RCMP kept secret 'Red Power' file on dissident natives: Fear of armed confrontat -Native American Indian Tribes - Over 2,000 articles on native american indians, their culture & traditions.

Over 2,000 articles about native americans of the US and Canada First Nations.

Submit your own articles about american indians without knowing any HTML here
Are you ready?

Today's Top Story:

What is the cultural significance of pronghorns to native americans?

Your transactions in our store are secure

Survey

Who is Online

There are currently, 168 guest(s) and 0 member(s) that are online.

You are Anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here

Privacy Policy

Any information collected on our site is used for internal purposes only and will not be shared or sold to third parties!

Videos of the Week

Shoshone-Bannock History in Idaho
PART I OF II: 2008's historic Idaho Democratic Convention, held in Boise, ID, June 12-14, invited Idaho Native American Tribal members from the Shoshone-Bannock/Fort Hall, Shoshone-Paiute/Duck Valley, Nez Perce, and Coeur D'Alene tribal communities to take an active part in the convention activities. On June 12th, the Idaho AFL-CIO hosted a Democratic picnic for convention goers. Mr. Ted Howard, Cultural Resource Director, Duck Valley, spoke to picnic participants about the Shoshone-Paiute-Bannock history in the Boise Valley area. 9:49 minutes.

Part II-Grand Entry, Flag Ceremony and Recessional
All convention tribal members participated in the grand entry at the beginning of the June 13th Idaho Democratic Convention gathering followed by a flag ceremony and presentation by Mr. Lee Juan Tyler, Council Member, Shoshone-Bannock/Fort Hall community. Fort Hall and Duck Valley singers and drummers played songs for the grand entry, flag ceremony and recessional.
9:59 minutes

Native American Prophecy
Narrated by the late Floyd RedCrow Westerman 6:36 minutes

7 Generations
Elder Orin Lyons talks about preparing for the next 7 generations. 8:43 minutes

Custom Search

Activists->Canadian: RCMP kept secret 'Red Power' file on dissident natives: Fear of armed confrontat

Posted on Wednesday, March 20 @ 02:02:10 CST

Keywords: red power movement american indian activists canadian indian activists Red Power RCMP secret documents secret files "Red Power" photograph album militant native actions Red Power movement in Canada National Congress of American Indians American Indian Movement native activists rights-based organizations AIM Canadian Indians Wounded Knee spy agency

Rick Mofina, Vancouver Sun

OTTAWA -- The RCMP monitored and compiled lists of potentially violent, politically active native Indians for inclusion in a secret "Red Power" photograph album during the 1970s, according to newly released intelligence documents.

Canada's spy agency of the day, the RCMP Security Service, feared "armed confrontation" between the government and native activists, and threats to a pipeline running between Canada and the U.S., inspired by militant native actions to the south, according to the records.

The RCMP intelligence records focus on the so-called Red Power movement in Canada, which was committed to radical political action. Red Power members found alliance with such U.S. groups as the National Congress of American Indians and the American Indian Movement.

Stumble It!

Those rights-based organizations called on native Indians to choose between assimilation and being Indian, and advocated that U.S. and Canadian government obligations to Indians are binding.

During the 1970s, tension in which AIM played a prominent role permeated parts of North America's native community, which culminated in violence at Wounded Knee, S.D.

"The appearance of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and its unifying factor in the Indian community has resulted in cross-country travel by individuals in which we maintain an interest," says a report marked "secret" and dated April 5, 1973, titled Red Power Canada.

It was distributed to RCMP division commanders across the country with a request that each division submit a list of individuals it felt should be included in a Red Power photograph album being set up.

"It will be difficult to select individuals to be included," cautions the report, which bears the notation "not to be disseminated outside the Force."

"This album is to contain individuals whom you feel may be involved in acts of violence or whose movements we should be monitoring."

Accompanying Security Service documents indicate that its concerns with native activism of the era were heightened "following the participation of Canadian Indians at the occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices in Washington, D.C., early November 1972," says one confidential intelligence report dated March 23, 1973.

The tensions of the time were marked by an armed standoff early in 1973 for native rights led by AIM at Wounded Knee, located near the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

"The support which AIM has in Canada did not become apparent until AIM arrived at Wounded Knee," says the report.

While hostilities between AIM and the U.S. government were developing, "the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan, using representatives from the Metis Society of Saskatchewan, contributed physically and financially to AIM's cause," say the records.

They also say the RCMP noted that AIM received additional support from natives across Canada.

SOURCE: