Modern Native American Warriors

Today's Native American Leaders

Read and blog about the brave warriors who addressed the maltreatment of Native Americans in the 1960's and 1970's, at a time when it was considered to be radical.  Russell Means and Leonard Peltier were extremely active in efforts to address the unfair Reservation conditions existing in the United States. They are controversial figures, both within and outside of the Native American community, as their actions were sometimes seen as overly radical. Also read about the historical figures who had the same dreams and fought the same fight: http://americanindianoriginals.com/

Dennis Banks (1930-) 

Dennis Banks was born in 1930 on the Leech Lake Chippewa reservation in Minnesota. Banks was among the cofounders of the militant American Indian Movement in 1968. The organization was involved in legal struggles for Native hunting and fishing rights and other causes.

Banks was at the helm of the 1973 protest at Custer, South Dakota, that led to the 73-day occupation of Wounded Knee. Banks has established himself as a credible actor, starring along with Native Russell Means in the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans, and has appeared in many additional movies since.

Clyde Bellecourte (1939-)  

Clyde Bellecourte was born on the White Earth reservation in Minnesota. Along with Dennis Banks, he participated in the 73-day occupation of Wounded Knee and also helped draft the Twenty Points presented to President Richard Nixon after the occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs headquarters in 1972. 

Ben Nighthorse Campbell (1933- )  

A member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, Ben Nighthorse Campbell was elected to the U.S. Senate from Colorado in 1992. He is currently the only Native American serving in the U.S. Congress. Campbell was born in California in 1933.

After service in the U.S. Air Force, Campbell attended San Jose State College, graduating in 1957. He excelled in sports, becoming a three-time U.S. judo champion in his weight class. He was on the 1964 U.S. Olympic team that competed in Tokyo. Campbell's business interests were focused on ranching and jewelry design.  

 
Wendell Chino (1923-)

A descendant of the followers of Geronimo who in 1913 were allowed to return to the Southwest and given new homelands in south central New Mexico, Wendell Chino was born on the new Mescalero Apache reservation.

In 1962 he became president of the Mescalero Apache Nation. He has served in the leadership position for over 30 years. As such, he has been an outstanding spokesperson for the cause of Native American sovereignty and also for self-sufficiency and economic development. The Mescalero Apaches have developed a leading recreation and convention complex that includes the Inn of the Mountain Gods and a snow-skiing resort.

Tribal lands have been developed for a profitable lumber industry as well. President Chino led Native America in a court fight against the constitutionality of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. When the Supreme Court allowed the act to stand, Chino challenged the essence of its provisions by establishing a casino at the Inn of the Mountain Gods without gaining state approval beforehand.


Russell Means (1940-)  

Russell Means was born in 1940 near Wounded Knee, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge reservation. Early in his life he was active in many pursuits including rodeo riding and a professional life as a public accountant. He became a leader in the American Indian Movement activities of the 1970s.  Means was later influential in protests calling for protection of Native American graves. His actions led to new federal legislation. Means has established himself as a credible actor, starring along with Native Dennis Banks in the 1992 film The Last of the Mohicans.

Leonard Peltier (1944- ) 

Born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, in 1944, Leonard Peltier was educated in the Native American school at Wahpeton. He joined the American Indian Movement and became a leader in the Bureau of Indian Affairs building takeover protest in 1972. In 1975 he was involved in a protest at Pine Ridge.

A fire fight with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) resulted in the death of two FBI agents. Several Native Americans were brought to trial for the deaths. Peltier was one, but his trial was separated from the others who were found innocent of charges. He was found guilty and given two life sentences.

Following an escape from prison in 1989 and his recapture, he was given an additional seven-year sentence. Considerable doubt remains whether or not Peltier is actually the guilty culprit he has been made out to be. His case seems to be one of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Federal officials were eager for a symbol of guilt for the violence occurring between Native protestors and FBI agents. His cause and claim of innocence have been presented in Peter Matthiessen's books In the Spirit of Crazy Horse and The Nations, and in the documentary film Incident at Oglala. Peltier's confinement remains the subject of numerous protests.