Russell Means

Russell Means (1939–2012) was an Oglala Lakota activist, actor, and political leader. He became a prominent spokesman for Native American rights and a leading figure in the American Indian Movement.

American Indian Movement: A Native American civil-rights organization founded in Minneapolis in 1968. Means joined AIM in 1968 and became one of its most visible national spokesmen.
Occupation of Alcatraz: A 1969–1971 occupation of Alcatraz Island by Native American activists seeking recognition of Indigenous rights. The occupation helped build the national Native activism movement Means later represented.
Native American self-determination: The principle that Indigenous peoples should govern their communities and determine their political, cultural, and economic futures. Means’s activism demanded greater Indigenous control over land, governance, and treaty rights.
American Indian sovereignty: The inherent political authority of Indigenous nations to govern themselves and their territories. Sovereignty was central to the political demands Means advanced.
Dennis Banks: An Ojibwe activist who co-founded the American Indian Movement. Banks and Means became prominent AIM leaders, though their approaches sometimes differed.
Occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs: A 1972 takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs headquarters in Washington, D.C., by Native activists. Means was among the AIM leaders involved in the occupation and its demands.
American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council: The national leadership body of the American Indian Movement. Means served as AIM’s national director and represented the organization publicly.
Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868): An agreement between the United States and several Native nations that established the Great Sioux Reservation. Means invoked treaty obligations in disputes over Lakota land and federal authority.
Leonard Peltier: A Turtle Mountain Chippewa activist convicted of murdering two FBI agents during a 1975 Pine Ridge shootout. Means publicly supported Peltier and challenged the fairness of his prosecution.
Wounded Knee incident: A 71-day 1973 standoff between AIM members and federal authorities at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Means helped lead the occupation and became its best-known public spokesman.

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