Red Power Movement: Rise of the American Indians - Research Paper Example

 Red Power Movement: Rise of the American Indians Introduction The term ‘red power’ is almost synonymous with the name Vine Deloria, an Indian American activist and writer, who had in 1970 proudly proclaimed “this country was a lot better off when the Indians were running it” (cited in Josephy, Nagel and Johnson, 1). This phrase actually denotes the rise of a feeling of pride and consciousness, pertaining to self identity and ethnic roots, amongst the Native American Indians, that was seen during the late 1960s and 70s. The chief catalyst that ignited this Red Power movement was the capture of an abandoned federal prison in the island of Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, in 1969, by a small group of 89 Indian American students with demands to create a cultural and educational centre with federal funds. Though this movement soon lost its initial impetus, it however created a long lasting effect on the Native American people and came to be regarded as one of the pioneer movements in the series of fights and protests in the freedom war, that later ensued amongst the Indian Americans. This article will review this Indian-American movement known as Red Power, which fought to gain independence and instill a sense of self identity amongst the Native Americans. It will the briefly outline the precursors that led to this movement, explore the various incidents and activities that marked its evolution, and discuss the effects that this Red Power had during its peak period, and the implications that it may have on us today. Body The forcible occupation of the deserted prison on the Alcatraz island by a handful of students, marked the start of a decade long movement by Indian activists, which later became famous as the ‘Red Power’. This occupation of the federal prison occurred on the 20th of November 1969, by around 89 college students who called themselves by the name “Indians of all Tribes”. This occupation was done under the terms and conditions as laid down by the ‘Sioux Treaty’ signed in 1868, where the native Indians were given rights to all properties of the federal government, that were lying unused. The demands that the students raised were for a multifarious center for cultural and educational activities for the native population. For the next one and a half year, as long as it lasted, this place was occupied by around 100 members of the occupying forces, while scores of Native Americans from various tribal groups visited them daily to lend their support and show solidarity with the forcible occupation. The Red Power movement was inspired by the ‘Black Power Movement’ and came right at the heels of the latter. The various organizations that started this movement were more vehement than the blacks, in rejecting the white dominated goals of assimilation and asserted themselves to ‘recover and preserve their language, rituals, and crafts and this renewal of pride in traditional culture has also fostered a separatist political movement” (Boxill, 387). The entire movement was led by the Native American Civil Rights Council and the American Indian Movement (AIM) group, which was formed in 1968 and was based in Minneapolis. The group of young urban militant members of AIM mainly represented the urban American Indian population, and served to fight for Indian causes, albeit only within cities. They monitored the various legal enforcement systems and highlighted those cases that spoke of police atrocities and undue harassment. Soon many educational hubs, churches and other centers for various social activities were opened under their supervision, leading to the establishment of a completely new chapter in the lives of theses ethnic/ tribal people. During the time of this movement, we also notice a huge change in the perspective of the young natives, as they moved closer to their elderly population, in an effort to learn more about their culture and traditions. So it was almost like a reawakening of the sense of pride and a revelation in the finding one’s own identity by going back to the very roots, which was seen amidst the young American Indian brigade of the late sixties and seventies. “Along with Red Power came Red Pride, as people discovered their heritage in language, art and spirituality. Younger people, especially, began increasingly to embrace the teachings of their elders” (Prtizker, xiv). The 1970s were seen as the most volatile years of this movement and there were protests both in the cities, and on Reservations issues. The young brigade declared resistance against the old tribal leaderships who all maintained an accommodating attitude towards the federal government. These young people bound together by the spirit of newly found sense of nationalism, decided to fight for their rights and reservation. “Activists focused on American Indian nationalism, especially on wrestling control over reservation life away from the bureau of Indian affairs, its American Indian representatives, and corporations, and on winning back lost lands”(Teresa and Matthei, 52). The Native American women also took part in the movement and made their presence felt by establishing many alternative schools that imparted education in native languages and instilled age old Indian culture and traditions, and also taught ways of defying the domination of the white people. The ideologies that spurred this intense feeling made the natives realize their own values in their inheritance, and that “endangered resources to be preserved, maintained and revitalized by the renewal of history and community” (Nagel, 158). The year 1968 proved to be the most important year in the history of the entire Red Power movement. After the prison in Alcatraz was taken over in 1968, the entire movement got the impetus to reorganize and move ahead. Soon in October 1972, many thousands of Native Americans under the leadership of the AIM, followed the ‘Trail of Broken Treaties’ and marched to Washington DC. Again in 1973 hundreds of Native Americans occupied the place famously known as the “Wounded Knee”, where the massacre of 1890 had taken place, and held on to it as a sign of protest. In other places there were forced occupations of white controlled work areas, by the Native Americans. In 1978 the ‘Longest Walk’ was one of the last major events of this Red Power movement. Unlike the early 70s, which had seen violent skirmishes between the natives and the government agencies, this event was more of a spiritual and peaceful nature. It heralded the end of a movement that had “come full from the festive Alcatraz days, through a cycle of violent confrontation, to the spiritual unity that marked the end of the longest walk” (Josephy, Nagel and Johnson, 2). After this event the tribal fights for equality and justice has moved into courts and other government portals. The significance of this entire movement was that it jolted the American Indians awake from their many-centuries long slumber, and made them realize their value in terms of their own inherited culture and tradition, and also take stock of the injustice meted out to them by the whites for so many years. This spirit of fighting for their own rights still goes on today, as the Indian American activists still try to get back their lands like the Black Hills, work out parts of treaties signed but never fulfilled, and also protect their ancient burial and other sacred ground rights. Today, the Native Americans are better integrated into the wider American social structure, than they were before the red power movement. This movement brought forth for the first time, the problems that these people were facing. It also made the whites accept that there had indeed been many instances where these natives had been treated unfairly. Even if all their demands have not been met with yet, but the process of coming to an understanding has been started, and the fight is still on. Conclusion The native Indian Americans began the “red power movement…to seek the return of native lands, validate tribal customs and ensure greater power to self govern” (Norton et al., 847). It took its impetus from the Black movement and went onto stage some violent protests, which eventually ensured that they get some of their dues from the government that had heretofore ignored their Right to Freedom and Justice. The fight for rights and independency still goes on, as activists ask for the fulfillment of treaties and sanctions promised long back, but forgotten at convenience. Without this movement, one thing is for sure, that the native Indian American population would still be reeling under unfair, exploitive white dominance till date. Works cited Amott T. and Matthaei, J. Race, gender, and work: a multi-cultural economic History of women in the United States. Quebec: South End Press, 1996. Print. Boxill, B. Race and Racism. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. Print. Josephy, A., Nagel, J. and Johnson, T. Red power: the American Indians' fight for freedom. Nebraska: U of Nebraska Press, 1999. Print. Nagel, J. American Indian ethnic renewal: Red power and the resurgence of identity and culture. New York: Oxford University Press US, 1997. Print. Norton, M., et al. A People and a Nation: A History of the United States: Since 1865, Volume II. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Pritzker, B. A Native American encyclopedia: history, culture, and peoples, Volume 1998. New York: Oxford University Press US, 2000. Print. Read More