This week we were shown two different portrayals of the Indian activist group, AIM. The first of these came with Mary Brave Bird’s somewhat combative chapter, “We AIM Not to Please,” while the other was the description of AIM participation in the occupation of Wounded Knee given in the video We Shall Remain. Although both relate the importance of AIM as inspiration to Native Americans lost from traditional ways, I believe that the movie allows a much more likeable illustration of the controversial group, and creates a more successful outcome for the Indian Rights campaign. We Shall Remain depicts AIM as the much-needed support for a noble cause. AIM quickly spreads word of the occupation at Wounded Knee, beckoning Indians from around the US to go and help their Native brothers and sisters. AIM in this light acts as the dramatic final stand against a dominant and apathetic government, or, as one man puts it, the little mouse holding up the finger before the big eagle swoops down and ends it. However, Mary Brave Bird’s AIM really just translates more as a bunch of reckless teenagers rallying for something they think they believe in. In Lakota Woman, everything important about the mission and purpose of AIM seems to originate from a source other than Brave Bird, who appears only to enjoy the excitement of rebellion. Much of the text quotes motivational speeches and rational for Indian opposition, such as one Chippewa man’s assertion that “every star in this flag [represents] a state stolen from Indians” (111). Nevertheless, this condemnation of the American flag by another activist examples Brave Bird’s lack of original ideas, and her subsequent adoption of mindsets and opinions that do not necessarily belong to her. Furthermore, Brave Bird criticizes the white man for racism, but then implements the same traditional “Cowboys and Indians” stereotype into her own work when she talks of Indian loathing for the “John Wayne” (112) kind of white man. She uses offensive and derogatory terminology like “honkies” (114) and describes proudly how the whites despise the obnoxious group. This kind of negative attitude from the white populace is highly detrimental to the overall goals of the movement, yet Brave Bird fails to make the connection between disgruntled, white voters and the refusal of “people who mattered” (117) to talk to the riotous protesters. In contrast, the Indian activists in We Shall Remain garner compassion and support from the whites, as exemplified by the white “hostage” store-owner who refuses to be “saved,” and instead declares fault with the US government. Additionally, the film describes the declination of famous Godfather actor, Marlon Brando, to accept his Oscar for Best Actor due to the stereotypical depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood motion pictures, reflecting the general sympathetic opinion of the American populace toward the Indian at the time. The favor that the AIM of the Wounded Knee documentary gains with the public, in comparison to the white, and even Indian disapproval, for Brave Bird’s AIM, is more profitable for the Native American cause. For this reason, the AIM of We Shall Remain demonstrates a more connotatively positive, and consequently more successful, form of survivance than the havoc and disorder associated with Mary Brave Bird’s AIM.
As promised:
"Mahstinshkah" is the Lakota word for "jack-rabbit."
It's interesting to consider how point-of-view and genre may change our interpretation of AIM. Brave Bird was at Wounded Knee in '73. She actually gave birth there, if I remember correctly. I wonder if part of it is the visual, or is it the personal voice versus the collective or polyvocal aspect of the film that makes AIM seem different? It's also interesting that we don't see or hear about Brave Bird in the film.
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