The American Indian Movement (AIM) was formed to advocate for Native American rights and liberation from oppressive systems established during colonization. AIM fought to abolish the papal bulls used to justify the Doctrine of Discovery, which dispossessed indigenous peoples of their lands. They also worked to eliminate Columbus Day celebrations and replace them with Indigenous Peoples' Day due to the devastating impacts explorer Christopher Columbus had on Native populations. AIM highlighted the differences between traditional Native American systems of governance, which emphasized consensus and spiritual leadership, compared to the top-down control of the U.S. government.

1. American Indian Movement
www.matoska.com/catgraph/7130-079mag.jpg
Chief Joseph, Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Red Cloud
Compiled by Shilo Hayes and Linda Wikeepa ( 2008) for Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau class

2. quot;This war did not spring up on our land, this war was brought upon
us by the children of the Great Father who came to take our land
without a price, and who, in our land, do a great many evil things...
This war has come from robbery - from the stealing of our land.quot;
John Wooden Legs, Cheyenne

3. Historical Background ….
• Belief is that first Native Americans arrived during last
ice-age, crossing a land bridge in Bering Sound from
Siberia to Alaska approximately 20-30,000 years ago.
• Sandia (15000 BC), Clovis (12000 BC) and Folsom
(8000 BC) are the oldest documented Indian cultures in
North America.
• First Europeans to land in the America’s are thought to
be Norse explorers Bjarni Herjolfsson in 986 and Leif
Ericson (AD 1000).
• The name “Indian” was coined by Christopher
Columbus, believing that the lands of America were part
of the Indies in Asia.
• Pre-European American Indian’s lived in hunter/farmer
communities where there were few rules and restrictions
and a deep spiritual connection to the land and spirit
ancestors existed. Decisions were made through
consultation and consensus
• Thousands of indigenous languages spoken in North
and South America before European arrival

4. Justification for the “New World”
18 June 1452 – Pope Nicholas V issues
papal bull “Dum Diversas”
15 January 1455 – Pope Nicholas V
issues papal bull “Romanus
Pontifex”
14 May 1493 Pope Aleander VI issues
papal bull “Intra Caetera” upload.wikimedia.org/.../9/94/Nicholas_V.jpg
These three edicts served as the
foundation and justification for the
Doctrine of Discovery and set in
place a catastrophic chain of
events for indigenous peoples – all
in the name of empire expansion
and religious righteousness …. www.uv.es/.../edificilanau/013alexandre.jpg

5. AIM Liberation Strategy
The fight to have the papal bulls removed ….
Some efforts undertaken
1992 Steve Newcombe (AIM of Colorado) traveled around Italy and
Switzerland to publicize the papal bull issue
1993 Steve Newcombe and Birgil Kills Straight came to Aotearoa to
meet with elders and publicize the papal bull issue
1993 Steve Newcombe travels to Australia for the Indigenous
Intellectual Property conference where a resolution for the
revocation of the papal bulls is passed
Continued effort from 1972-2008 has not yet resulted in the
revocation of the papal bulls which have left a legacy of
destruction, destitution and mistrust in their wake …. Vatican’s
response - “taken from the context of the political climate at the time, the
notion of international law and the geographical notions then extant, the
bull Inter Caetera, like other documents of that era, has become ipso facto
obsolete and with no effect.” (grandmotherscouncil) However, to this date
these bulls have not been revoked ….

6. Currently 562 Federally recognized American
Indian tribes and Alaskan Natives in the
United States students.umf.maine.edu

7. Liberation Strategy (AIM) – ban Columbus Day!!
What is there to celebrate ….????
Viewed as a
key founder of Kidnapped
the “New native
World” – the people
impact & from Cuba
legacies of his and Haiti to
voyages live on take to
… Spain
Peoples & Refused to
cultures baptise -
before his Catholic law
forbade the
arrival called
enslavement
“pre
of Christians
Columbian”
Led to introduction of slave trade
Annihilation of the Taino people –
as few native people remained
forced gold mining, murder ….
for enslaved labour

8. John Locke (1632-1704)
English Philosopher & Empiricist
Philosophy underpins
Political ideology and governance model of United
classical republicanism
states established under colonisation based on
(Plato) and classical
Locke’s philosophy
liberalism
Criticized for his hypocrisy –
his major writings oppose
Saw newborns as a
slavery and aristocracy yet
“tabula rasa” – blank
he was instrumental in the
slate and asserted the
drafting of legislation that “…
power of
established a feudal
education, believing
www.arts.ualberta.ca
aristocracy and gave a
“education maketh the
master absolute power over
man” (wikipedia)
his slaves…” (wikipedia)

9. When two distinct world views collide ….
American Indian Leadership U.S. Governance
Leaders were chosen as leaders for their Leadership is a position.
knowledge, experience and contribution.
Leaders were chosen by the tribe and thus remained Leaders seek and are employed or elected to a
leaders as long as the tribe needed them. position. They serve for a specified term or for the
duration of their employment.
Leaders had no power over others and could not Leaders can create laws which are enforced by police
command. and justice system.
Welfare of the tribe protected through maintaining Protection of individual rights. Protection of nation
culture and traditions. through economic growth and maintenance of private
property.
Consensus was driving force behind decision- Decisions arrived at by majority vote.
making.
Spirituality inextricably intertwined in decision- Rationality is the driving force behind decision-
making. making.
Restitution-based justice which was focused on Retribution-based justice.
restoring relationships.
American Indian Policy Center, 2002

10. The introduction of formal schooling for Native
American Children
Phoenix Indian School, June 1900

11. Timeline
1960’s
1600 1930’s
1869 1879 1909
Jesuit Over
President First 25 off Most off
priests begin 100,000
Ulysses S boarding reservation reservation
boarding American
Grant school off a boarding boarding
schools to Indian
formalised reservation schools, 15 schools
Christianize children
closed –
the boarding founded by 7 on
American forced
school Captain reservation students still
Indian into
system under Richard boarding attending on
children and boarding
Pratt –
the Peace schools, 30 reservation
remove them schools
Policy – attendance 7 day boarding
from the by the
schools on mandatory schools schools
1960’s
negative Indian operating
mindset of reservations
their parents were to be
and turned over
communities to Christian
control

12. Bibliography
Churchill, W. (1997). American Indian activism: Alcatraz to the longest walk. United States of America: University of Illinois.
Davis, J. (2001). American Indian boarding school experiences: recent studies from native perspectives. Organization of American Historians Magazine of History, 15, 0882-
228X. Retrieved from http://www.oah.org/pubs/magazine/desg/davis.html
Keeper, B. (1989). The old ones told me: American Indian stories for children. United States of America: Binford & Mort.
Pearson Education Inc. (2007). American Indian quotations. Retrieved September 2, 2008, from http://www.infoplease.com
Pearson Education Inc. (2008). American Indian myths. Retrieved September 2, 2008, from http://www.factmonster.com
Wilson, W.A., & Yellow Bird, M. (2005). For indigenous eyes only: Beginning decolonization. Retrieved September 2, 2008, from
http://sarpress.sarweb.org/sarpress/images/pdf/darpress_27.pdf
Waterman Wittstock., L & Salinas, E.J. (n.d.). A brief history of the American Indian Movement. Retrieved on August 22, 2008, from http://www.aimovement.or/ggc/history.html
American Indian Movement. (1972). Our 20 point proposal. Retrieved August 30, 2008, from http://www.aimovement.org/ggc/trailofbrokentreaties.html
American Indian Movement of Colorado. (2004). Steve Newcomb-Colonization Day. Retrieved August 20, 2008, from http://www.coloradoaim.org
American Indian Movement. (1973). What is the American Indian Movement? Retrieved August 30, 2008, from http://www.aimovement.org
American Indian Policy Center. (2002). Traditional American Indian leadership. Retrieved September 9, 2008, from http://www.airpi.org/research/tdlead.html
American Indian Policy Center. (2005). Traditional American Indian leadership: a comparison with U.S. governance. Retrieved September 14, 2008, from
http://www.airpi.org/research/tdsystems.html
American Indian Policy Centre. (2005). A comparison with U.S. governance. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from http://www.airpi.org/research/tdcompare.html
Minnesota Historical Society. (2008). American Indian Movement (AIM). Retrieved August 24, 2008, from http://www.mnhs.org/library/tips/history_topics/93aim.html
Jacobs, D.T. (2001). Native American education alternative worldview. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from http://www.teachingvirtues.net/Nauspeech.html
Morsette, A. (2007). Trauma in American Indian communities. Retrieved September 10, 2008, from http://www.giftfromwithin.org/html/amindian.html
Wikipedia. (2008). John Locke. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Locke
Wikipedia. (2008). European colonization of the Americas. Retrieved September 10, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_colonization_of_the_Americas
James, M.A., & Halsey, T. (1992). The role of women in Native American liberation struggles. Retrieved September 2, 2008, from
http://www.totse.com/en/politics/political_spew/indwomen.html

13. American Indian Movement of Colorado. (2004). Steve Newcomb-Colonization Day. Retrieved August 20, 2008, from
http://www.coloradoaim.org
American Indian Movement. (1973). What is the American Indian Movement? Retrieved August 30, 2008, from
http://www.aimovement.org
American Indian Policy Center. (2002). Traditional American Indian leadership. Retrieved September 9, 2008, from
http://www.airpi.org/research/tdlead.html
American Indian Policy Center. (2005). Traditional American Indian leadership: a comparison with U.S. governance.
Retrieved September 14, 2008, from http://www.airpi.org/research/tdsystems.html
American Indian Policy Centre. (2005). A comparison with U.S. governance. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from
http://www.airpi.org/research/tdcompare.html
Minnesota Historical Society. (2008). American Indian Movement (AIM). Retrieved August 24, 2008, from
http://www.mnhs.org/library/tips/history_topics/93aim.html
Jacobs, D.T. (2001). Native American education alternative worldview. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from
http://www.teachingvirtues.net/Nauspeech.html
Morsette, A. (2007). Trauma in American Indian communities. Retrieved September 10, 2008, from
http://www.giftfromwithin.org/html/amindian.html
Wikipedia. (2008). John Locke. Retrieved September 13, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Locke
Wikipedia. (2008). European colonization of the Americas. Retrieved September 10, 2008, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_colonization_of_the_Americas
James, M.A., & Halsey, T. (1992). The role of women in Native American liberation struggles. Retrieved September
2, 2008, from http://www.totse.com/en/politics/political_spew/indwomen.html