokespeople in the movement and led a protest that lasted for nineteen
months. In 1973, both leaders led an American Indian Movement takeover of Wounded Knee
(Andre Voigt 12). The events brought worldwide attention to injustices that Indian Americans
faced during their time, including racist treatment, unemployment, and poor housing. The
movement sought to fight for the reclamation of tribal land and treaty rights. The protests drew
the attention of the FBI and the CIA, who countered and suppressed the movement. Means and
Banks were later tried in the Minnesota court, after which they were jailed for organizing riots
(Shreve 195). The topic of these great activists is essential primarily because they helped

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understand the American Indian Movement, how it was organized, and the government’s
response towards the same. The topics also portray the movements’ importance and how much
people can achieve through protests and demonstrations.

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Works Cited

André Voigt, Matthias. “Warriors for a Nation: The American Indian Movement, Indigenous
Men, and Nation Building at the Takeover of Wounded Knee in 1973.” American Indian
Culture and Research Journal 45.2 (2021): 1-38.
Shreve, Bradley. “Making a Difference: My Fight for Native Rights and Social Justice by Ada
Deer and Theda Perdue.” Native American and Indigenous Studies 8.1 (2021): 194-195