American Indian Movement Trivia Quiz

Answer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The American Indian Movement (AIM) is a Native American civil rights organization founded in 1968 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AIM was established to address a wide range of issues affecting Native American communities in the United States, including social, political, and economic inequalities, as well as the preservation of Native American culture and the protection of treaty rights.

AIM was founded by a group of Native American activists, including Dennis Banks, Clyde Bellecourt, Vernon Bellecourt, and others. They were inspired by the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s.

Answer: John Trudell

John Trudell was born on February 15, 1946, on the Santee Dakota reservation in Omaha, Nebraska. His birth name was John Trudell, but he later adopted the Lakota name "Loye" meaning "The Messenger."

Trudell became the national spokesperson for AIM and used his eloquent and passionate speeches to advocate for indigenous rights, sovereignty, and self-determination. He spoke out against the injustices faced by Native American communities, including issues related to land rights, treaty violations, and cultural preservation.

AIM, as a national group, disbanded in 1978.

Answer: Three

Dino Butler and Bob Robideaux were later acquitted on the grounds of self-defense.

Leonard Peltier was tried separately after extradition from Canada. Peltier was convicted of the murders of the two FBI agents and sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison in 1977.

On February 27, 1973, AIM activists and their supporters occupied the town of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation. They chose Wounded Knee because it held historical significance as the site of the infamous Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890, in which U.S. troops killed over 150 Lakota Sioux, mostly women and children. The occupation was intended to draw attention to the issues facing Native Americans and to protest the tribal government's leadership and perceived injustices.

Answer: one

Leonard Peltier is a Native American activist who is widely known for his role in the 1975 shootout at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and his subsequent conviction and imprisonment. Peltier's case has garnered international attention and has been the subject of ongoing controversy and appeals for his release.

Peltier went into hiding and became a fugitive. He was arrested in Canada in 1976 and faced extradition to the United States.

The prosecution argued that he had killed the FBI agents during the shootout, while Peltier maintained his innocence, claiming that he had been unfairly targeted due to his activism. Many of the prosecution's key witnesses later recanted their testimonies, alleging coercion by the FBI.

Answer: Russell Means

Means is also in "Last of the Mohicans".

Russell Means was born on November 10, 1939, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He was a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe.

In addition to his activism, Russell Means pursued an acting career. He appeared in numerous films and television shows, including his notable role as Chingachgook in the 1992 film "The Last of the Mohicans", and as an un-named "old Indian" in "Natural Born Killers".

Answer: True

Means was active in the Libertarian Party since the early 1980s.

Means passed away on October 22, 2012, after battling cancer. He is remembered as a passionate advocate for Native American rights and a symbol of indigenous resistance. His legacy continues to influence discussions about indigenous rights, sovereignty, and cultural preservation.

Means' libertarian-leaning positions were often rooted in his advocacy for individual rights, self-determination, and opposition to government overreach.

Answer: Marlon Brando

He provided money to the organization for much of the 1970s until he felt disillusioned with the organization and its use of his funds.

Brando's involvement with AIM and his activism on behalf of Native American communities brought significant attention to the organization's cause and the broader issues facing indigenous people in the United States.

One of the most well-known instances of Brando's advocacy for AIM occurred during the 45th Academy Awards ceremony in 1973. Brando won the Oscar for Best Actor for his role in "The Godfather." Instead of attending the ceremony in person, he sent a Native American activist and actress named Sacheen Littlefeather to decline the award on his behalf. Littlefeather delivered a statement explaining that Brando was boycotting the ceremony to protest the treatment of Native Americans in the film industry and in the broader society.

Answer: Ramsey Clark

Ramsey Clark was an American lawyer, activist, and public servant who served as the 66th Attorney General of the United States from 1967 to 1969 under President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Clark was born on December 18, 1927, in Dallas, Texas. He came from a politically active family; his father, Tom C. Clark, served as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Ramsey Clark attended the University of Texas and earned a law degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

Ramsey Clark passed away on April 9, 2021.

Answer: Leonard Peltier

The poem can be found in Peltier's book "Prison Writings: My Life is My Sundance".

The book was published in 1999 and is a collection of Peltier's writings, including letters, essays, and reflections, during his incarceration.

Peltier wrote "Prison Writings" while serving two consecutive life sentences in federal prison for his role in the 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, in which two FBI agents were killed.

Answer: Prison

AIM emerged during a period of significant social and political upheaval in the United States, as various marginalized groups were advocating for their rights and equality. AIM's primary goal was to address long-standing issues of social and political injustice faced by Native Americans and to promote the rights and cultural preservation of Indigenous peoples.

AIM was organized by American Indian men (Clyde Bellecourt, Vernon Bellecourt Dennis Banks, Eddie Benton-Banai, and George Mitchell) who had been serving time together in prison.

It was officially founded in 1968 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.