American Indian Movement

Lana Silva

4/20/16

SOC 122 – American Indian Movement

 

The American Indian movement (AIM) has used various techniques in order to communicate their message and fight for their cause of returning land back to their fellow American Indians and also raising awareness for various treaties with the government that had been broken. In addition, many of these American Indian activists expressed that they were fighting to reclaim their dignity as well. The movement continuously fought against oppression and violence, sometimes with violence, in order to make their voices publicly heard.

One of the first major ways the American Indian Movement attempted to gain attention for their cause was by occupying Alcatraz Island for 19 months. Examples of resource mobilization can be seen when the movement had the resources, such as people, boats, and supplies, to organize this take over of Alcatraz Island, as well as when they quietly informed the media about this plan. In addition, many of the Indian protestors occupying Alcatraz were students, because they had biographical availability. However, the government took advantage of this and because they did not see the movement as much of a threat, they simply waited for the movement to die down. Many of the students left to return to school.

The American Indian movement also used framing during their takeover of Alcatraz. For example, after many of the students leave, electricity and plumbing are cut off, buildings were on fire, garbage was piling up, and one man staying on the island stated that it was "no worse than living on a typical Indian reservation." When one understands the condition that Alcatraz was in at the time, the language used by this man becomes very powerful and stirs up emotions. Other examples of framing during this takeover are by using the symbolic and attention-getting tactic of occupying the island itself, and by reading their list of demands for things, namely an Indian University, a cultural center, and a museum. In addition, the American Indian protestors held signs representing their movement for the media and spray painted walls with words such as "You are on Indian land."  Another example of framing was when an Indian man was discussing that some of the Indians in the community were "taken away from their parents very young to be raised in middle-class suburbs in Fresno or Bakersfield because their parents didn't necessarily want them to be apart of the negative influences of the Indian World." The movement provided Indians like these who did not have a lot of experience with their culture, to learn about it and develop a sense of community. 
            An example of political opportunity theory is after the movement succeeded in getting enough public attention and support, and congress saw it as a popular choice to give in to some of the American Indian's demands. Another example of political opportunity theory is when actor Marlon Brandeau refused his Oscar for best actor in the Godfather out of protest against the negative portrayal of American Indians in Hollywood films. Furthermore, at the same time this was occurring, Nixon was in the midst of the Watergate Scandal, which made it a good time for the movement to organize and get something done, which they did. They ended up making a deal within two weeks, but the fight was not over yet. The American Indian Movement continued to fight actively for years using framing, resource mobilization, and political opportunity theories.