Ward Churchill Controversy

[Matthew S. Schweitzer]

I only recently became aware of the huge wave of media attention being given to controversial American Indian activist and University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill. I thought this might be of interest for those on this board. I'd be interested to hear other's thoughts on the subject.

www.nytimes.com/2005/02/11/national/11professor.html

[ronnie gunn]

ward churchill
he's is rather typical of the self centered-leftist professors who think that they know it all. his own rantings digrace himself. if I had a son or daughter in that college where he is NOT teaching i would pull him/her out. if you are truly getting an education, you study both sides of every subject, pros, and cons. his students are getting cheated out of an education.i also doubt that he is an indian. i seen footage of him years ago, he was sporting a beard. indians dont grow beards.he passed himself off as an indian on his application, and was hired over 6 or 7 other candidates who were more qualified. he doesn't even have a masters degree. that's what i heard on fox news. aim is losing prestege by associating with him. so he rants about the sale of manhattan, what good does that do? that was then, this is now. many wars have been fought, won and lost, many cultures have clashed in history. the indians lost, because of manpower, greed,technology, etc. so where they go from here is what is important. right now, the casinos are where its at. they should expand them everywhere, and give all indians who want it, a job, or college education. that should be their goal. not standing guard duty over ward churchill. i see where he did not sign the document which is required of all college teachers in the usa, to uphold the constitution, and not incite our govt's over throw. i think they are going to get him. so mote it be.

[Matthew S. Schweitzer]

Churchill seems to generate either hatred or admiration. But you are right that a good student of history needs to study and understand both sides of the story. I remember reading the book Lies My Teacher Told me in high school and being amazed at what in history we never learn or that is glossed over...going on to read books by Dee Brown and Francis Jennings that were absolutely shocking to me. But it is important to understand what is historical fact and what is not. Propaganda and "spin" can go both ways I guess. I do agree that American Indians today have a lot of real world issues that need to be addressed, and arguing over the sale of Manhattan island or the settlement of Plymouth may be useless, but I do think that in order for students today to really understand the truth of American history, these things should at least be presented in a factual context. Churchill himself seems to be a big self promoter, but I think some of the points he brings up are valid. Not being of native blood myself I suppose I don't see it the same way someone of Indian hertiage might. I do agree that the Indian rights movement suffers from negative media attention that activitsts like Churchill sometimes brings, but what else can they do to attract attention to modern day issues that continue to be overshadowed or ignored by the general public? A nagging question that i don't think i can answer.

[ronnie gunn]

the question you present concerning media attention and "what else can they do?" is a good one. i dont think there is one good answer. the fact of high unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, poor schools, lack of interest on preserving the remaining languages, and religious beliefs, remains the biggest problems on the res. many leave, because i am told "it is not a good place to raise kids."
i remember the LONGEST WALK back in 1978. russel means organized it and thousands of indians walked across american to d.c., protesting legislation proposed by ted kennedy to eliminate reservations. on their way they stopped in harrisburg pa. i was a state rep at that time. they announced, on the floor of the state house, that indian representatives would like to meet with anyone willing to help them. i was the only one who did.i met with belcroft...bellcamp...or something like that. when we were introduced he said "we met him before" i believe he was alluding to me looking like general custer. any way, he said they needed food. so i went to h j heinz company, and they gave me a truck load of food. i drove it to indian town gap, where they were camped. i was loaded down to the gills and they unloaded it their camp/kitchen area. no one offered a thank you. i met russel means then and later, but im sure he doesn't remember me.
bottom line is this...i dont think this huge effort on their part accomplished anything. i believe that advancement in living standards and education is accomplished one person at a time. my mother went to the 4th grade, then had to go to work when her dad died at age 32, with 7 kids, one died 6 months later. i graduated from high school, plus a few college years. all four of my kids put themselves threw college on their own. all are successfull by a judgement of todays standards of living. all my grand children go to private academy's were they start them with two languages in kindergarden. so what's the point? the point is, all advancement depends on the motivation and hard work of the individual, no matter what your ancestory is.

[Matthew S. Schweitzer]

>>all advancement depends on the motivation and hard work of the individual, no matter what your ancestory is<<

I absolutely agree. And this just highlights that this is not just an Indian issue, but one that effects any group that is stricken with poverty. How do you motivate people that are in these situations? The easy answer is that they should just motivate themselves, but this really, sadly, turns out to be unrealistic. The loss of culture and heritage is a serious loss to an entire group of people, not just those of native blood, but people like us that are interested in history and other cultures. It seems that the reservation culture needs to be fixed, but how do you do that? Or does it? I don't know, but the real issue is getting young people interested in bettering themselves and getting an education. This is alot harder than it would seem for many people. But maybe that is the real way to save a culture.

The story you were telling is interesting. I'm curious as to your encounters with Russell Means. I've read recently that he has been an outspoken supporter of Churchill's.

[ronnie gunn]

russell means
russell was born in 1939, so he is 65. when i first met him he was 39. it was at indian town gap, during their "longest walk." many indains were there from all over. many joined in on the weekends, and went back to their jobs on mondays.others were there for the long haul. it was started in cal. and crossed the whole usa. means joined inwhen it hit pennsylvania. some indians resented him getting attention that they felt he didnt deserve because he didnt walk the whole way. at indian town gap, after i delivered the truck load of food, i was allowed the freedom their camp. which was very militant. guards with walky talkys were at all access points. russel was sitting on the ground talking to a reporter. there was a large circle of indians around him, a fire in the center. i sat down near russell and listened to him speak.i remember him saying that as the marchers traveled from state to state, they didnt see any lines painted on the ground, seperating one state from another, that it was all "one land" that it all once belonged to the indians. i dont remember our conversation when i met him.
the indian i met in harrisburg was clyde bellecourt. a member of aim. he had been in and out of prison over the years, and was at the wounded knee takeover. he was the front man on the longest walk, getting money, places to camp and other things that were needed. he had been worked over by police many times.where he is today, i dont know. you dont hear about him at all. he might be dead, or just laying low.
russell went to jail for a year in 1978, shortly after the longest walk. he was stabbed while in there, and continued to get press , he went on a hunger strike and almost died. they had to force feed him.
russell wrote a book in 1995, in conjunction with marvin j. wolf. and is entitled, "where white men fear to tread."
he went on a nation wide tour in 96 to promote this book. on april 9, 1996 he spoke at the california university of pennslyvania. i paid the $5 and attended. i bought his book for $25 at the door and took a chance on another one for $1. the way it worked out, i won this one also. i gave it to my son. when i met him to get the book, he autographed it for me, "to ronnie gunn" i asked him what he was going to do with the second half of his life, he said, i like that....he said he was going to continue to fight for indians freedom. and it appears he is.
he spoke for two hours and it was one of the best talks i have ever heard. very inspiring....made you feel like you wanted to do something.... a young lady, a student, who sat down beside me later went to pine ridge to become a teacher. i kept in contact with her for a while. she experienced many problems and was subjected to violence from an indian lover she acquired while there.
lately ive heard that they dont want white teachers on the rez, and those that do experience much racism.
i certainly recomend his book to any one interested in indians and/or indian history. i think its time that i read it again.
one thing that i remember russell saying is, call me an indian, that's what ive always been. the title of native american is one of white america's niceties that russell does not buy into. i speak at many schools in my area on indians and indian artifacts, and i alway tell them that, call them indians, or even first americans, but native american means nothing.
back to ward churchill. i listened to one of his talks in its entirety on c-span. he is a piece of work. when you listen to means, he commands respect. churchill breeds contempt. i was very sorry to see means standing beside him. he didnt speak at that time. i didnt recognize any other aim members on and around the podium, as they were all younger, new people.
finis

[Matthew S. Schweitzer]

This was forwarded to the board...


AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT GRAND GOVERNING COUNCIL


MINISTRY FOR INFORMATION
P.O. Box 13521
Minneapolis MN 55414
612/ 721-3914 . fax [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Web Address: www.aimovement.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ward Churchill was scheduled to speak at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York on February 3, 2005. His appearance was canceled by the college after he caused a public furor over his loathsome remarks about the 9-11 tragedy in New York. AIM's Grand Governing Council has been dealing with Churchill's hateful attitude and rip-off of Indian people for years.



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The American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council representing the National and International leadership of the American Indian Movement once again is vehemently and emphatically repudiating and condemning the outrageous statements made by academic literary and Indian fraud, Ward Churchill in relationship to the 9-11 tragedy in New York City that claimed thousands of innocent people’s lives.

Churchill’s statement that these people deserved what happened to them, and calling them little Eichmanns, comparing them to Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, who implemented Adolf Hitler’s plan to exterminate European Jews and others, should be condemned by all.

The sorry part of this is Ward Churchill has fraudulently represented himself as an Indian, and a member of the American Indian Movement, a situation that has lifted him into the position of a lecturer on Indian activism. He has used the American Indian Movement’s chapter in Denver to attack the leadership of the official American Indian Movement with his misinformation and propaganda campaigns.

Ward Churchill has been masquerading as an Indian for years behind his dark glasses and beaded headband. He waves around an honorary membership card that at one time was issued to anyone by the Keetoowah Tribe of Oklahoma. Former President Bill Clinton and many others received these cards, but these cards do not qualify the holder a member of any tribe. He has deceitfully and treacherously fooled innocent and naïve Indian community members in Denver, Colorado, as well as many other people worldwide. Churchill does not represent, nor does he speak on behalf of the American Indian Movement.

New York’s Hamilton College Kirklands Project should be aware that in their search for truth and justice, the idea that they have hired a fraud to speak on Indian activism is in itself a betrayal of their goals.

Dennis J. Banks, Ojibwa Nation
Chairman of the Board
American Indian Movement
Phone: [phone]


Nee Gon Nway Wee Dung, aka, Clyde H. Bellecourt, Ojibwa Nation
National Executive Director
American Indian Movement
Cell: 612-251-5836
Office: 612-724-3129


Press Contact:
WaBun-Inini, aka, Vernon Bellecourt, Ojibwa Nation
Executive Committee Member
Director Council on Foreign Relations
American Indian Movement
Office: 612-721-3914
Cell: 612-889-0796

For more information regarding Churchill’s fraudulent enrollment:

United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians of Oklahoma
Enrollment officer: 918-431-0385 or 918-456-8698

[ronnie gunn]

it seems there has been a serious split in the AIM. the bellecourt bros were thrown out of the national aim. reasons given are drug use-sales, money being spent on them selves and other reasons. this can be found under russel means on the webb. means has been a long time supporter of churchill, and has worked with him in the past on indian rights. means doesn't care wether he is an indian or not. more on this later.