INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

American Indian Activism and the Legacies of Wounded Knee

American Indian Activism and the Legacies of Wounded Knee
Three stars
Eiteljorg Museum; Jan. 26

Participants in the Feb. 27, 1973, Wounded Knee incident addressed a packed audience on the issues surrounding the still-unresolved events on the Pine Ridge Reservation in southwestern South Dakota. William Means, whose heritage is Oglala Lakota, is founder of the International Indian Treaty Council and an AIM (American Indian Movement) leader. Means said it is essential to make people aware of Native American economic and political issues that center around disparate kinds of justice — one for Indians and another for non-Indians. “Wounded Knee is about people organizing to gain control over their lives and the way they are perceived as human beings. It’s a universal human story of identity and being valued.” Commenting on how “1973 changed people’s lives” were Indianapolis residents Johnny Flynn (Potawatomi), IUPUI professor of religious studies and director of Native American programs, and Lann Thompson (Cherokee), an associate director for program development in the Riley Child Development Center at IU Medical Center. Sally Tuttle (Choctaw) is an activist leader in Indiana as a member of the Native American Indian Voices of Indiana. All three spoke of gains, losses and the constant need to “re-fight old battles” for respect, recognition and remembrance. “It’s about doing something about injustices and getting people involved in the truth about their history. American Indians are part of our history. They need to be included,” Flynn said.