In recognition of this year’s Indigenous Peoples Day on October 12th, the MPR Archive Portal presents a curated selection of stories, documentaries, arts, interviews and reports on the Native American people.
February 7, 1973 - MPR’s Marvin Granger interviews Native American advocate Ada Deer about Native American struggles, rights, and the confrontational actions taken to draw attention to broken treaties.
May 6, 1973 - Part one of the MER documentary series, A Sense of Place. Program is titled “Anishinaabe Means Original People,” and focuses on conversations with Indian people about their feelings about the place where they live.
May 16, 1973 - Inside Wounded Knee. Kevin McKiernan, who was inside the occupied village of Wounded Knee, described his experience and plays taped actualities of fire-fights between federal marshals and those inside the village. One hears conversations between Red Arrow, the government radio, and the central command radio of Wounded Knee-Clearwater.
June 23, 1973 - Mrs. Abbott Richmond, of the Leech Lake Area Citizens Committee, answers questions as to the purpose of the "Fish-In" that took place at the Maple Leaf Resort. Unable to get their case against the laws resulting from Governor Anderson's treaties heard in court, the group decided to openly break the law requiring tax stamps for fishing on Chippewa Indian land to get their take on the matter a day in court.
October 18, 1973 - Clyde Bellecourt talks about the federal government conspiracy to assassinate the leadership of the AIM. He says the government is blatantly trying to silence voices of oppressed, such as the Black Panther leaders, the May Day 1971 crowds, and the Indians indicted for Wounded Knee. Bellecourt atates that Oglala Nation and AIM accept the challenge of BIA.
December 16, 1973 - Ron Libertus speaks about American Indian art, Native American culture, and family et al.
February 20, 1974 - MPR’s Bob Potter reports on Clyde Bellecourt speech on Indian reform policy.
February 27, 1974 - Native American activist Russell Means, speaks about the desires and needs of Native Americans at rally on the Univeristy of Minnesota campus.
August 1, 1974 - Kevin McKiernan report on the Sun Dance Ritual, a Lakota (Sioux) religious ceremony. McKiernan details the experience of traveling to and witnessing the event, held at Crow Dog's Paradise. This is the first of two reports completed.
August 30, 1974 - Agnes Lamont, mother of Buddy Lamont, who was killed at Wounded Knee in 1973, is interviewed by Kevin McKiernan. Lamont discusses Oglala Sioux on Pine Ridge Reservation.