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Like a Hurricane: The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee

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I knew nothing about any of the events depicted in this book. They had been referenced in some other readings I had completed so I was seeking out more information. I felt this book was a great synopsis of the events of the Indian rights movement of the 60's and 70's. I was disappointed in the lack of information on Leonard Peltier and his situation. I wanted the book to continue for a few more years! I think it is sad that the general public has forgotten, so quickly, what occurred during this time. I was born in 1965 and I think once this movement was waning from the media, it was quickly forgotten by the majority of Americans, which is sad. I would recommend this book to anyone searching to understand the plight of the Native Americans today and the history of their search for freedom and the right to exist as they choose.

This book picks up where Dee Brown's Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee leaves off. I was afraid when I ordered this book that it would be too politically technical, but it wasn't at all. It really held my interest right from the beginning. It's the first insight that I've really been exposed to about the Native American Civil Rights Movement. The authors really tried to be as unbiased as possible by not only exposing the deceit of the US Government, but by also exposing the weaknesses and mistakes within the Native American factions who were originally involved in the early movement. After reading this book, my wish is that some day I'd love to have dinner with Dennis Banks and Russell Means. What interesting conversation and stories they could tell!!! What true (Native) American heroes they are!

As suggested by the title, Like a Hurricane is a dedicated history of the struggle for Native American rights. It covers the formative period, including the takeover at Alcatraz and the BIA building in Washington. It does a great job of stringing the events together and showing causes and effects.

This book is generally for those interested in modern Native American History, government tactics for derailing racial movements and people in need of background for dealing with the plethora of Native American activists communities.

I really enjoyed Like a Hurricane, but my only qualification is that the epilogue of Wounded Knee seems incomplete. What about the disappearances and murders of AIM members and supporters in the wake of WK? Given all the extraneous biographies the book covers, why not a little more depth on the aftermath of the central event? Understanding Peltier's situation (which was alluded to) requires an understanding of the context of violence and repression on Pine Ridge following the WK uprising. Nevertheless, excellent background work and a fantastic piece of qualitative research.

Well written book by Native Americans who write an objective history of the 60's style Indian movement that merged into Dennis Banks' American Indian Movement. The first section about the Alcatraz take over is very informative about the Bureau of Indian Affairs plan to move Indians off the reservation to assimilate them in Cities. Unfortunately, many of the Indians that relocated off the reservation ended up in their own Ghettos in poverty. However, these urban Indians such as the Mohawk Russell Oakes get personally involved in the take over of Alcatraz. The authors define well how the plans to take over landmarks comes about, the value of publicity and they bluntly
describe the failures in organization. The failures botch attempts to take Ellis Island and leave the Trail of Tears caravan virtually without shelter which inadvertently results in the take over of the BIA building. Unfortunately, the movement seems to falter with acts of vandalism, burning of a building in Custer, South Dakota and the destructiuon of buldings at the seige of Wounded knee and the unfortunate circumstance of kidnapping. The damage to property, reports of alchol abuse such as the get together in Warrenton, VA. undermines the movement in my mind. Thse acts seemed to diminish the goals of the Indian Movement although the authors make a point that even Martin Luther King could not control all the elements of his movement. Although the actions of AIM do obtian publicity and sympathy for their movement, the authors ironically note that their followers never materialize in large numbers. The book peaks with the reoccupation of Wounded Knee that succeeds as a great reminder of the mistreatment Indians in the past and invoking tribal rivalry between the current council President and AIM. In the finale, the authors note the failure of AIM to maintain itself after many of its leaders such as the charismatic Russell Means are put on trial or in some cases put in jail. The authors quote admirers and critics of the movement which is punctuated with the lack of concrete ideas that could translate to realistic acheivable goals and a lack of organization. Overall a very fascinating book that I wish spent more time on the transition of its main leaders to "Reborn Capatalists" (Banks)
and movie Stars (Means - Pochohontas and "the Last of the Mohicans). In addition, I wish the book provided more detail on the desires of reservation Indians, their problems and ideas for positive change. Very unfortunate that Clyde Warrior, one of the main leaders of the 60's rebirthing of an idealistic Indian movement, dies in the late 60's at the youthful age at 29. If he could have maintained his health and vision, his impact on AIM might have led to greater organization and acomplishments.

It was interesting to note that the authors refer to Sitting Bull as a Oglala Sioux when in fact he was a Hunkpapa Sioux (page 190).

I found the book most interesting, it has inspired me to find out more about the subject. I feel that the book benefitted from its comments on the failures of the movement, as well as it pulling on many varying sources, giving unbias opnions on the facts. The book was enthralling in many parts as you learnt first hand the feelings that people experienced in this time of 'reveloution', and also the great lengths that many went to, so that they could say they were part of the movement. An excellent read.

This book is a fabulous overview of a widely ignored and/or distorted movement in American and Indian history. The authors successfully led me through events that previous writers have misrepresented, in a mostly objective fashion. This book was my starting off point for a year's worth of research on the Trail of Broken Treaties of 1972. It was instramental in placing events in historical context, keeping me focused, and being a guide to other sources.

The book is good, but it does not include anything on the much-needed social programs started by or with help from the American Indian Movement. For example, The Legal Rights Center, Heart of The Earth Survival School, Red School House, International Indian Treaty Council, Little Earth of United Tribes housing project, Women of All Red Nations, American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center (AIOIC), Anishinaabe Akeeng, National Coalition on Racism in Sports & Media, and the Elaine Stately Peacemaker Youth Center, etc. These are just the programs begun in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, not to mention others around the country. In most books about AIM, not just this one, alot is said about the headline-making occupations and trials, but nothing is mentioned about the equally, if not more important social service work done by AIM. Readers should know this about AIM too. Thank you. Megwech.

Unlike "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse" which was a more hysterical presentation, throwing out a patch quilt of names, bar room brawls, arrests and killing, I found this book very informative, very well written, and very even handed. I would never have guessed from Mathieson's book, for example, that the American Indian Movement, like so many others of that era, started as a movement of students and intellectuals. Also the authors seem to feel that "the incident at Oglala" which has attracted so much press and celebrity attention, basically took place after the death knell for the movement had been sounded. To some of the authors' ideas as to the reason for the demise of the movement, I would add another, from the pespective of a white student at the time. That reason is simple bad timing. We had supported Black Power, We had supported the Chicano grape-pickers, We had protested the War in Viet Nam. American white society, which has admittedly a very short attention span was growing tired of causes. When Watergate came along the baby boomers felt vindicated and so we put aside our anger, and started working toward lives which ended up to be much like those of our parents' generation. Just a few years earlier we would have supported and Indian movement. Now sadly we just didn't care.

This book focuses on AIM (American Indian Movement). It follows the movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee. The thing I like best about this book is that the author shows how AIM failed but shows that AIM failed due to internal divisions as opposed to outside forces. The indian movement was radical and young, which cause many of the elder Indians to avoid the movement.

I am a grad student who read this book in preparation of a paper on the movement. I did not know my precise focus, but after reading this book I thought my focus should be the disunity of the leadership of AIM. This book presents a leadership that could not seem to come together on a precise mission. The key figures seem well-intentioned but their lack of agreement on direction seemed to tear things apart.

This book has a lot of great information about the leadership and it is a excellent reference for learning about the seizure at Alcatraz, the Native American Embassy and the second seige at Wounded Knee. I think my problem with the book was that I had heard of these events for years and had romanticized them and to read the problems AIM faced internally left me surprised and let down.