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Theory Video Russell Means Testimony To Congress (Patreon)

Published:
2018-06-04 18:35:53
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

I've attached an incredible video of Russell Means' (founder of the American Indian movement) defiant testimony at Senate hearing in 1989. During the video Means clearly lays out the many ways that the United States government continues to abuse Native Americans and calls for the abolition of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as nation to nation negotiations between Native American tribes and the US government. 

-David Griscom

Files

Previews only

1989 - American Indian Activist Russell Means testifies at Senate Hearing

From the C-SPAN Video Library - Mr. Means harshly criticizes the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian leadership of reservations. Russell Means died October 22 at the age of 72. This was his first of six appearances on C-SPAN. Entire Hearing: https://www.c-span.org/video/?5987-1/overview-indian-affairs

Comments

Adam

I've previously worked in American Indian activism, so I'm automatically predisposed to be sympathetic to the ideas and efforts of indigenous people. I have no doubt that some additional context will be added, maybe on the show tonight. I am in full agreement that American Indians and indigenous peoples deserve sovereign nationhood, but I am struck by how the same arguments that are justly made by Means are rather unjustly made by libertarian and anarchist advocates. I am forced to ask myself how I can make the political argument for the nationalization of the commons when there is such a terrible history in the reservation system. I suppose the argument is that the reservation system was never designed to be a preservation of the commons, but one of deliberate deprivation of the commons under the guise of management. But that's the thing we as socialists are battling: the perception that any preservations or expansion of the commons is essentially disingenuous and is a means to deprive the public of the commons. I'm honestly interested in your thoughts.

TMBS
>>12870342

Specifically looking at Pine Ridge, where Russell Means was from, the conditions were and continue to be horrific. The land that many Native Americans have been forced into has been combed over for any resources by the American government and corporations (for example, what happened to the Navajo). Isolated from the surrounding communities, on land that is often ill-suited for farming, and regularly having to battle with local and federal governments over the right to hunt and fish, in violation of treaty agreements. There is little economic opportunity in these areas and unemployment hovers around 80%, treaty deals promised food, shelter, and healthcare, all provided in the most inefficient and despicable way, the food is inedible, the housing is in ruins, and the healthcare is difficult to access. This is no commons, the people who are reliant on the system have little to no say ov​e​r how it is managed. That was what the American Indian Movement was fighting for. It should be noted that Means has much more of a libertarian streak than his co-founder ​Dennis Banks. But Means' criticism is correct, that a system where a government holds what is necessary for survival​​l and distributes it at its own will is a system that should be destroyed. I'm not sure if this answers your question, but I hope to be able to cover this more going forward. Two great movies about AIM are: 1. A Good Day To Die (about Dennis Banks and the American Indian Movement) 2. Incident at Ogalala (about Leonard Peltier, who still is held in prison and is internationally recongizned as an American political prisoner) -David G.