Trail of Broken Treaties

The Trail of Broken Treaties (also known as the Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan) was a cross-country protest by American Indian and First Nations organizations that took place in the autumn of 1972, intended to bring attention to American Indian issues such as treaty rights, living standards, and inadequate housing.

The eight organizations sponsoring the caravan included the American Indian Movement, the National Indian Brotherhood (a Canadian organization), the Native American Rights Fund, the National Indian Youth Council, the National American Indian Council, the National Council on Indian Work, National Indian Leadership Training, and the American Indian Committee on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

In Minneapolis, a Twenty-Point Position paper was drawn up. [http://www.aimovement.org/ggc/trailofbrokentreaties.html]

The caravan began on the West Coast in October, with protesters traveling by car, bus, and van. It reached its destination--Washington, D.C.--in early November (the week before the day of the presidential election), culminating with the takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs building by participants.

References

*Deloria, Vine, Jr. (1974). "Behind the Trail of Broken Treaties: An Indian Declaration of Independence. New York: Delacorte Press.

External links

* [http://siouxme.com/lodge/treaties.html Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan page]
* [http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1036161439 30th Anniversary Memory]