On Feb. 27, 1973, a group called the American Indian Movement (AIM) seized control of Wounded Knee. Led by AIM leader Russell Means, the occupation began to protest the reservation’s officially sanctioned government under the leadership of Dickie Wilson. Two people were killed during the 71-day occupation, 12 were wounded, including two marshals, and nearly 1,200 were arrested. Inspired by the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, AIM put the issue of Native American rights into the national spotlight.

Russell Means talks about the events of 1973.
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