Trail of Broken Treaties 20-Point Position Paper – American Indian Movement and Rosebud Sioux (1972)

1946-1989, Blockade/Barricade, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Imperialism, Indigenous, Institutions, Occupation, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, Urban Spaces, White Supremacy

In 1972, AIM activists and members of the Rosebud Sioux organized the Trail of Broken Treaties and Pan American Native Quest for Justice. This demonstration brought caravans of Native Americans from across the country to Washington D.C. where they occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for six days. The group drafted a 20-point position paper that outlined major issues that needed to be addressed. All of their points centered around recognizing Native American sovereignty and restoring Indigenous rights, as set forth in previous treaties. Additionally, the paper called for the abolishment of the BIA and the creation of an Office of Federal Indian Relations and Community Reconstruction instead.

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The Mandate for 1992: Resistance – Bobby Castillo (1992)

1990-2010, Date, Indigenous, Self Institution, Subjectives of Refusal, Subjects Redefined, Tactics of Disruption

This piece was published in the 1992 program of the International Tribunal of Indigenous Peoples and Oppressed Nations in the USA. Bobby Castillo, the author of the mandate as well as the coordinator of the International Tribunal, challenged the 500th anniversary of the “discovery” of America by Christopher Columbus, demanding that myth be destroyed. Furthermore, he demanded the release of political prisoners/prisoners of war and the ability of oppressed national movements to exercise their rights to self-determination. This document serves to raise awareness to the new resistance of the American Indian Movement and to reaffirm the basic human rights of indigenous groups to determine their own destiny. Additionally, both the document and the tribunal are evidence of efforts by indigenous groups to redefine themselves within the current system.

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An Excerpt From an Interview With Earl Livermore About the Indians of All Tribes (Ioat) Occupation of Alcatraz – 1970

1946-1989, Date, Defining the Enemy, Disruptive Spaces, Imperialism, Indigenous, Institutions, Occupation, Subjectives of Refusal, Tactics of Disruption, White Supremacy

This is a transcript of an interview with Earl Livermore, a leader of the American Indian Movement. He describes the thought behind occupying Alcatraz, the organization of various committees, schools, medical centers, and transportation methods on the island, as well as the outside support the activists have been receiving in support of their occupation. Additionally, he reads a part of the Alcatraz Proclamation (1969) to give listeners a clearer sense of what specifically the Indian activists desire of Alcatraz.

This is a poster created by Earl Livermore. In addition to serving as a leader of the American Indian Movement, Livermore was also an artist. The proceeds from this poster went directly into the Alcatraz fund.

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