From Activism To Legislation: Detailing The American Indian Movement

From Activism to Legislation: Detailing the American Indian Movement and the Passage of the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968
By Trevor Garski

Civil Rights for Indigenous Americans: Examining the Impact of the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 and the American Indian Movement
The American Indian Movement(AIM) was successful because of how the movement targeted the media to gain attention towards equal rights, incorporated multiple tactics such as protests and sit-ins to demonstrate their frustration, and because of how inspiring their leaders were to gain momentum focused on the improvement of civil rights for the Indigenous. “In the summer of 1968, Native American activists Dennis Banks, George Mitchell, and Clyde Bellecourt gathered hundreds

The American Indian Movement is one of the most pivotal periods of time in American history, but for some reason it is not taught in most primary education institutions. “In recent decades, AIM has been known primarily for cultural advocacy and for its work on behalf of Indigenous rights on a global scale” (“American Indian Movement(AIM) 6). It is very important for us to realize that, although small, the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 sparked the inspiration for other movements across the world to push for new legislation aimed at providing equal civil rights for all people, especially Indigenous. The Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 was successful because it provided a legal framework for protecting the civil rights of Indigenous people, established an important precedent for recognizing the sovereignty and autonomy of Indigenous nations, and helped to address long standing injustices faced by Indigenous

President Johnson was in office from 1963 to 1969, and signed the ICRA into law in 1968 (“Native American Civil Rights Movement and Act of 1968” 2). He also showed that he was committed to the improvement of civil rights for the Indigenous Americans and social justice in general by signing the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. This Act provided Indigenous tribes with more control over their own affairs and resources. Staying within the U.S. government, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate sponsored bills related to Indigenous civil rights which pressured lawmakers who did not yet support the bill to support the ICRA. This helped get the ball rolling in support of equal civil rights for the