Russell Means

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Means was born on November 10, 1939, in Porcupine, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, to Theodora Louise Feather and Walter 'Hank' Means. His mother was a Yankton Dakota from Greenwood, South Dakota, and his father an Oglala Lakota. He was given the name Waŋblí Ohítika, meaning 'Brave Eagle' in Lakota. In 1942, the family resettled in the San Francisco Bay Area to escape poverty. Means graduated from San Leandro High School in 1958, attended four colleges without graduating, and later recounted a harsh childhood marked by his father's alcoholism and his own years of 'truancy, crime and drugs' before finding purpose in AIM in Minneapolis. After his father's death in 1967, Means lived on several reservations; while at the Rosebud Indian Reservation, he developed severe vertigo from a misdiagnosed ear infection that cost him hearing in one ear. He later worked for the Office of Economic Opportunity and then moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked with Native American community leaders amid the Civil Rights Movement. Means joined AIM in 1968 and became its first national director in 1970. He participated in the 1969 Alcatraz occupation, the 1970 seizure of the Mayflower II in Boston, the 1971 takeover of Mount Rushmore, and the 1972 occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs headquarters. In 1973, he was a spokesman and prominent leader during the 71-day armed standoff at Wounded Knee. In 1974, he resigned from AIM to run for president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, losing to incumbent Richard Wilson in a disputed election. In the late 1970s, he turned to international indigenous rights work, helping establish the International Indian Treaty Council and traveling to Germany, East Germany, and Switzerland. In the 1980s, AIM split over support for Nicaraguan indigenous groups; Means supported the Miskito group MISURASATA, allied with the Contras, and traveled to Nicaragua in 1985 and 1986. He announced his retirement from AIM in 1988, though the AIM Grand Governing Council noted it was his sixth resignation. In 1993, AIM formally divided into two factions, with Means allied with the American Indian Movement Confederation of Autonomous Chapters. Means began an acting career in 1992, appearing in television series and films including The Last of the Mohicans, Pocahontas, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He released a music CD and published his autobiography Where White Men Fear to Tread in 1995.

Reader's Guide

Russell Means remains a significant and controversial figure in Native American activism. As a prominent leader of the American Indian Movement, he helped bring national and international attention to the struggles of indigenous peoples through high-profile protests such as the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 and the takeover of Mount Rushmore. His activism extended beyond the United States to Central and South America and the United Nations, where he worked for the recognition of indigenous rights. Means also contributed to community institutions on the Pine Ridge Reservation, including a radio station and health clinic. His later career as an actor in major films and television series broadened his public profile, while his autobiography provided a personal account of his life. However, his legacy is complicated by internal divisions within AIM, including disputes over leadership and the murder of Annie Mae Aquash, in which Means publicly accused fellow AIM leaders. His life reflects both the achievements and the fractures of the Native American rights movement.

Did You Know?

• Means was given the Lakota name Waŋblí Ohítika, meaning 'Brave Eagle', by his mother.
• He participated in the 1969 Alcatraz occupation, having previously been there for a 24-hour occupation led by his father in March 1964.
• In 1987, Means finished second (31.4%) at the Libertarian National Convention, losing the presidential nomination to Congressman Ron Paul.
• Means held a press conference in 1999 accusing AIM leaders Vernon and Clyde Bellecourt of involvement in the murder of Annie Mae Aquash.
• He published his autobiography Where White Men Fear to Tread in 1995.