Hi Professor. I was having some trouble understanding last nights reading and was hoping I could ask you a few questions.
Thanks for coming in. Of course you can.
So AIM was started as a movement to revitalize Native culture, but I did not understand why exactly.
It was started for many reasons. During the time of its conception, Natives around the country were starting to fight back against the oppression they faced. During this time, there was a lot of police brutality towards Natives and political opposition.
Oh, I see. So what were some of the goals of the movement.
The movement was both political and religious. One goal was to create a pan-Native religion. AIM also wanted to help Natives reach economic independence as well as revitalize traditional Native culture. Aim was also seeking to reclaim land they considered to be illegally seized by the US government and protect the rights of Natives.
Oh that makes sense. So it was similar to the goals of the Ghost Dance ?
In some ways. AIM actually even tried to revive the Ghost Dance religion to show their purpose.
Thats interesting. So what role did religion actually play in the movement?
Religion actually played an interesting role. The founders of the movement viewed a pan-Native religion as a way of gaining legitimacy in the eyes of the US government. They believed they had to create a pan-Native religion if they wanted to succeed in achieving their goals.
I get it now. Thanks for your help.
No problem. See you in class.
Over 30 Million Storyboards Created
No Downloads, No Credit Card, and No Login Needed to Try!