Russell Means

[Atehequa]

Russell Means Oglala Lakota and Indian activist passed October 22, 2012 at his Porcupine South Dakota home.

Means is best remembered as one of the American Indian Movement(AIM) leaders who seized the Mayflower II on Thanksgiving Day 1970, the occupation of Mount Rushmore in 1972 along with the takeover of Washington DC’s Bureau of Indian Affairs. In 1973 He and Objibwe Dennis Banks along with a few hundred Indians were responsible for the armed takeover and occupation of Wounded Knee in response to Oglala president Dick Wilson’s heavy handed rule, misappropriation of tribal annuities and mistreatment of fellow tribal members. Surrounded by FBI agents and state police Banks, Means and other AIM members held out for over two months bringing national attention to the conditions at Pine Ridge and other Indian reservations.

Up until his death Russell Means has been an advocate for Indian rights as well as those of all indigenous people even working with the United Nations establishing offices for the International Indian Treaty Council.

In 2007 Means and other Indian activist leaders proclaimed that thousands of square miles in what is now Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, North and South Dakota, as the
Republic of Lakotah and declared it as a sovereign nation no longer beholden to the tribal governments set in place by the United States government.

Russell Means heart was with the people and he will be missed by many. May he journey well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVANRroxuOo

[Steve Plonk]

Actually, the majority of tribal leaders did not approve of Means & others declarations. The resolution did not pass. Means was a good actor & should have gotten into that field earlier. Means last political action was to endorse a chucklehead, Ron Paul, for President... No one in their right minds would approve of secession. We fought a cruel war to keep the Union together. Good thing Means finally came to his senses during the occupations & got folks to talk.

Yes, I respected the man, but I didn't like his political reactions.
It's always good to hear the rest of the story.

[Atehequa]

Actually, the majority of tribal leaders did not approve of Means & others declarations. The resolution did not pass. Means was a good actor & should have gotten into that field earlier. Means last political action was to endorse a chucklehead, Ron Paul, for President... No one in their right minds would approve of secession. We fought a cruel war to keep the Union together. Good thing Means finally came to his senses during the occupations & got folks to talk.

Yes, I respected the man, but I didn't like his political reactions.
It's always good to hear the rest of the story.

To me Paul is a chucklehead as well, but I guess Russell Means had the right to endorse anyone he wanted for whatever reason.

[Atehequa]

What is not only disturbing, but puzzling as well are those from either of the two big parties who hate independents more than each other. Perhaps Russell Means was leaning towards the lesser of three evils. There was a time here in what is now called America when the natives sided in with either Great Britain or France and later the fledgling United States. I imagine if some woodland tribe of 1756 were hostile to both the English and French, their lives would have been rather precarious.

I’m not too sure if the label ‘chucklehead’ applies to Ron Paul having had a good several conversations with the Libertarians who not only support, but seem to idolize him as well. From what I’ve gathered the Libertarians who conversed with me presented themselves as those who if their party held power here in America, non-white people would not fare all that well. Even more so than the Republicans, these Libertarians seem to want an America where white Christians are in control. I’m quite puzzled by Russell Means’ endorsement of Ron Paul. Perhaps like those Indians in the 18th century throwing in with either the English, French or white Americans, Means was siding in with who he thought would be the better ally as both the Democrats or Republicans did not seem to him as friendly. From what I know of Russell Means, he did not care all that much for either of the two big political parties.

Steve Plonk, I want you to know that my thread about Russell Means was more of a eulogy than a challenge to debate. To me not everything is a big competition and winning is less important than just being.

[Doreen Peri]

Thanks for the link and for posting the eulogy. I never had heard of him before.

I liked your statement about challenges to debate vs "just being." Seems there's a lot of debating that goes on all the time on the internet. Probably in real life, too. Not in my real life. I can't do it. I don't like debating.

Also, I like a lot of things about Ron Paul. He has a lot of oddness about his philosophies, too, though. I'm sort of a strange combination of liberal/socialist/libertarian. hah... seriously. It's an odd combination, I know.

[Steve Plonk]

Atehequa, check out the video I posted on Chief Looking Horse, whom I respect
even more because he calls for unity. I hope you & Doreen Peri, will both look at that video. Sorry, folks, I never had any use for Ron Paul, nor his views.
I think Ron Paul is worth mocking...

[Atehequa]

Greetings Steve Plonk

Chief Looking Horse ? Arvol Looking Horse ?

I don't recognize anyone by that name,

but be careful as there's both Indians and plastic shamans who misrepresent tribes and sell ceremony, some of them claiming to be friends of and minding the interests of all Indian people. Lot's of bucks to be made off misinterpretation of scared beliefs. Lot's of people get caught up in falsehoods.

You have a good weekend, Steven Plonk