History AIM #1 – Indictment AIM

The following is from a tribunal held against Vernon and Clyde Bellecourt.
By the American Indian Movement.

“I would like people to read Russell Means’s book “Where White Men Fear to Tread.” He explains Vernon’s behavior. Vernon and Clyde are the very reason for the split in AIM and we are doing very well and are very alive without them.” –Bobby Castillo

The International Conference Of Autonomous Chapters Of The American Indian Movement.

On December 17 and 18 of 1993 representatives of the American Indian Movement (AIM) chapters from Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Dakota, Montana, Southern Arizona, Virginia, South East Northwest, New Mexico, Colorado, San Francisco and Los Angeles, California met to revitalize and re-focus AIM.

After presenting evidence of acts of treason, fraud, complicity in Genocide and other crimes committed by Vernon Bellecourt, Clyde Bellecourt, the assembled delegates in overwhelming consensus, brought forth an indictment of crimes against the Bellecourts, who fraudulently labeled themselves National AIM officers, Co Conspirators, Tony Gonzales with the International Indian Treaty Council and a Carol Standing Elk who also makes fraudulent claims to “regional” AIM leadership.

The indictment will specifically charge Vernon Bellecourt as being a federal agent of the United States. The others will be charged with crimes and conspiracy to disrupt and discredit the American Indian Movement and bring harm to American Indian Peoples.

The conference made it perfectly clear. There has not been a genuine national membership meeting of the American Indian Movement since 1974. Therefore, no membership authorization for a national office or national officers can possibly be said to have been obtained since that time. To the contrary, it has been specifically determined on at least two separate occasions during the intervening two decades that such a structure and such titles are antithetical to the interest of the movement and of the American Indian people more generally.

AIM Leader ships has always come from the bottom up on a chapter by chapter basis; not from the top down. The series of self-ordained “AIM National Leadership Meeting” conducted during the 1980’s and 1990’s have done nothing to change this essential fact.

The conferences also ascertained, contrary to the statements of the Bellecourts and their cohorts/dupes, AIM is not a corporate entity under the laws of the United States, the State Minnesota or any other foreign government, nor is it an entertainment enterprise, personal freedom, a “career option”, a medium for private profit , or any of the other things this fringe element seems to believe.

Consequently, the conference delegates state without hesitation or equivocation that they collectively reject all pretense too legitimacy or authority of those who call themselves National AIM and/or those individuals it has appointed positions of regional or local “leadership” over the past several months.

Let it be known that it is the unanimous decision of the conference that an International Tribunal be held in San Rafael, California at Dominican College on, 50 Acacia Ave, the 26 and 27th of March 1994. At that time the indictments brought against Vernon and Clyde Bellecourt, and co-conspirators Carole Standing Elk, and Tony Gonzales will be heard and tried.

For further information call:

Russell Means – Phone: 310-396-7764
Bob Robideaux – Phone: 505-281-8274
Bobby Castillo – Phone: 415-386-4373

History AIM #2

THE EDGEWOOD DECLARATION of the
International Confederation of Autonomous Chapters
of the American Indian Movement December 18, 1993

We are the American Indian Movement, AIM. We walk into the future in the foot-steps of our ancestors, following the principles of our traditional spirituality, sovereignty, self-determination, sobriety, and mutual respect. Hence, we are firmly committed to the time- honored indigenous political perspective of the inalienable the inherent right of the people to decide for themselves, by grass roots democratic process, the nature of their destiny.

It follows that we hereby declare and reaffirm that we are, in the manner of those who have come before us, an international confederation, an alliance of fully autonomous but reciprocally supporting chapters. Accordingly, each chapter of AIM agrees to advance the cause of indigenous sovereignty and self-determination within its own context and regional conditions. Decisions of individual chapters are made independently and, given a legitimate local base and constituency, such decisions are to be respected by other chapters.

Our reasons for making this statement, regarding matters which many might consider self-evident, concern certain recent assertions and resulting public confusion fostered by a small group headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, calling itself the National American Indian Movement (N-AIM, or “Naim”; an organization founded, by its own account, in September 1993).

Because of the nature of the false claims advanced by this clique, and the publicity attending their lies, it has become necessary to publicly address and repudiate them. This is especially true with regard to the notion that there exists either a legitimate AIM “National Office” or “National Officers” with authority to appoint or remove local AIM members from whatever positions they may occupy on the basis of chapter affirmation, or to dictate policy” to the movement as a whole.

Let us be perfectly clear. There has not been a genuine national membership meeting of the American Indian Movement since 1974. therefore, no membership authorization for a national office or national officers can be said to have been obtained since that time. To the contrary, it has been specifically determined on at least two separate occasions during the intervening twenty years that such a structure and/or such titles are contrary to the interests of the movement, and of American Indian people more generally.

AIM leadership has always been from the bottom up-on a chapter by chapter basis, not from the top down. And the sporadic and self-proclaimed “National Leadership Meetings” conducted during the 1980s and ’90s have done nothing to alter this essential fact.

Again we must be clear. AIM is not, despite statements lately issued by Vernon and Clyde Bellecourt Carol Standing Elk and others-corporate body, under the laws of the United States, the State of Minnesota, or any other foreign government. Nor is it an entertainment enterprise, a personal freedom, a “career option”, a medium for private profit, or any of the other things this fringe element seems to believe.

Instead, AIM is a bona fide national liberation movement-open to the participation of all indigenous people, regardless of the “status” or recognitionS bestowed upon them by our oppressors – oriented specifically and exclusively to reasserting the sovereign and self- determining dignity of our nations.

Because of all these factors we state without hesitancy or equivocation that we collectively reject all pretense to legitimacy or authority by N-AIM and those persons it has unilaterally appointed to positions of regional, state or local “leadership” over the past several months.

Let it be understood by all those reading this document that we will no longer tolerate the divisiveness and disruption brought about by N-AIM or any similar entity. We have begun the process of doing whatever is necessary to maintain the integrity of the American Indian Movement and the struggle it represents. Anyone considering themselves an ally, supporter or advocate of indigenous rights will respect our position, and respond accordingly.