by Shane Riley

Created on: January 04, 2009

THE AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT

The American Indian Movement is an activist organization based in the United States. The American Indian Movement was founded in 1968 and the mission was to help to protect American Indians, regardless of tribe affiliation, from police abuse and discriminations; they documented police brutality and other crimes committed against the American Indians. The American Indian Movement has initiated and led public protests that were aimed at advocating American Indian interests and cultural renewal. The American Indian Movement also assisted American Indians with gaining employment.

The American Indian Movement is a reformative social movement type, meaning that they sought to reform some aspects of society to help to make the quality of life a little better for American Indians. For over 200 years, "the white man," who has continuously killed and moved the American Indians off their lands that were swiped from them by "the white man", has persecuted American Indians. The American Indians have now been placed on Indian reservations provided by the U.S. government. Many Indians will say that the land the Indian reservations reside upon is worthless, unfertile land. Almost all present-day Indians still hold some degree of grudge against the U.S. government for taking their land from them.

American Indians were greatly discriminated against and they were unfairly, and most often, brutally treated by society. The American Indian Movement seeks to change the way society views and treats American Indians by direct lobbying efforts with Congress and state legislatures. When lobbying efforts failed because Congress was not sympathetic to the American Indian cause, group members began to interact directly with the public, which they believed would ensure that their message would be delivered and heard.

The American Indian Movement meant well, but their tactics were mainly on the wrong side of the law. The majority of the group members at one time had all been incarcerated within the penal systems. The U.S. government believed that the American Indian Movement was an extremist organization. On more than one occasion, the American Indian Movement was involved in domestic terrorism, (i.e. illegal bomb making, and illegal bombing.) The American Indian Movement has been at the center of much controversy ever since it's founding.

The American Indian Movement is opposed to the use of any Indian characters as mascots for sports teams, and they aggressively protest to get their voice heard on the issue. The American Indian Movement aggressively confronts government and corporate entities that marginalize American Indians. They also challenge ideological foundations and anti-Indian policies that they believe are woven into national holidays such as Columbus Day, and Thanksgiving. In their efforts to change ideologies and social policies, the American Indian Movement has broken many federal and state laws and even killed innocent people and federal agents with the FBI in the process.

I believe that people would have joined the American Indian Movement because of moral issues and ideological commitment. People who join movements due to moral issues and ideological commitment do so because they either are or do get upset about injustices that others experience and they want to help to do something about it. Some people also join movements because of a sense of outrage of what is going on. People feel that they must choose sides so they can help to right wrongs.

Learn more about this author, Shane Riley.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.