Agreement between AIM leaders and the government concerning disarmament process of Wounded Knee is in dispute. At the House of Indian Affairs Subcommittee, both sides presented their cases. The government said a call would be made by AIM leader Russell Means to his comrades to tell them to disarm before the meeting. Means said he would make the call only after he had concluded a meeting with White House officials and determined they are in good faith about the agreement. The agreement has no timetable to set down arms. Richard Helstern, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, claims the AIM is reneging on the agreement.
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- Government officials have claimed in recent days that the Indians agreed to lay down their arms before the meeting with White House officials would commence. Indians have claimed that the government is lying about that. We have secured a Xerox copy of the signed agreement between AIM leaders and the government. It says in 0.2, and I quote, "The occupants of Wounded Knee agree to dispossess themselves of all weapons and dangerous devices, and agree to not resume the bearing of the same illegally." Close quote.
But the agreement sets no specific timetable for the laying down of arms. The government's position was outlined clearly yesterday before the House Indian Affairs Subcommittee. I'm quoting now from the Minneapolis Tribune's account of that subcommittee meeting. "Richard Hellstern, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, testified that the department has documented evidence in the form of written statements and tape recordings of negotiating sessions, proving that AIM is reneging on an understanding for disarming the occupying Indian force."
"Hellstern's essential point was that AIM negotiators at Wounded Knee, including Means, had agreed that the disarmament process would coincide with a meeting between AIM and White House officials. It was understood, Hellstern insisted, that Means would call Wounded Knee at the start of the meeting and tell his comrades to disarm. Hellstern explained that the overall written agreement is silent on the question of the telephone call in order to preserve the appearance of flexibility in the Indians' dealings with the government."
Means, however, told the subcommittee that he would make the call only after he had concluded a meeting with White House officials and determined that they are in good faith about the overall agreement. We have secured a tape recording of the final negotiating session between the Indians and the government. This session took place on April 4, one day before the agreement was actually signed. The first voice you will hear is that of Indian Leader Russell Means. The second voice is that of Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard Hellstern who testified yesterday.
RUSSEL MEANS: I wasn't sure whether the actual signing was to go on simultaneous with the meeting, or whether it would be a signed agreement that we would immediately move to the preliminary meeting and to the discussions on how to implement this possession of arms later on.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
RUSSEL MEANS: We contemplate a signed agreement from everyone there. And then, the next immediate step is the preliminary meeting with the White House and then the discussions between [INAUDIBLE] and your people on how we're going to resolve the arms situation. We're on the same wavelength there?
RICHARD HELLSTERN: Right
RUSSEL MEANS: OK. Fine.
RICHARD HELLSTERN: I thought that was cleared up yesterday.
- I'll let that tape run on a little so that we could establish the fact that that was the final statement on the question of arms between the Indians and the government. The question was not raised again in the tape recording that we have of the final negotiating session, and it clearly takes the side of the Indians against the government on this question of what agreement was made at the White House.