Customer Reviews

Loud Hawk: The United States Versus the American Indian Movement

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I followed up 'Like a Hurricane' with this book. It reads quite easily, like a novel. It speaks of a case against several AIM members in Oregon. The author, Kenneth Stern, became involved in the case as a law student and thirteen years later was a bar certified attorney for one of the defendents. The book is clear on the events that took place and includes interesting discussions of people of and events surrounding the case, including Marlon Brando's role in AIM. One of the most interesting parts in near the end of the book where Stern describes the problems of Pine Ridge. He paints a wonderful, if awful, picture.

The only problem I had with the book was the use of dialogue. I will admit, that is part of what hooked me, but I was also leary of dialogue from more than a decade earlier. Overall, I felt it was a very good book.

Amazing that the Native Americans living today and in the past are called the trouble makers. Each war that broke out or incident that has taken place between the U.S. Government and Native Americans has been started because the white man and his greed just can't ever seem to be satisfied with his lust for money, control, or land from the Native American people. Then when Native Americans stand up for themselves after trying to please the devil whites they are labeled red savages! This book is an eye opener and written in a way that keeps your attention. This is one of the most factual books ever written with a color of truth that can't be denied.

Kenneth Stern has produced this very readable firsthand account of the criminal case United States v. Kenneth Loud Hawk.

The book begins after the occupation of Wounded Knee. In November of 1975, outside of Ontario, Oregon, a state trooper, reacting from an all-points-bulletin from the FBI, pulls over a motor home and station wagon. Anna Mae Aquash, KaMook Banks, Kenneth Loud Hawk, and Russ Redner are arrested while two others, Dennis Banks and Leonard Peltier, dramatically escape from the scene. Eventually all six face charges of illegal weapons and possession of dynamite.

Kenneth Stern is an idealistic first-year law student fed up with insipid law classes. He learns of the arrest and volunteers to help the defense. He takes us through the thirteen-year-long case with great detail, starting in 1976 until Dennis Banks's plea bargain in 1988. A major focus is on the federal government's unethical behavior in their effort to try the Indian defendents. Such behavior includes destroying, manufacturing, and hiding evidence; spying on lawyer's meetings; intimidating supporters, and prejudicing potential jurors. Stern illustrates the lawyer-client relations and has an admirable devotion to his clients. His clients become friends to him, and he spends exhausive hours working on their cases. His skill at elucidating complex judicial processes make it easy to follow events as they unfold. In spite of his strong support of AIM, he preserves enough objectivity to recognize the imperfections of his clients and avoids any shrill anti-government rhetoric.

Unfortunately, the book hints at a romantic, self-serving autobiography. Since Stern was their legal advocate, he tends to focus on his clients' good side rather than criticize their actions. In certain accounts of historical events, such as Wounded Knee in 1890, he uses only one source (in this case, Dee Brown's none-too-carefully written BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE). Like Peter Matthiessen's IN THE SPIRIT OF CRAZY HORSE, Stern seems to take everything said by the Indians as fact, such as the events that occured at the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973.

The book would perhaps suplement Peter Matthiessen's IN THE SPIRIT OF CRAZY HORSE or Paul Chaat Smith & Robert Allen Warrior's LIKE A HURRICANE. Overall, the book is worth the read for anybody interested in a one-sided account of the events that followed the Wounded Knee occupation.

Kenneth Stern caught my attention because I am a history teacher at a junior college. His account of the workings of the FBI's Counter-Intellegence program against the American Indian Movement (AIM) only covers part and parcel of the FBI's role against AIM.

A sad tale of governmental abuse of power, constitutional violations, perjured testimony, suppression of evidence, fabrication of evidence and a long list of wrong-doings that pains the conscience. It is time for the record to be made whole about the entire workings of all parties involved at the time. Justice delayed is justice denied; but justice delayed is always better than justice never granted.

Stern has written an excellent piece of work that should be required reading for all personnel in the Department of Justice, the FBI and members of Congress.

This book was required for my class so I had no choice but to buy it. It actually turned out to be an intersting read, though, so that was a plus. It arrived before I expected and was much cheaper here than it was in the campus bookstore. Overall, Amazon was a great way to go!