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From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

"AIM, Indigenous Recognition and Rights," Lecture by Dennis Banks, co-founder of the Ameri

Date:
Friday, May 04, 2007
Time:
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Event Type:
Speaker
Organizer/Author:
D Blanchard
Location Details:
The C.A.F.E. Infoshop. Located at 935 F street (between Tulare and Kern st.) in the heart of Fresnos historic chinatown

What: "AIM, Indigenous Recognition and Rights," Lecture by Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement
When: Friday, May 4 at 7 pm
Where: CAFE Infoshop--935 F St. in downtown Fresno

Dennis Banks ~~ Native American leader, teacher, lecturer, activist and author~~is an Anishinabe born on Leech Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota. In 1968 he co-founded the American Indian Movement (AIM) to protect the traditional ways of Indian people and to engage in legal cases protecting treaty rights of Natives.

Among other activities, AIM participated in the occupation of Alcatraz Island which lasted from 1969-1971, organized and led the Trail of Broken Treaties' caravan across the U.S. to Washington, D.C in 1972. Failure by the government to hold scheduled meetings with the caravan resulted in the seizure and occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office. It also spearheaded the move on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in 1973 to oust corruption and the U.S. appointed chairman. These activities led to the occupation of Wounded Knee and a siege of 71 days. Banks was the principal negotiator and leader of the Wounded Knee forces.

Under the leadership of Dennis Banks, AIM led a protest in Custer, South Dakota an 1973 against judicial process that found a white man innocent of murdering an Indian. As a result of Custer, Banks and 300 others were arrested and faced trial. He was acquitted of the Wounded Knee charges, but was convicted of riot and assault stemming from a confrontation at Custer. Refusing the prison term, Banks went underground, later receiving amnesty in California by then Governor Jerry Brown.

During this time in California, from 1976 to 1983, Banks earned an Associates of Arts degree at Davis University and taught at Deganawida Quetzecoatl (DQ) University (an all Indian-controlled institution), where he became the first American Indian chancellor. In the Spring of 1979 he taught at Stanford University.

Banks has organized spiritual runs, has worked a sa drug and alcohol counselor, worked for legislation prohibiting native graves' desecration, and publsihed his 1988 autobiography Sacred Soul which won the 1988 Non-fiction Book of the Year Award.

He has had roles in the movies War Party, The Last of the Mohicans, and Thunderheart and has recorded numerous cd's of original compositions and traditiopnal songs A musical cassette "STILL STRONG" featuring Banks' original work as well as traditional Native American songs was completed in '93 and a musical video with the same name was released in '95. He can also be heard on other musical CD's: Peter Gabrial's "Les Musiques duMonde", Peter Matthiessen's "No Boundaries", on WORX-FM's "Tim Hain & the Worx", and with Cherokee Rose. His autobiography "The Longest Walk" is to be released in late 1997.

Dennis Banks stays involved with American Indian issues, AIM activities, Sacred Run, and travels the globe lecturing, providing drug and alcohol counseling, and sharing his experiences.

Added to the calendar on Sun, Apr 29, 2007 8:28PM
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