Background
Clyde Bellecourt was born on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota in 1939. His Ojibwe name is Nee-gon-we-way-we-dun which means "Thunder Before the Storm. "
(The American Indian Movement burst onto the scene in the ...)
The American Indian Movement burst onto the scene in the late 1960s as indigenous people across the country began to demand what is rightfully theirs. Clyde Bellecourt, whose Ojibwe name translates as The Thunder Before the Storm, is one of its cofounders and iconic leaders. This powerful autobiography provides an intimate narrative of his childhood on the White Earth Reservation, his long journey through the prison system, and his embodiment of confrontation politics in waging war against entrenched racism. Bellecourt is up-front and unapologetic when discussing his battles with drug addiction, his clashes with other AIM leaders, his experiences on the Trail of Broken Treaties and at Wounded Knee, and the cases of Leonard Peltier and murdered AIM activist Anna Mae Aquash. This gritty, as-told-to memoir also uncovers the humanity behind Bellecourts militant image, revealing a sensitive spirit whose wounds motivated him to confront injustice and to help others gain a sense of pride by knowing their culture. The Thunder Before the Storm offers an invaluable inside look at the birth of a national movement?the big personalities, the creativity, and the perseverance that were necessary to alter the course of Native and American history.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1681340194/?tag=2022091-20
Clyde Bellecourt was born on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota in 1939. His Ojibwe name is Nee-gon-we-way-we-dun which means "Thunder Before the Storm. "
Clyde Bellecourt was one of the founders of a national activist organization called the American Indian Movement (AIM) and a powerful force in major activist struggles of the early 19706. AIM was founded by Dennis Banks, George Mitchell, and Bellecourt, all Ojibwa, in 1968. On February 27, 1973, they and other leaders led an armed occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, after Dee Brown's book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1971) had established the site as a nationally recognized symbol. Bellecourt also helped draft twenty demands that were put before the government during the Indian occupation of a Bureau of Indian Affairs building in 1972. Among other things, the protestors demanded a separate government for Indians, the restoration of Indian lands, the renegotiation of all treaties, and a special agency in Washington, D. C. , for the reconstruction of Indian communities. While the White House did not meet these demands, the government established a task force to meet with the protest leaders and promised to make no arrests for the occupation. In December 1993 at an AIM conference, a tribunal was established to investigate charges against Bellecourt and his brother, Vernon. In November of 1994, the tribunal released its verdict: the brothers were found guilty of eight crimes, including collaboration with the U. S. government and drug related activity. As punishment, the two were banned from AIM for life. Clyde and Vernon-key members of the National American Indian Movement, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota-responded by calling the charges "ridiculous" and "slanderous. " They named Russell Means, Ward Churchill, and Glen Morris as instigating the matter after the Bellecourt brothers signed an open letter that expelled Churchill and Morris from National AIM. Bellecourt remains active in promoting the rights and culture of Native Americans. He is the current director of the Peacemaker Center for Indian Youth, organizer of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media, and chairman of the Board of American Indian OIC.
(The American Indian Movement burst onto the scene in the ...)
Quotations: "This generation of little children is the 7th Generation. Not just Indian children but white, black, yellow and red. Our grandfathers said the 7th generation would provide new spiritual leaders, medicine people, doctors, teachers and our great chiefs. There is a spiritual rebirth going on. "
