Anatomy of Activism

Posted by Jeffrey R Gudzune Apr 8, 2007

Non-violent protest is at the heart of political activism in the United States. Some could even argue that it is the common denominator that ties all causes together. In an ideal world this would be true. But idealism must be bound by the rules of reality. There are those groups whose only means of expression are violent acts of vandalism, or worse, terrorism. However, most groups who espouse equality and fight for civil liberties began as non-violent collective efforts to adress social and economic disparities within the United States. Working within the system, Indian activists accomplished more than was thought possible. This was in part due to a surge in national activism among the American people in general. Women's suffrage, black civil rights, child labor laws, and even Socialism were concerted movements in the years before the First World War. The New Deal brought even more social issues to the forefront of national debate. The time was right for Indian activist organizations. While I have only gleaned the surface of the dozens of successful movements that existed during this era, I have tired to include the most prominent in an effort to recognize their accomplishments with respect to the achievment of Native American rights. This does not discount the accomplishments of other organizations that have not been mentioned in this article, and for further study on this topic I recommend Carl Waldman's Atlas of the Native American Indian asa reference. More information can be found through an exploration of the public websites of the nations mentioned in this article.