Russel Means

[Zeke]

It's like a litmus test. (edited for inappropriate language)

Those who think you an idiot as opposed to those who aren't very bright?

[yaahl]

It's like a litmus test.

Atehequa:

This is your last warning. If you want trouble, I suggest you go figure out how a mobilus strip works.

[Atehequa]

It's like a litmus test. (edited for inappropriate language)

[Zeke]

I may not of agreed with some things he said and did, but I did look up to him at one time.

That's probably true of every adult we'll ever know. When we're old enough, it will likely be true of us.

Good stuff, though.

My specific beef with Means is that he continued selling even when he knew the message was bogus. It's as if Malcolm X went to Mecca, had an awakening, came back to the United States and kept preaching the hypocrisy of Elijah Muhammad even though he knew it was crap.

1. He didn't.
2. It got him killed.
3. That's true leadership.

Russell Means had a single shining moment (which is more than most of us get) that, eventually, did more to harm Native causes than help. Hindsight is 20/20, however, and it is difficult to assess any judgment for those actions at the time. But when you realize what you're doing is a pooch screw, you should stop doing it.

Flip-flopping on his own sovereignty dogma when it suited him to avoid prosecution for assault was just the cherry on top for me, conclusively proving that not he even he believed his own BS anymore.

For the past thirty years, Means was a caricature whose existence undermined attempts by progressive Natives to improve themselves. Considering he didn't believe his own agenda, that's an unforgivable failure.

[Muttly]

[MENTION=10851]WhoMe[/MENTION]

Thank you for sharing a great story!!

[Spiritflight]

I have a unique perspective of Russ.

Before Russ got involved in activism, he and his family lived in Albuquerque. He and his family would come to our house and vise versa to eat and visit. His children from his first wife Betty, Michelle and Scott were the same age as my brother and sister so they played while our mothers visited. My dad and Russ hung around together.

Russ's dad and my grandpa would visit for days on end drinking wakalapi (coffee) because they could understand each other's language (Lakota and Dakota). Sometimes they would pull out their pipes and smoke kinikinik together. This was comforting being so far from home in an urban setting. Since my grandpa and I were best friends, I would sit and listen to their conversations and learn a lot in the process.

Russ was a part of powwow when it first began in the Southwest portion of the United States. I even have a photograph of Russ fancy dancing back then!

Then he moved away and became involved with the American Indian Movement. When he came to town he would stay with my parents and was very respectful to them. He even asked them permission to give me AIM bumper stickers and t-shirts.

As time passed, he became a different person. I heard stories of a Russ I didn't know, but when I seen him, he would still put his arm around me and call me by my first name.

I may not of agreed with some things he said and did, but I did look up to him at one time.


RIP Russ.

Back in the 70's I think it was him Russel Means who was the first NDN I came in contact with. He was in Hamburg Germany talking to the people. I went to that event. After he finished I went on stage and may talked with him only one or two sentences. I do not remember - I did not speak english by then. But from his photos I recall it must have been him. At least he brought NDNness to the mind of germans and others who may attended that event. I appreciate greatly that he came and I am glad, that he's one who went out to the people talking. I am glad he's one who made sure to peoples awareness how poorly NDN's got treated. I had another NDN person talk with someone from the bird family at the german Karl May Festspiele - (don't know the english word for Festspiele) and he said to me that I smoke too much. Yes. Okay. I met Saginaw Grant, no he walked passed me at a concert from this well known NDN blues singer. And Saginaw gave me way I felt embarrassed, bad german manners, I should have given him way as he's older than me. On day at a Powwow I talked to a woman at a booth stand and she told me she's Saginaw's daughter. For some reason Saginaw and I telephoned while I was living with my best friend this Tohono O'Odham man. Saginaw and me wanted to meet up as he wanted to give me some of recordings. It did not happen, I had to tell him that I will have to move back to Germany. Later, when I was married to this Dakota Sioux man who got adopted out into a white family, we went to a Powwow in CA and there was Saginaw sitting infront of the Arena and I walked up to him to say hello. He was kind and friendly to me. I introduced my exHubby to him and he did not like him. Yea, why? He's too much influenced by a white mother who did not have a clue about what she was doing to him. So I tried to find the birth parents in ND for my ExHubby and I succeeded. I found them online. Everyone was happy. Please excuse me that I flew off to other things rather then about Russel Means. I don't even know why I am saying all this or perhaps I do. I am sorry if it's not welcome to brag on like this. I guess that's just my nature. But nevertheless Russel Means is and was an important person.

[WhoMe]

I have a unique perspective of Russ.

Before Russ got involved in activism, he and his family lived in Albuquerque. He and his family would come to our house and vise versa to eat and visit. His children from his first wife Betty, Michelle and Scott were the same age as my brother and sister so they played while our mothers visited. My dad and Russ hung around together.

Russ's dad and my grandpa would visit for days on end drinking wakalapi (coffee) because they could understand each other's language (Lakota and Dakota). Sometimes they would pull out their pipes and smoke kinikinik together. This was comforting being so far from home in an urban setting. Since my grandpa and I were best friends, I would sit and listen to their conversations and learn a lot in the process.

Russ was a part of powwow when it first began in the Southwest portion of the United States. I even have a photograph of Russ fancy dancing back then!

Then he moved away and became involved with the American Indian Movement. When he came to town he would stay with my parents and was very respectful to them. He even asked them permission to give me AIM bumper stickers and t-shirts.

As time passed, he became a different person. I heard stories of a Russ I didn't know, but when I seen him, he would still put his arm around me and call me by my first name.

I may not of agreed with some things he said and did, but I did look up to him at one time.


RIP Russ.

[Spiritflight]

It was so nice to be reading everyone's thoughts on Russell Means and to get to the end and find the humor....priceless!! Thanks guys!

[Stands Alone]

It was so nice to be reading everyone's thoughts on Russell Means and to get to the end and find the humor....priceless!! Thanks guys!

[xTekno]

It's what makes me adorable.

as in just totally cute in a way that makes one sigh?

[Zeke]

you should put out that cigar!

It's what makes me adorable.

[xTekno]

I should get checked...

you should put out that cigar!

[Zeke]

The Michael Douglas throat cancer story sheds a new light on "oral" tradition, eh?

I should get checked...

[xTekno]

What do you call Last of the Mohicans, after spending his adult life claiming ours is an oral tradition?

The Michael Douglas throat cancer story sheds a new light on "oral" tradition, eh?

[Zeke]

I think you like to play games.