Clyde Bellecourt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clyde Bellecourt
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| Neegonnwayweedun | |
Bellecourt speaking at ASU in 2016
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| Born | May 8, 1936 |
| Died | January 11, 2022 (aged 85) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
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| Occupation | Civil rights organizer |
| Known for | Co-founding the American Indian Movement |
| Spouse(s) |
Peggy Sue Holmes (Hakida)
(m. 1965) |
| Children |
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| Relatives | Vernon Bellecourt (brother) |
Clyde Howard Bellecourt (born May 8, 1936 – died January 11, 2022) was a Native American leader who worked for fairness and equal rights. His Ojibwe name was Nee-gon-we-way-we-dun, which means "Thunder Before the Storm". In 1968, he helped start the American Indian Movement (AIM) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He founded AIM with Dennis Banks, Eddie Benton-Banai, and George Mitchell. His older brother, Vernon Bellecourt, also played a big part in the movement.
Under Clyde Bellecourt's guidance, AIM helped people understand important issues for Native American tribes. AIM brought attention to problems like unfair treatment by police in Minneapolis. Bellecourt also started special "survival schools" in the Twin Cities. These schools helped Native American children learn about their traditional cultures. In 1972, he organized a march to Washington, D.C., called the Trail of Broken Treaties. The goal was to talk with the government about old agreements with tribal nations. He also created non-profit groups to help Native Americans with economic development.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Clyde Bellecourt was the seventh of twelve children. He was born to Charles and Angeline on the White Earth Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota. His older brother, Vernon Bellecourt, was also born there. The reservation was very poor, and their home did not have running water or electricity.
When he was young, Bellecourt felt that authorities did not treat his family and other Native Americans with respect. His parents encouraged him to focus on his education. However, school was not easy for him. As a boy, he went to a Catholic mission school on the reservation. It was run by strict nuns. Young Bellecourt learned to hunt rabbits and gather wild rice and sugar beets. When he was 11, he had trouble with school rules and was sent to a special school for young people.
Four years later, when he was released, his family had moved to Minneapolis. This move happened in the 1950s because the government encouraged Native American families to move to cities for job opportunities. The city was difficult for them. Bellecourt felt treated unfairly and out of place.
He faced many challenges and was sent to a facility for adults. There, he met many other Native Americans, including Eddie Benton-Banai and Dennis Banks. Benton-Banai had started a cultural program for Native Americans in the facility. After working together, they decided to create a similar program in Minneapolis. This program would help Native Americans in the city learn about their history, culture, and spiritual beliefs.
Starting the American Indian Movement
Bellecourt helped create AIM during a meeting in Minneapolis in July 1968. He met with Banks and George Mitchell from the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. Eddie Benton-Banai was also one of the founders. They talked about how to make people aware of the problems Native Americans faced in the Twin Cities. They also wanted to find solutions to these problems. Topics included unfair treatment by police, discrimination in jobs and schools, poor housing, and high unemployment among Native Americans.
At first, they called themselves “Concerned Indian Americans.” But an elder woman suggested they change the name to "AIM." Dennis Banks wrote in 2004 that Bellecourt was a "man in a hurry to get things done." He said Bellecourt "spoke with such intensity that his enthusiasm swept over us like a storm. In that moment, AIM was born." Bellecourt was chosen as the group's first chairman. Dennis Banks became the field director, and Charles Deegan was vice chairman.
AIM began to watch how police arrested Native Americans. They wanted to make sure people's rights were respected and they were treated fairly. Benton-Banai had also worked on this issue before.
In 1970, Bellecourt led a protest at the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) building in Littleton, Colorado. They demanded that Native Americans should be in charge of the BIA. This protest spread across the country, and eight BIA offices were closed.
In 1971, Bellecourt visited the Chicago Indian Village (CIV). This was a group of different tribes protesting poor housing conditions for Native Americans in Chicago.
The FBI later caused problems for the movement, making it weaker. Today, AIM exists in two main groups. One is in Colorado, and the other is in Minnesota. The Minnesota group has achieved success in several laws and social efforts.
The Trail of Broken Treaties
In August 1972, tribal chairman Robert Burnette suggested a peaceful march on Washington, D.C. This march became known as the Trail of Broken Treaties. The goal was to show how the government had failed to keep its promises from old agreements. They also wanted to highlight the widespread poverty among Native Americans. The group wanted to create a Federal Indian Commission and get rid of the BIA, among other demands. The organizers first planned a peaceful visit to Washington landmarks. They also wanted to meet with government officials to present their "20 points," which listed their complaints and demands.
About 1,000 activists ended up staying at the Bureau of Indian Affairs building. They were unable to find other places to stay. They caused damage to important files about treaties and the history between the government and tribes. They called for an end to unfair practices within the BIA. Bellecourt, Banks, and other AIM leaders talked with the government. After staying from November 3 to November 9, the government gave the activists money for travel. This led to a peaceful end to the protest.
Wounded Knee Occupation
In 1973, AIM activists were asked to come to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. A local civil rights group wanted help getting better treatment from police in nearby towns. They were also protesting the tribal chairman, Richard Wilson, and poor living conditions. AIM took over Wounded Knee, a town on the reservation. This town was the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre. Soon, FBI agents and U.S. marshals surrounded them. Two people died during the 71-day standoff.
Bellecourt became a negotiator. He, Russell Means, and Carter Camp met with a representative for U.S. President Nixon. They discussed looking into Wilson's money and his private group, the Guardians of the Oglala Nation (GOONs).
After leaving Pine Ridge, Bellecourt and Means were arrested. They were told not to go within five miles of Wounded Knee. After being released, Bellecourt traveled across the United States to raise money for the activists still at Wounded Knee. Charges against Means and Banks were later dropped. No charges were brought against Bellecourt.
During this time, Bellecourt was injured on the Rosebud Reservation in 1973. He was not carrying a weapon. He was flown to a hospital in Minnesota and recovered. News reports had mistakenly said he had died.
After the Wounded Knee occupation ended, Bellecourt gave talks and presentations. He said that these talks were the start of an educational effort by AIM. He hoped the organization would avoid violent conflicts in the future. Throughout his talks about Wounded Knee and the BIA takeover, Bellecourt said that certain government and religious groups were not helping Native Americans. He defended AIM's actions. Bellecourt famously said, "We are the landlords of the country, it is the end of the month, the rent is due, and AIM is going to collect."
In 1977, Bellecourt went to the United Nations. There, he spoke about how Native Americans were treated unfairly in the U.S.
Heart of the Earth School
Bellecourt founded the Heart of the Earth Survival School in 1972. This school was approved as a non-profit organization in 1974. A law called the American Indian Education Act allowed Native American groups to run schools for Native American students with government funding. Heart of the Earth received these contracts for 24 years. The school taught students from preschool through 12th grade. In the 1980s, it added programs for adults and people in facilities. Heart of the Earth also helped with a national law education program.
In 1999, Heart of the Earth became an independent charter school. It took over ownership of its building. It continued to offer many cultural programs, gave scholarships to Native American students, and worked on Native language research. The school's charter was removed in 2008 due to financial problems, and the school closed.
Over its 40-year history, more Native American students graduated from Heart of the Earth than from all Minneapolis Public Schools combined.
Later Work
In 1993, Bellecourt and others led protests against unfair police treatment in Minneapolis. This happened after two Native men were driven to the hospital in the trunk of a police car.
Bellecourt continued to lead AIM's activities in the U.S. and around the world. He helped coordinate the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and the Media. This group has long protested sports teams using Native American mascots and names. They urged teams to stop these practices. The Washington Redskins finally changed their mascot in 2020 after many years of protests. He also led Heart of the Earth, Inc., a center that taught about Native American culture. It was located near AIM's former 'survival school'.
Bellecourt also helped start other organizations. These include the Elaine M. Stately Peacemaker Center for Indian youth and the AIM Patrol, which provides security for the Minneapolis Native American community. He also helped create the Legal Rights Center, MIGIZI Communications, Inc., the Native American Community Clinic, Women of Nations Eagle Nest Shelter, and the Board of American Indian OIC. This last group helps Native Americans find full-time jobs.
In 2016, Bellecourt took part in protests against an underground oil pipeline at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.
Personal Life and Legacy
Bellecourt lived in Minneapolis with his wife, Peggy. They had four children. He passed away from cancer on January 11, 2022, at the age of 85. When he died, Bellecourt was the last living co-founder of the American Indian Movement.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said, "Clyde Bellecourt started a movement in Minneapolis that spread worldwide. His fight for justice and fairness leaves behind a powerful legacy that will continue to inspire people across our state and nation for generations to come." According to Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Neegawnwaywidung was a "civil rights leader who fought for more than a half-century on behalf of Indigenous people in Minnesota and around the world. Indian Country benefited from Clyde Bellecourt's activism."
See also
In Spanish: Clyde Bellecourt para niños
