Socialist Action & Native American Liberation

Introduction: Racism is a major pillar that props up American capitalism. Native Americans know all too well the destructiveness of American capitalism. We salute the struggles of Native Americans to defend themselves, their culture and their sovereignty. We fully support the right of all Native peoples to self-determination.

We’ve set up this page to post materials on this very important question, as well as reports on the anti-racist and national liberation struggles within the borders of the U.S. We welcome your feedback. Below is a list of articles and resolutions from Socialist Action and YSA, as well as a collection of links to other websites with information about the Native American liberation movement. We welcome your feedback on the materials on this page.

Native American News & Views:

The Case of Leonard Peltier: When Christopher Columbus set foot on the island of Hispaniola in 1492, he began a process of genocide which would last until modern times. Since Columbus’s fateful voyage, Native American peoples have faced an onslaught of European disease, war technology, and trade that has irrevocably altered their cultures and resulted in the loss of their lands and lifeways. continued

MN Chippewa Tribe to Receive Venezuelan Oil: Minnesota is known for its bitterly cold winters, and in the homes of many low income people in the state, paying for adequate heat is a major concern. This winter the six bands of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe got some unexpected assistance in paying their heating bills. Where did this assistance come from? Venezuela! continued

Who to Thank on Thanksgiving: Behold the Thanksgiving feast. Not the one in the history books – the one on your table. The star of the show is almost surely a turkey, with a support cast of a variety of vegetables: potatoes, corn, and maybe some varieties of beans and squash. Where did those biological entities, in their present forms, come from? Were they created by an “intelligent designer” or did they arise by natural selection, along the course of Darwinian evolution? The correct answer is “neither of the above.” continued

Vigil Held Calling for an Independent Investigation into the Death of Native American David Croud: On October 13 a 29-year old American Indian man by the name of David Michael Croud was beaten and arrested by theDuluth police for alleged public drunkenness. After police took Mr. Croud into custody he was taken to SMDC hospital, where he was sedated, went into a coma, and died six days later. continued

‘Walking While Indian’ in Bemidji, MN: “My question to law enforcement is when you have two guys who are Indian on the left side of the street and two guys who are not Indians on the right side, why do the officers stop the Indians first and question why they are walking on the street? What’s the probable cause? We call it ‘WWI,’ walking while Indian.” continued

Winnemem Winto Fight Shasta Dam: This past year has proven to be a hard one for Native American tribes in California. The endured hardships have ranged from state government attacks on Native casinos to Governor Schwartzeneger’s recent vetoing of legislation that would have banned the use of the term “Redskins” by athletic schools in the state. continued

Many Trails of Tears: When the phrase "Trail of Tears" is used, many people think of the horrendous death march of the Cherokee peoples, from what is now called Georgia, to reservations in the Western territories. Thousands died during the forced march, from cold, from sickness, from heartbreak at the idea of leaving their ancestral lands, to satisfy the land greed of the white settlers. continued