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I was 17 years old when I first heard about the American Indian Movement. I was on Black Mesa and I was involved in the resistance along side many Dineh Elders; Roberta Blackgoat being one of them. However, I didn’t feel the spark for AIM there. It wasn’t until 5 years later, that I felt it.
In the years in between, I had gone back to my hometown and became a mother. Then I moved to Los Angeles. I was surprised but pleased that L.A. had pow wows every weekend, because I wanted to go and meet some other Indian people. I remember seeing some young people wearing AIM shirts. They took me over to the booth, and that is where I met Fern Eastman Mathias. After she noticed me looking at some flyers on the table, she asked if I was interested and wanted to go to a meeting.
Before I went to my first meeting, I thought very long and hard about what if I would join or not. I had heard about the American Indian Movement, but I really didn’t know much about it. However, something inside of me knew that if I got involved with AIM, it would alter my life.
Meeting Fern Mathias had a huge impact on me. Fern Mathias was a controversial person. She had no difficulty stating her position on issues- or her opinions about the people involved with them. People either liked her or disliked her, but regardless, she was respected in the community.
Fern worked us hard, and expected us to follow her lead (usually with a phone calls notice) without too many questions. Our chapter was not a social club. In fact, if you’re looking for friends don't join AIM- if you’re effective as an "AIMster", you will inevitably be pissing people off. Nevertheless, I met some wonderful people through the Southern California Los Angeles AIM Chapter. People would come and go, and for those of us that stayed around for a few years, we were close and became like extended family.
I met Michael when he was in our Chapter's security, and then later he was nominated as our chapter’s treasurer. That was almost 20 years ago. Not quite love at first sight, but I had immense respect for him from the beginning. He was a single parent raising his kids and living with his elder mother. He didn’t drink or do drugs. He was quiet and reserved, but always volunteering to be part of whatever action Fern was planning.
Sixteen years later, Michael and I were asked to start a chapter here in Santa Barbara, Ca. In starting this chapter we both knew we wanted to incorporate what we had learned from Fern.
What is AIM?
I have heard Vernon Bellecourt say that the American Indian Movement was a “modern day Warrior Society.” This suggests humility, service, discipline, dedication, commitment, and all of this, as a way of life. I never heard Fern call anyone in our chapter a “warrior.” She never referred to herself as one either. In fact, one time she said in her sorta sarcastic, laughing way, “beware of anyone calling themselves a warrior, they probably are not,” I find that more often than not, it is true.
Mark Anquoe, Kiowa, AIM Member from Northern California, stated that "The American Indian Movement is a spiritual movement of Native people who value our cultures over the imposed European one. AIM is composed of Native people that choose to organize and take action to maintain our identities and capacity for self-determination." Over the years, AIM has shifted and grown, but remains a grassroots spiritual movement. We are not a “political organization” in the standard sense, our efforts to protect our spirituality, sacred sites, and ceremonies often intersect with laws, government and business. In making our stand, there is no other choice- it becomes political.
Every sovereign Native Nation in this occupied territory owes a great deal of gratitude to all the original AIM members. In the early 1970’s, those brothers and sisters grabbed the world’s attention and made it clear that the war on Native people had never ended- Native people were still prisoners of war, living under horrible conditions, and these brave few demanded that Native people and our treaty rights not be forgotten. They demanded that the police brutality on Native people end, they demanded better health care, they demanded our fishing and land rights be honored and upheld. The leaders of the American Indian Movement reminded the United States- that whether they liked it or not, AIM is America’s conscience.
Laura Wass, Director of the Central California AIM area said, “Not everyone is ‘AIM Material,’ meaning, this is not a vocation, or career choice that you choose to do. AIM chooses you. Chances are if you are interested in AIM, you have been an activist of some kind of social justice issues most of your life.” I couldn’t agree with Laura more. I would add that you have a passion for our people. You have a passion to learn, to devour books, other resources and to educate yourself on past and current issues. By any means necessary and with no compromise, you will fight for our people. You are willing to die for our people. This is the kind of commitment you make once in a life time. If you do not respond to the call, it will follow you. If you do respond to the call and then have to step away for a bit, it will haunt you. You will always be an AIM member and you will instinctively react when an issue comes across that requires attention. We have a purpose, and our purpose is to protect our spirituality, languages, and to refuse, resist and reject European assimilation as much as possible, and especially those that exploit and capitalize on Native culture.
Fern was exact, concise and direct in the way she dealt with people. Fern had no time for “people pleasing” or “political correctness.” No amount of “political correctness” can replace the annihilation of Native people, nor the current active agenda to “erase” our existence and replace it with a watered down romanticized one. How can Americans use terms like “immigration,” when they are referring to the Indigenous people of this continent? Non Natives telling Indigenous people who has a right to stay here and who doesn’t- absurd! Indigenous people have the right to migrate anywhere we want. It is our land- with four directions and people from many Nations. We are the descendents of the original inhabitants- before the imposed border systems. Anyone of European decent, are the real immigrants; they are the real “anchor babies” here. Millions of tax dollars are spent to vilify and criminalize Indigenous people. The United States of America still won’t even sign the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – publicly acknowledging they have no interest in our HUMAN RIGHTS. If any Native American publicly questions it, or rejects it, then we are “radical”, “militant”, and “troublemakers”.
AIM SB Membership-
Since Michael and I have opened this chapter, many people have approached us to be involved or become AIM members. I have had a hard time writing this because I wanted to make sure that people understand I am not writing for the American Indian Movement. This piece is only from my perspective. Everyone has their own reason for joining the American Indian Movement. It is a very personal and intimate commitment- or at least it should be. Every chapter is run differently. It is not my job to convince everyone that AIM is a great organization/ movement and everyone should get involved in it. In fact, I would refrain from doing that, as I said before, this is a life long commitment that should never be taken lightly.
AIM Santa Barbara is inter-tribal organization. Our members are from different Nations and everyone in our chapter shares their unique and different perspective- spiritually, politically and philosophically from their own Nation. One Nation does not dominate the other here.
Every chapter usually works with these four guiding principles; Spirituality, Sovereignty, Sobriety, and Solidarity. Depending on location and geographics, most chapters will work on some main priority issues. Our issues here in AIM Santa Barbara are:
· The exploitation and desecration of our ceremonies and medicine by Native and Non- Natives claiming to be "Spiritual Leaders" seeking to distort, and/or commodify and capitalize on our traditional spiritual practices/ceremonies (basically; what people will do for money and/or piece of ass). · The use of Native American racist imagery in sports and media (“this is how we honor you” whether you like it or not, we are going to do it) · Outreach and education through mainstream media and alternative media- “become the media” AIM SB members strive to put the needs of our families first. We believe the strongest form of activism, and one with the greatest impact, is the cultivation of strong Native families and raising healthy, clean, happy, and respectful children. Your word to your spouse and your children has to come first before you give your word to anyone or anything else. If you can not commit to your family, how will you commit to your people?
Your family = your people.
Another important quality is having a healthy measure of SANITY and COMMON SENSE. You are not AIM Santa Barbara membership material if ;
· If you don't pay child support- (this one is a no brainer- how are you going to be against the government, if your relying on the government to financially support your child? And if this still doesn’t make sense, go back and read the above paragraph over). · If you have a drug or alcohol problem that you are not seeking treatment for · If you have mental health issues and you just don't want to take those meds · If you have an anger management problem and beat up people you love. · Live with a horrible affliction known as a “victim mentality”. (How helpful and successfull are you going to be if you're focused on the negative and whining about it all the time? Don't like something? Do something about it!) The Legacy of the American Indian Movement
Most people have a hard time distinguishing people vs. the movement. There are many people that have stood in judgment over AIM’s founding members. Native people have been socially conditioned to judge one another with “Judeo-Christian,” or “Euro-American,” standards and with “their” critical eyes. Yet, our communities are still struggling with historical trauma. The leaders of this movement struggle and struggled with historical trauma. It is easy to be critical when we look back on things. Hindsight lends wisdom and sophistication in a way that fore-thought has none. But we also have to look back and see that these elders have never stepped away from AIM. They created it, gave birth to it and are living it. Those relatives put their lives on the line for us to have better lives. They set high standards for the term “by any means necessary.” And they were HUMAN, yet, they have something that most of us do not: the powerful medicine to do what they have done and are still doing.
If we acccept Vernon Bellecourt claim that AIM is a modern day “warrior society” then we have to “Be the change you want to see in the world,” (Mahatma Gandhi). With the legacy that AIM has, there are many people that sport the name and colors but fall very short of living a a life of humility, service and commitment. They prance and preen with these very larger than life descriptive names - but step aside when the people need them. They adopt other people’s languages, and do not speak their own. They speak endlessly about what they have done, and when they did it (with no real proof of having done it), but it is all in the movement of their agenda, not in that of the Movement. These people have no right to wear anything associated with the American Indian Movement. They are running around living in a fantasy and exploiting anyone that gives them even a moment of their time. These people are parasites, and you should run and stay far away if you see them.
However, if someone were to ask me what the real enemy of the movement would be, I would have to say APATHY. It affects Native people and non-Native people alike. There is no fighting apathy. It is almost a zombie like state of drug addiction. Nothing fazes these people afflicted by apathy. They live for that 9 to 5 job, and what it can buy them. They like to shop at those malls that have been built over our Native grave sites. They show their Native pride by wearing stupid, racist mascot merchandise, especially the hats (they seem to love the hats). They allow their kids to be in Thanksgiving Day pageants, and they think it is cute and sexy to see those Pocahontas “Native hottie” costumes on Halloween. Those that “buy” into apathy, will end up exploiting Native culture in doing so.
Apathetic Natives think it is beneath them to question history. They have a chic and modern flair about them, and without much warning or effort, will occasionally and casually drop bombs of:
“Can’t you guys just forget about the past?”
Or
“Rather than be anti.-can't you just celebrate your existence?”
Yeah, that’s beautiful- but choosing to do nothing about it, doesn’t change it either. Blindly accepting what "Euro-American," society wants to force feed you, doesn’t change “history”. Not making demands for accurate historical texts and accountability won’t do it either. I am a firm believer of George Orwell's quote- "He who controls the past, controls the future; and he who controls the present, controls the past." Go down to your local public school and peruse the American History section and tell me if there has been any formal accountability for the American Holocaust. You won’t even find this particular phrase referenced. The governmental leaders that participated in this genocide are considered “founding fathers”. Andrew Jackson, Abe Lincoln, Custer, Columbus, Cortez, Father Junipero Sierra, and hundreds of others are still celebrated as our countries finest heroes, not as perpetrators of crimes against humanity. Apathy does not give Native people our treaty rights. Apathy does not lower suicide statistics or substance abuse addiction. Apathy holds Native people hostage. Anyone that “buys” into these lies- is living a lie.
Fern was already an elder in her sixties when we met her but she was always on the move- constantly. The phone never stopped ringing- people never stopped asking for help. I never heard Fern say "no" to anyone, but she would say “and what are you going to do about it?” In Fern’s world, everyone had a role and responsibility in the movement, if you said you were Indian, then you had no choice but to step up. If you had children, you had even more of a responsibility to do so. I never saw that woman back down from anything or anyone, she role modeled service and humility. The world has not been as bright since her passing, but she is still here with me, if only in memory, I still feel her alive and present in the work that we do here in AIM SB. There is no way that we will ever be able to do what she has done, or walk as tall as she did, but we try diligently to honor her and all the Elder AIM leaders by doing the best we can.
©Corine Fairbanks
October 2010
Corine Fairbanks is Lakota and the Development Director for the American Indian Movement Santa Barbara Chapter. She is active on the Board of Directors for the American Civil Liberties Union Affiliate Santa Barbara chapter, and also on the Grant Making Committee for the Fund For Santa Barbara.
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