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librarybonanza 's review for:
Where White Men Fear to Tread: The Autobiography of Russell Means
by Russell Means, Marvin Wolf
Overall review: Clearly, this autobiography is a one-sided account (ahem, autobiography) At times, his arrogance is off-putting and he has strong opinions about traditional gender roles (but they are tied to tradition, not bitter contempt) and he has a couple sigh-inducing remarks about the LGBTQ community. But Means doesn’t hold back in revealing the constant and conniving attacks by the US government to degrade, belittle, and gradually murder the Native American peoples.
It’s best to skim through Means’ rough and tumble early years and the ever-looming feeling of disjointed worthlessness growing up Lakota Indian (the bio is hefty). After page 150 the weight of the book begins with his entrance onto the American Indian Movement stage and his growing sense of self worth and deepening dignity.
Page 176-8 describes AIM’s takeover of a replica Mayflower when Indian Americans protested the 350th anniversary of the European colony’s establishment. The modern day Wampanoag discovered the true meaning behind Thanksgiving. It was a gubernatorial decree by the Pilgrims to murder Indians and celebrate with a feast. This came merely one generation after the Wampanoag saved the white colony from starvation.
“No matter how hard they worked, they could never get more than survival wages. It was small wonder that with no financial incentive to work, they gave up and turned to drink. Hearing their stories, what touched our hearts and enraged our souls was that the white man relied on Indians’ honesty to screw them...The Indians could never get ahead, never save any money, never break out of hand-to-mouth poverty and dependency” (206).
The Siege of Wounded: Means provides a fascinating account of his front-line involvement with the land reclamation of Wounded Knee for the Oglala Lakota nation in protest of the broken treaties meant to dehumanize and exterminate the Indian populations. Their goal? Establish an Independent Oglala Nation and be returned the sacred Black Hills promised in an 1868 treaty. Surrounded by local police agencies and the FBI, there was a constant fear of death hanging over Means and his compatriots. Firefights were random and heavy. The US was not willing to negotiate, constantly demanding AIM and the Native peoples inside to surrender. The US government wouldn’t negotiate with a gun to its head—well either would the Lakota people. Outside the siege, the Bureau of Indian Affairs went on a smear campaign—first to claim they had white hostages then to say that AIM was conspiring with communists.
It’s best to skim through Means’ rough and tumble early years and the ever-looming feeling of disjointed worthlessness growing up Lakota Indian (the bio is hefty). After page 150 the weight of the book begins with his entrance onto the American Indian Movement stage and his growing sense of self worth and deepening dignity.
Page 176-8 describes AIM’s takeover of a replica Mayflower when Indian Americans protested the 350th anniversary of the European colony’s establishment. The modern day Wampanoag discovered the true meaning behind Thanksgiving. It was a gubernatorial decree by the Pilgrims to murder Indians and celebrate with a feast. This came merely one generation after the Wampanoag saved the white colony from starvation.
“No matter how hard they worked, they could never get more than survival wages. It was small wonder that with no financial incentive to work, they gave up and turned to drink. Hearing their stories, what touched our hearts and enraged our souls was that the white man relied on Indians’ honesty to screw them...The Indians could never get ahead, never save any money, never break out of hand-to-mouth poverty and dependency” (206).
The Siege of Wounded: Means provides a fascinating account of his front-line involvement with the land reclamation of Wounded Knee for the Oglala Lakota nation in protest of the broken treaties meant to dehumanize and exterminate the Indian populations. Their goal? Establish an Independent Oglala Nation and be returned the sacred Black Hills promised in an 1868 treaty. Surrounded by local police agencies and the FBI, there was a constant fear of death hanging over Means and his compatriots. Firefights were random and heavy. The US was not willing to negotiate, constantly demanding AIM and the Native peoples inside to surrender. The US government wouldn’t negotiate with a gun to its head—well either would the Lakota people. Outside the siege, the Bureau of Indian Affairs went on a smear campaign—first to claim they had white hostages then to say that AIM was conspiring with communists.