- Born:
- November 10, 1939, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota, U.S.
- Died:
- October 22, 2012, Porcupine, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (aged 72)
Russell Means
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Who was Russell Means?
Russell Means (1939–2012) was a Native American rights activist of Oglala Lakota Sioux descent who drew national attention to the mistreatment of Native peoples. In 1964, Means began his activism when he joined his father and other Sioux in taking over Alcatraz Island.
As the American Indian Movement's (AIM) national director, Means helped organize several high-profile AIM protests during the 1970s, including the armed occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 to protest corruption in local tribal leadership and the mistreatment of Native people. Although Means left AIM in 1988, he continued his activism and advocated for Native peoples' rights in Central and South America. Some critics, however, thought that his desire for media attention detracted from his accomplishments as an activist.
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What does it mean to be an Oglala Sioux activist?
An Oglala Sioux activist is someone of Oglala Lakota Sioux descent who actively works to draw attention to and address the mistreatment of Native peoples. This can involve organizing and participating in protests, advocating for Native rights, and working to preserve and promote Oglala Sioux culture and sovereignty.
Russell Means, a prominent Oglala Lakota Sioux activist, exemplified these efforts through his involvement in the American Indian Movement (AIM). He engaged in high-profile protests, such as the occupation of Wounded Knee, to protest corruption and mistreatment of Native peoples. Means also advocated for the rights of Native peoples internationally and sought to reclaim land and sovereignty for the Lakota.
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What major issues did Russell Means fight for?
Russell Means, an Oglala Lakota Sioux activist, gained recognition for addressing the mistreatment of Native peoples. As national director of the American Indian Movement (AIM), he spearheaded protests advocating for Native rights.
Means was involved in a number of issues:
* He took part in the occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1964, asserting Sioux rights to unoccupied government land.
* He directed the takeover of a Mayflower replica on Thanksgiving Day in 1970.
* He protested atop Mount Rushmore, addressing the U.S. government's illegal seizure of the Black Hills in the 1870s.
* He led the armed occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973, protesting tribal leadership corruption and mistreatment of Native peoples.
* He protested Columbus Day parades and advocated for the rights of Native peoples in Central and South America.1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How was Russell Means involved with the American Indian Movement (AIM)?
Russell Means, an Oglala Lakota Sioux activist, became a prominent figure in the American Indian Movement (AIM) after joining in 1969 and becoming its national director.
Throughout the 1970s, Means helped organize and lead several high-profile AIM protests, including the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973, where AIM members protested against tribal leadership corruption and mistreatment of Native people. Although Means left AIM in 1988, he continued to advocate for Native rights, participating in protests and even declaring the Republic of Lakotah, an independent Native country.
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What was Russell Means’ role in the Wounded Knee Occupation of 1973?
Russell Means, an Oglala Lakota Sioux activist, played a central role in the 1973 Wounded Knee Occupation. Along with Dennis Banks, he led around 200 members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in taking over the hamlet of Wounded Knee on February 27, 1973.
Their goal was to protest the corruption in tribal leadership, address the mistreatment of Native people, and demand a review of treaties. Means and the AIM activists declared Wounded Knee the Independent Oglala Sioux Nation. The occupation lasted for more than two months, with AIM members exchanging gunfire with federal officers. Means was later put on trial for his role in the occupation, but the case was dropped due to prosecutorial misconduct.
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How did Russell Means help raise awareness of Native American rights and culture?
Russell Means, an Oglala Lakota Sioux activist, gained national recognition for addressing the mistreatment of Native peoples. As the American Indian Movement's (AIM) national director, Means organized high-profile protests, including the takeover of a Mayflower replica, a prayer vigil on Mount Rushmore, and the Trail of Broken Treaties.
Means is most known for his involvement in AIM's armed occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973, protesting tribal leadership corruption and the mistreatment of Native people. Although controversial, Means continued his activism, protesting Columbus Day and advocating for Native rights internationally. He also unsuccessfully attempted to win international recognition at the United Nations for the Republic of Lakotah, an independent Native country.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Russell Means (born November 10, 1939, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota, U.S.—died October 22, 2012, Porcupine, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation) was a Native American rights activist of Oglala Lakota descent. Means drew national attention to the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples. His bold and theatrical protests made him one of the most famous Native Americans of the 20th century.
Early life
Means was the eldest of four brothers. When he was three years old, his family moved from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to the San Francisco Bay area. As a child, he did poorly in school and got into many fights, but his academic performance improved in his teen years. After graduating from high school, he worked a variety of jobs and took some college classes but did not earn a degree.
Activism and involvement in the American Indian Movement
Means got his start in activism in 1964, when he joined his father and other Oceti Sakowin activists in a brief takeover of Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. They insisted that a treaty signed in 1868 gave the Oceti Sakowin the right to claim any “unoccupied government land.” (Another group of Indigenous activists would occupy Alcatraz from 1969 to 1971.) In 1969 Means moved to Cleveland, Ohio. There he founded the Cleveland American Indian Center, a government-supported initiative to help Indigenous people adapt to city life. During this time he met Dennis Banks, a cofounder of the American Indian Movement (AIM). AIM had been established in 1968 to advocate for Native American rights. Means soon became AIM’s national director and a prominent spokesperson for the group.
During the 1970s Means helped organize and lead several high-profile AIM protests. On Thanksgiving Day in 1970 he directed a group that took over a replica of the Mayflower in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He led a prayer vigil atop Mount Rushmore to call attention to the Oceti Sakowin claim to the Black Hills, which the U.S. government had illegally seized in the 1870s. In 1972 he took part in the Trail of Broken Treaties, a monthlong protest in which thousands of Native Americans traveled in caravans from the West Coast to Washington, D.C. The protest ended with a weeklong occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs headquarters. Means was also one of the first activists to speak out against the use of Native American-themed mascots in sports.
Means is best known, however, for his role in AIM’s armed occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973. Wounded Knee, a town on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, had been the site of a massacre of as many as 300 Lakota by U.S. troops in 1890. AIM occupied the town to protest corruption in local tribal leadership and ongoing mistreatment of Indigenous peoples by the federal government. For more than two months about 200 AIM members and their allies traded gunfire with hundreds of federal officers who had surrounded the town. Two activists were killed, and one federal marshal was seriously wounded. Means and Banks were put on trial for their roles in the occupation, but the case against them was eventually dropped due to misconduct by government prosecutors.
Means left AIM in 1988, but he continued his activism. He took part in protests against the Columbus Day parade in Denver. In 2007 he declared the Republic of Lakotah, an independent Native American country covering land in five U.S. states. He led a delegation to the United Nations in an unsuccessful attempt to win international recognition of the republic. Means also advocated for the rights of Indigenous peoples in Central and South America. In 1988 he ran for the U.S. presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party but lost to Ron Paul.
Means was a controversial figure, even within his own tribe. Some critics argued that he was too militant; they disagreed with the sometimes violent tactics he and AIM used. Others thought that his desire for media attention and fame took away from his accomplishments as an activist.
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Acting and other activities
Alongside his activism, Means worked as an actor in television and movies. In his first and most notable role, he played Chingachgook in Michael Mann’s adaptation of The Last of the Mohicans (1992). He had a small role in the Oliver Stone film Natural Born Killers (1994), and he provided the voice of Powhatan in the animated Disney film Pocahontas (1995). Means also recorded music, created artwork, and cowrote an autobiography, Where White Men Fear to Tread (1995).