American Indian Movement of Colorado facts for kids

The American Indian Movement of Colorado (Colorado AIM), also known as AIM-International Confederation of Autonomous Chapters, is a group that separated from the main American Indian Movement.

This group was started by thirteen AIM chapters in 1993. They met in Denver, Colorado, and decided to form their own organization. They released a statement called the Edgewood Declaration. This statement explained their reasons for separating. They had disagreements about how the main AIM group was being run and what its goals should be.

The Colorado AIM group believes that the American Indian Movement has always been about local chapters. They think these local groups should make their own decisions. They believe local leaders should be responsible to the people in their own communities. This group does not agree that one central group should control everything. They feel this goes against traditional Native American ways of organizing. It also goes against the original ideas of AIM.

Important activists linked to AIM of Colorado include Russell Means and Ward Churchill.

Why the Group Formed

The American Indian Movement of Colorado formed because of serious disagreements within the larger American Indian Movement. These disagreements were about how the organization was led and managed.

In 1999, Russell Means, a well-known American Indian activist, spoke about these issues. He was part of AIM's Elders Council. Means and others raised concerns about the leadership of the main AIM organization. They believed that some leaders were not acting in the best interest of the movement. These concerns led to a major split. The chapters that formed Colorado AIM wanted to create a group that was more focused on local control and accountability.