Shizhé'é (my father) 1970. The buttons on his hat say “Indian Power.” This was the summer of the AIM (American Indian Movement) occupation of Alcatraz. My dad was 18.
Even with the backlash spawned by them, the liberation and civil rights movements of 50+ years ago left America a better place.
"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."
I first learned of AIM through the amazing book "In The Spirit of Crazy Horse". Most folks in this country have no idea how much Native Americans have been shafted since...well, since Europeans showed up. In the 20th Century alone with forced relocation of children to "schools", forced sterilization of women and the neglect of the Reservations. I do what I can to help Leonard Peltier, but it will never be enough.
I grew up in San Francisco in the 60s and 70s. When I was a kid, we took a ferry tour of the Bay. When we went past Alcatraz, there were a couple of guys sitting on the rocks between the buildings and the water, watching the boats go past.
My dad explained that the prison was being occupied, and probably why, but I was like ten so I don't.remember yhe details. What I remember is waving to them, and one of them waved back at the white kid on the boat.
Your dad was (is, I hope) a bad-ass, and positively affected at least one person with his actions. That was when I started learning about the suffering of Native people and started realizing that yes it does happen here (whatever bad 'it' you might come up with).
L0st_in_the_Stars on March 3rd, 2021 at 01:46 UTC »
Even with the backlash spawned by them, the liberation and civil rights movements of 50+ years ago left America a better place.
"Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."
Frederick Douglassmyfrigginagates on March 3rd, 2021 at 01:55 UTC »
I first learned of AIM through the amazing book "In The Spirit of Crazy Horse". Most folks in this country have no idea how much Native Americans have been shafted since...well, since Europeans showed up. In the 20th Century alone with forced relocation of children to "schools", forced sterilization of women and the neglect of the Reservations. I do what I can to help Leonard Peltier, but it will never be enough.
FaintDamnPraise on March 3rd, 2021 at 02:45 UTC »
I grew up in San Francisco in the 60s and 70s. When I was a kid, we took a ferry tour of the Bay. When we went past Alcatraz, there were a couple of guys sitting on the rocks between the buildings and the water, watching the boats go past.
My dad explained that the prison was being occupied, and probably why, but I was like ten so I don't.remember yhe details. What I remember is waving to them, and one of them waved back at the white kid on the boat.
Your dad was (is, I hope) a bad-ass, and positively affected at least one person with his actions. That was when I started learning about the suffering of Native people and started realizing that yes it does happen here (whatever bad 'it' you might come up with).