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Ward Churchill at bookfair- clips
Ward Churchill was one of the speakers at the 12th annual Anarchist book-fair in Golden Gate Park - March 17th 2007. This wasn't taped in its entirely, although several film segments will be loaded here. Churchill was much less grumpy sounding than during part of the Q&A when he was a speaker at last year's event.
It is important to clarify the topic that Churchill spent most of his ~25 minute talking time on. The bookfair is having quite a few panel discussions this year, and during the panel talk on Indigenous Perspectives in Anarchism, a comment was made during a listing of ways in which some anarchist noninindigenous supporters have showed lack of understanding - where they mentioned either Anarchy or Green Anarchy magazine citing Russell Means as a representative indian perspective without qualifying him for some well-known criticisms which seem to be less-known outside of indian circles of his immoderate, intense personality, including an incident with a physical fight with an in-law, where he led a long legal battle to avoid prosecution over the rules of jurisdiction ( http://www.russellmeans.com/read_litigations_01.html http://www.indianz.com/News/2006/016355.asp ). They also commented on John Trudell testifying at the Anna Mae Aquash trial 30+ yrs after her death. While Churchill spent his time responding entirely to this, it is important to point out that that there actually wasn't much of a disagreement or controversy setting up over this- rather, Churchill seems like he is just good at monologuing for 1/2 hour on topics that he is interested in. And as Means' well known friend and political assistant, this was a more favorite topic than whatever he had been planning to talk about earlier. He kept referring to other aspects of struggles from the 70s (for instance, calling some modern antiwar protests similar to a big event where pacifists tried to 'levitate the pentagon' with intense mental focus). Right after the panel, he was seen amiably talking to participants, and they didn't look like had much to disagree about.
Personally, with a sample size of myself, I perceive that the personality issues of Russell Means are more widely advertised than the Big Mountain and Snow Bowl issues, because he is the most well-known indian in the U.S., after being such a prominent leader at the center of the most nationally reported land/sovereignty struggle by AIM in the 1970s. I've heard people even refer to frustration that nonindigenous people *only* are aware of the Pine Ridge Wounded Knee II occupation and the atrocious FBI/government murders and behavior there, and barely any other land struggle focuses. With Russell Means pattern including some violence, large switches in intense opinion including right-wing alliances, and so on, it seems like if he had had a regular secure life, he could be classified as having a maladaptive narcissistic personality. But maybe being like this was a quality that let him become fairly successful in the life he's led. Someone else should probably comment more upon this. I have seen NPR bring on Russell Means as the general 'representative of the indian perspective', and what also seems to happen is journalists calling up the national faction of AIM, after googling their name - and not really being aware of the strong disagreements between different AIM chapters which exist.
Personally, with a sample size of myself, I perceive that the personality issues of Russell Means are more widely advertised than the Big Mountain and Snow Bowl issues, because he is the most well-known indian in the U.S., after being such a prominent leader at the center of the most nationally reported land/sovereignty struggle by AIM in the 1970s. I've heard people even refer to frustration that nonindigenous people *only* are aware of the Pine Ridge Wounded Knee II occupation and the atrocious FBI/government murders and behavior there, and barely any other land struggle focuses. With Russell Means pattern including some violence, large switches in intense opinion including right-wing alliances, and so on, it seems like if he had had a regular secure life, he could be classified as having a maladaptive narcissistic personality. But maybe being like this was a quality that let him become fairly successful in the life he's led. Someone else should probably comment more upon this. I have seen NPR bring on Russell Means as the general 'representative of the indian perspective', and what also seems to happen is journalists calling up the national faction of AIM, after googling their name - and not really being aware of the strong disagreements between different AIM chapters which exist.
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Q&A : Adolf Eichmann - who was he
Mon, Mar 19, 2007 8:45AM
right you are
Sun, Mar 18, 2007 11:35AM
works for me
Sun, Mar 18, 2007 10:42AM
both video clips fail to load/display
Sun, Mar 18, 2007 10:28AM
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