Lasting for 71 days and considered one of the “longest-lasting civil disorders” of the 200 years prior, the Wounded Knee Occupation of 1973 was spearheaded by the American Indian Movement (AIM). This occupation resulted in multiple deaths and huge unrest in the community and the nation. These efforts were mostly instigated by a hope to impeach a supposedly corrupt tribal president, Richard Wilson. Additionally, they aimed to hold the United States accountable for staying true to treaties and treating Native Americans fairly and equitably.  

 

AIM, founded in 1968 by Russell Means, Dennis Banks, and other Indigenous leaders, occupied various government buildings, including Alcatraz, over the course of ten years. Acting as the main activist in charge of occupation, your goals will include impeaching Wilson and holding the United States responsible, as well as navigating the tense interpersonal conflicts that are bound to occur during an event as charged as this one.