Native Americans In The Civil Rights Movement Essay

Native americans in the civil rights movement

Thirty-eight percent of Native Americans today have reported experiencing violence or harassment from American citizens. Throughout all of history, Native American lands have been taken away, misused and mistreated. America’s indigenous people have also faced assimilation, the attempt to dissipate their culture and tribal traditions. Along with these older issues of land and cultural assimilation, Native Americans also faced discrimination and the disrespect of their given reservations during the civil rights movement. Many of the issues of the civil rights era have yet to be solved and most are still a major problem today, such as discrimination and conflicts regarding tribal lands. While there

The American Indian Movement, otherwise known as AIM, was created to help the Native Americans who were moved to urban areas as a result of the federal termination policy. Another goal AIM had was the protection of Native Americans and their tribal lands, along with the recognition of treaties by the U.S. government. In 1969, AIM temporarily took control of Alcatraz Island as a way to peacefully protest for their rights. They compared their arrival on this island to the white settlers arriving on their lands hundreds of years ago. The article “AIM & the Occupation of Alcatraz Island” states how “The occupants cited the Sioux Treaty of 1868, which implied that vacated federal lands could be occupied by American Indians, and thus began a 19- month standoff against the U.S. government” (Juarez). This protest is significant to the movement because it was one of the first large protests and helped to kickstart AIM and the newly created Red Power Movement. Through the use of the media, it also allowed for people to begin to see why Native Americans were fighting for rights. Later, in 1978, the protest known as “The Longest Walk” took place. This protest consisted of Native American activists who marched across the United States, gaining support and followers for their movement along the way. This walk was a result of eleven new possible pieces of legislation that would violate rights given in treaties. In an article discussing “The Longest Walk”, it talks about how “On July 15, 1978, the Longest Walk arrived in Washington, D.C. The original group of 24 was accompanied by some 2,000 supporters as they marched into the city”(“The Longest Walk, 1978”). This protest was a colossal success for the indigenous people. Shortly after the march, Congress