Blog I – Emily Chertoff “Occupy Wounded Knee: A 71 Day Siege and a Forgotten Civil Rights Movement” Pg. 347

  1. This is a eulogy because it’s about Russell Means, the AIM leader and activist who died the day before the article was written, and the 71 day siege in Wounded Knee, South Dakota. The article talks about his influence. It’s not only a eulogy, but also a short story because it talks about the events that happened during the siege.
  2. Means was a civil rights activist himself, with a focus on the Native American population. The title relates to how the rights moment is not over, because the work Means did throughout his life was never finished or followed through. The civil rights of Native Americans never became as popular in society as those of African Americans. The rights of Natives are the “forgotten civil rights movement”.
  3. This article is about the juxtaposition of Native culture and American culture. Their interactions are highlighted in a way to show the differences. One is a culture of tradition and lore, while the other is very money driven, materialistic, and change is a primary factor of the culture. Also, the racism that the Natives had to face was a big deal, along with the governmental issues that the tribes were facing. They overall, were resisting changes that were being pushed upon them.
  4. In my opinion, the part that affected me the most would be when it was compared to Vietnam by veterans of the war. To know something as horrific as Vietnam was happening in our nation, to our own people, really makes me think what else we may not know that has happened in our nation. To know that it had escalated to machine gun fire is crazy.
  5. She shows the movement from civil disorder, and rebellion to a civil war. She talks about the siege and how the National Guard blockaded the city so they couldn’t get food or ammunition. It was also mentioned that a sympathetic pilot dropped food into the city so people had provisions to eat. This article/eulogy is well written with many opinions to how it actually panned out.

Leave a comment