About Russell Means
Russell Charles Means was an Oglala Lakota activist for the rights of Native Americans, libertarian political activist, actor, musician and writer. He became a prominent member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) after joining the organization in December 1969 and helped organize notable events that attracted national and international media coverage. A visiting specialist later discovered that the reservation doctors had overlooked a common ear infection, which cost Means the hearing in one ear. In 1970, Means was appointed AIM's first national director, and the organization began a period of increasing protests and activism. Many records were taken or destroyed, and more than $2 million in damage was done to the building. On Thanksgiving Day 1970, Means and other AIM activists staged their first protest in Boston: they seized the Mayflower II, a replica ship of the Mayflower, to protest the Puritans' and United States' mistreatment of Native Americans.
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