Means, Russell

Means, Russell (1939–  ) Oglala Sioux activist; born in Pine Ridge, S.D. In Cleveland (1970) he founded the second chapter of the American Indian Movement (AIM). His flair for guerrilla theater, including the seizure of the Mayflower II on Thanksgiving (1970) and the Trail of Broken Treaties (1972), helped bring AIM to national attention. In response to clashes between police and AIM supporters in South Dakota, he and 200 followers seized control of Wounded Knee (1973) for 71 days. In 1974 he was defeated in a runoff election by Richard Wilson for the Sioux Tribal Council presidency; although two federal probes sustained charges of threats, bribery, and ballot-stuffing, the Bureau of Indian Affairs failed to order a new election. He continued his calls for action at places such as the Black Hills and the Custer Battlefield National Monument. In 1992 he appeared in the movie, The Last of the Mohicans.