Where White Men Fear to Tread: The Autobiography of Russell Means

by Russell Means, Marvin J. Wolf

Russell Means was the most controversial American Indian leader of our time. Where White Men Fear to Tread is the well-detailed, first-hand story of his life, in which he did everything possible to dramatize and justify the American Indian aim of self-determination, such as storming Mount Rushmore, seizing Plymouth Rock, running for President in 1988, and—most notoriously—leading a 71-day takeover of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973.

This visionary autobiography by one of our most magnetic personalities will fascinate, educate, and inspire. As Dee Brown has written, "A reading of Means's story is essential for any clear understanding of American Indians during the last half of the twentieth century."

Genres: Native American, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Indigenous, Autobiography, Memoir

624 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

Russell Means (Lakota: Oyate Wacinyapin; is one of contemporary America's best-known and prolific activists for the rights of American Indians. Means has also pursued careers in politics, acting, and music.
In 1968, Means joined the American Indian Movement and quickly became one of its most prominent leaders. In 1969, Means was part of a group of Native Americans that occupied Alcatraz Island for a period of 19 months. He was appointed the group's first national director in 1970. Later that year, Means was one of the leaders of AIM's takeover of Mount Rushmore. In 1972, he participated in AIM's takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs office in Washington, D.C., and in 1973 he led AIM's occupation of Wounded Knee, which became the group's most well-known action.

Reviews

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I scarcely know how to comment on or review an autobiography like this. It’s some of the bluntest writing I’ve known. Of course, coming in, I expected Means to be rough on the US government. I did not expect him to be so honest about his own shortcomings. And while I anticipated his anger at Indians who have sold out to the white power structure, I did not anticipate his anger at Indian allies who have let their people down in their own ways. This is quite the story and it seems almost unbelievable to me that the FBI and Washington have sought to rob the Indian nations of their rights, their pride and their lives for hundreds of years, and done so in such wicked and violent ways, then considered themselves patriots for being so ruthless and nefarious. A critical story to be told but not an easy one to stomach.

[Mr Means · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is a good read, there are some serious issues with the "facts" as presented. The name Means is Gaelic in origin and does not come from the mistranslation and shortening of "Trains His Horses well". My and his Great Great... Grand father was not Native.

Russell lived with my Grandfather and Father for a short period of time as stated in his book (although some of the names were inaccurate due to the fog of time). He has also misrepresented his involvement with AIM, as he officially quit many times to the press and re-avowed his membership when he felt he needed to. Go here: http://www.aimovement.org/moipr/onrus..., for more information on this. One could attribute these failures to the fog of time, but one would also think that he would research for accuracy. I was given this book as a gift by my family, and read it with great anticipation, but was sorely disappointed with the inaccuracies regarding the family and some of the events in our (Native) history. Some of the major players who were involved in the 60's and 70's were portrayed in a very negative light in spite of the support they gave us during those difficult times. Read the book, but with the understanding that it is about Russell and his views, but not necessarily those of the family or others

[Adrian Rush · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in a small Michigan town named for an Indian chief who gave his life to save the white settlers there. More importantly, my own ancestry includes some Cherokee and Blackfoot blood. So I've always taken a special interest in American Indians and their struggles to maintain their identity, their dignity, and even their lives. That's why I was attracted to Russell Means' story. This libertarian Lakota is as mad as hell, and he's not going to take it anymore. Not content to live as a broken spirit on a reservation, where he saw his people living in squalor, slaves to addiction and reduced to living on meager handouts from an indifferent government, Means led demonstrations and occupations at Wounded Knee, Mount Rushmore, Alcatraz, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs office, both to bring attention to the plight of Indians and to shake up the often-corrupt tribal bureaucracies themselves. Whether his activism helped or hurt his cause is up for the reader to decide, but his bravery and determination are never in question.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was one mistake I made when starting this book last year, and that was picking up the audiobook. Not because it wasn't good, but because it's abridged so I found myself going wait where's this where's that how are we suddenly there when we were here etc, and I put the whole book on hold until the end of the year when I was ready to read it myself.

It was a really good read, there are some historical events described that I'd never heard of, but am interested in reading up on. Likewise, I found so many new people to research and gained a different perspective on the ones I already knew about.

I was surprised at how unlikeable Mr Means was during certain parts, and that he willingly wrote that into the book. It was sometimes hard to read about the numerous times he got with a new woman, abandoned his existing kids to make more (only to abandon them as well), got drunk, used drugs, partied for days on end when he had other responsibilities...

But I still think this was a valuable read and would recommend it to others interested in his life story, AIM or what life was like for native people from around the 50s to the mid 90s when this book was published (and some retrospectives on the late 1800s and early 1900s).

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hard book to review - a book that will and has divided people. Means was an incredibly controversial person who made a huge impact on the lives of Native Americans during his lifetime. He was an activist, a fighter, an actor and someone who was involved in some of the most pivotal moments for Native Americans in the 1970s-90s. This account is of course from his own perspective and everyone is the hero of their own story - nevertheless, it is still engrossing and incredibly engaging to read.

[Maple · Rating 1 out of 5]

No book has angered me as much as Where White Men Fear to Tread. While I understand the frustration the Means must have felt, especially when looking at the horrid way his ancestors have been treated by the US Government, and the persistent racism that was still visible in the 1980s, but I do not see how he could use this to justify his atrocious behaviors.

Means was an egomaniac and hypocrite who believed in equality for Native Americans. He wanted people to join his movements, and be apart of them. However, he harbored a lot of anger towards white people who supported and helped him. He wanted to end discrimination of native people, and hated when people used racial slurs towards him or other natives, yet freely used racial slurs against everyone else when he felt they were not supporting him or his organizations enough. He also demanded support from other Native American organizations, yet would not support all of them in return. The best evidence of this is when he was approached to help support a movement to bring attention to domestic violence on the reservations. Means, an admitted wife beater, refused to support them.

The point in the book where I realized that there was absolutely no redeeming quality in Means, is when he was on trial in Minnesota for leading the Wounded Knee takeover. As he and several of his fiends were preparing to go hear his verdict, they decided to sneak guns into the courtroom and shoot the judge, prosecutors, and jurors, if he received a guilty verdict.

In the book, Means says he is tired of being arrested. Tired of spending his time in courts and defending himself. Yet he constantly and continued to act in ways that brought him this negative attention. He had no qualms in beating officers, shooting them, setting government buildings on fire, and participating in drunken barroom brawls. He continued to state it was because the police officers were discrimination against him. While I believe that this is partially true, Means was also a thug who put himself in situations that required his encounters with the law.

Means as a human being is not a very likable guy either. He's an alcoholic, who abuses his wives (he had multiple marriages) and abandons his families (when the children are very young), is barely involved in his children's lives after he leaves their mothers, and a racist with violent tendencies, as well as a drug and alcohol problem (that he admits to). Means solution to bring equality and end racism/discrimination for Native Americans is to meet hate with hate, hostility with hostility, and violence with violence, all the while expecting the world to change and bend to his whims. He speaks of wanting peace for himself and his fellow natives, yet he will not do anything to encourage and develop the peace he desires.

This by far was the most frustrating book I have ever read in my life.

[Boreal Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of the most important american autobiographies, ever. Means coherently and movingly tells the story of the American Indian and the genocide and political suppression perpetrated on them. No history of his people is complete without his and his contemporaries stories. No history of white men in America is complete without this story. If it didn't really happen you wouldn't beleive it and since this history is so recent it is so important that it be told.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, but I don't believe half of what he writes. I give him due credit for being a radical and a rascal.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first year in college I was taking a communications/media class that I skipped a lot, which may have been part of why I read the entire book, not just the assigned chapters. One of the extra things I read was an essay by Russell Means. It was fascinating, but also bitter, and I was not sure if I could trust what he was saying, especially his criticism of other AIM members. So later, when he started an acting career, I thought maybe he had mellowed. Maybe not.

That’s still how I find him. Some things he writes could be true, but there are things that are at least exaggerations, if not completely false, and so I find him an unreliable narrator. For example, he refers to the newspapers covering his Red Berets years before they ever wrote about the Fruit of Islam or other groups. Well, I don't know how the newspaper coverage was, but based on the history of the Fruit of Islam, and when they were operating, it feels like an exaggeration. A lot of what he cites feels questionable, and he doesn't do a lot to back up his points.

If I liked Means better, it might help, but while I care about him, I don’t like him. He is so quick to label others as sellouts, phonies, liars, crooks, and thugs, and he seems to do it with no sense of irony when he is by his own account doing many of the same things.

This is important, because many of the actions he takes or contemplates taking are things that would normally be wrong, including murder. There are extenuating circumstances where you can see doing something extreme, but to make that allowance I want to have more faith in his judgment, and I can’t. He complains about things that are awful the same way he complains about things that are really petty, like a newspaper not covering that they swept up a store after they looted it.

Contrasting it with Vine Deloria, whom Means considers a friend, Deloria says a lot of harsh things about white people, but because he seems pretty meticulous in his research, and to be taking it all less personally, that helps me to not take it personally and focus on what he is saying. Perhaps that is the difference between someone who completes law school and someone who bums around for years, sometimes working, often partying, and always moving around.

Reading Means is more like reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X, except that with Malcolm there was a sense that he was cut off if the midst of change, and we don’t get to see how he would have turned out. With Means, he had a lot of time and opportunity, and he had some real gifts of intellect and charisma, and so there is this frustration that he could have been so much more. And he was a lot, I’m not denying that, but I still feel some loss. And yes, there is plenty to be bitter about, but bitterness just doesn’t help.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a white man, I took the title of this book to be a challenge. Where White Men Fear to Tread: The Autobiography of Russell Means is, after all, precisely calculated to draw attention to itself by needling a white person’s conscience. Beyond the title, it doesn’t take long after starting the book to feel as if I passed a simple test. It’s like Russell Means is saying “Here is a line. If you dare to cross it you will be confronted with your own ignorance. If you don’t cross it you are a coward, but if you do and you follow along with me as I tell my story to the end you will benefit immensely even though you will face some tough trials just like I did.” So by the last pages of this autobiography I felt like I had taken a few blows, That is to my benefit. Russell Means, possibly the ultimate American Indian warrior of our time, also leaves himself open to blows. He made a lot of mistakes in his life, but he was man enough to write them into these pages so he and others can evaluate them and learn from his life. Whether you are white or not, that line that Russell Means dares you to cross is well worth the risk.

Like all autobiographies, this one starts at the beginning of Means’ life. His parents grew up in the forced segregation of Indian boarding schools and he was of the first generation to grow up as an urban Indian, attending public schools. That generational shift is an important element in his story. Means was a highly intelligent boy who sometimes excelled academically and sometimes struggled to adjust. He never lost a taste for learning though, even until the end of his life. What he experienced might be typical for a lot of Indian children, meaning broken families, alcoholic parents, trouble fitting in, delinquency, and racism. By his teenage years, he was dealing drugs, drinking a lot, committing petty crimes, and turning into a drifter, moving from city to reservation and back again, mostly in search of work. From a young age, he honed his skills at fighting by getting into barroom brawls and his experiences with the Bureau of Indian Affairs were contentious and disappointing. Again, there is a lot for American Indian people to relate to here.

Russell Means’ political awakening came when he attended an Occupy Alcatraz Island demonstration in the 1960s. A band of native activists gathered on the prison island to declare it a sovereign state for indigenous people. Of course it amounted to no more than a little media publicity, but it sparked a fire, fueled by a high octane grade of testosterone, in Means’ heart that began to rage. Means later found himself in the company of the American Indian Movement (AIM), founding the Cleveland chapter of that activist organization where he took over the job of the BIA by doing the work they were set up to do but weren’t doing.

As AIM turned from being a community services oriented organizations to being a more militant revolutionary one, fighting for the sovereignty and independence of Indian people in America, Means entered the most turbulent period of his life. He organized a cross-country tour called the Trail of Broken Treaties, started the militant occupation of the Wounded Knee battlefield on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, participated in a courtroom riot, helped to destroy the Bureau of Indian Affairs office building in Washington, D.C., and got into a lot of trouble along the way. After several trials, he got exonerated from most of his charges with the help of a team of activist lawyers, though he did end up doing a three year stint in prison. You can criticize Means for embracing violence as his primary tactic and you could possibly say he did more good for his people when AIM was simply providing practical assistance to struggling Indians, but then again, all the violence did draw a lot of attention to the plight of American Indian people and all but started a renaissance in Indian cultural awareness during the 1970s. Besides, the violence goes a long way in illustrating all the pent-up fury that accumulated after so much genocide, broken treaties, stolen land, racial discrimination, and cultural destruction suffered at the hands of the white establishment. The violence is unfortunate, but when looked at in the wider historical context, it isn’t surprising. Part of what makes this book so great is the way Means always tells his story in reference to both history and the contemporary society in which he lived.

After the violent phase of his life, Means became a bit more creative in his approach to activism. He set up a commune to teach people how to live according to traditional Indian ways. He didn’t limit the community to Indians only and in fact allowed people of any race to participate as long as they were there in good faith and willing to contribute something of value to the community. Russel Means had no tolerance for white people who larp as Indians to trick themselves into thinking they are spiritual. He had no tolerance for anthropologists, sociologists, or gawking tourists either. This book makes the point that Indians have a living culture that is neither a museum piece nor entertainment for seekers of novelty.

Also of note is Means’ break with the American progressive Left. While being one of the prominent leaders of the fight for Indian civil rights, he had a contentious relationship with the activists of the post-1960s New Leftt who didn’t approve of his use of violence for political purposes. The big break up came in the 1980s when he visited the Miskito Indians on the est coast of Nicaragua, only to find that the socialist Sandinista party in power were committing genocide against them. After Sandinista militias tried to assassinate Means while conducting bombing campaign against Miskito villages, he returned to America and got shunned by Leftists who refused to believe the Sandinistas would do anything so terrible.

Russell Means turned to the radical American right from then on, making questionable alliances with Larry Flynt, the Unification Church, and the ever-so-flakey Libertarian party who asked him to run in the presidential primary against Ron Paul in 1984. Most Libertarians at that time actually hated Ron Paul and Means lost by only three votes. While Means could sound quite wise and philosophical when discussing the politics of racism and history, he comes off as naive and overly-simplistic when he explains his take on libertarianism. He isn’t any different from other libertarians in that way, but at least in his case it makes sense in the context of an Indian activist who wants freedom from the U.S. government for his people who are sitting on broken treaties that guaranteed them just that.

Unfortunately for everybody, it becomes clear that other Indians were incapable and not motivated enough to keep up with Mean’s never-ending energy and commitment to his cause. He was just one of those people with too much power, moving too fast through life for other people to keep up with.

By the end of the book, Russell Means is living in a treatment facility for people with anger management problems, a place he went to voluntarily. While acknowledging that his anger motivated him to do a lot to uplift his people, he was also courageous enough to admit that his rage also destroyed a lot of relationships in his personal life and led him to commit unnecessary acts of violence that did no one any good. After all he accomplished, he ends his story where he began: with an insatiable desire to learn and improve.

Means didn’t just live the life of a warrior; he also lived the life of an intellectual with a complex mind and a willingness to look at ideas from multiple perspectives. After reading this, it becomes clear that this autobiography is not just about Means telling his story to the world, but it is also a chance to reflect on his own life, searching for what he did right and what he did wrong with the intention of correcting the mistakes he made in the twilight years of his life. Means spent his life attacking American society while trying to rebuild the culture of Indian people and finished by looking in the mirror and confronting the most horrible things he did. Taking that kind of responsibility requires strength of character, a kind of strength that a lot of leaders in America and the world don’t have. I’m certain that Means would say this strength came from his people’s traditions and his connecation to nature.

As a book, there isn’t much here to criticize. Most of it is exciting with non-stop action, running along at a fast and smooth pace. Russell Means is such a polarizing figure though that there may be times when some readers will feel alienated from the story. His machismo might turn some weaklings off; he always did hate pacifists anyways. Otherwise, he says and does a lot of things that will be objectionable to just about anybody. But whether you agree with all of it, some of it, or none of it, he presents his ideas and life story in such a way that it never gets dull and never ceases to make you think.

And yet another great thing about this book is that it gives such a clear picture of what life for Indians, be they urban Indians or reservation Indians, are living through in our times. This is a perspective that will rarely be found in other books. It’s not about the “noble savages” you see depicted in Santa Fe tourist trap art, Walt Disney cartoons, or the junk new age shaman fantasies of Carlos Castaneda. It shows you realistically how real Indians live in the real world in the very real times we are in. This is where many people in our day will fear to tread, be they hippy Indian wannabes or conservatives and businessmen who turn a blind eye to the damage America and other countries have done to indigenous people.

So should white people fear to tread into the pages of this book? I should hope not as long as you are the kind of white person who cares about humanity and can take some constructive criticism without having an existential crisis. Russell Means can be intimidating; he is at times nasty, cruel, violent, impulsive, egotistical, condescending, and a bit of a publicity seeker, but he also has a caring side, a sly sense of humor, an ironic intellect, and an abundant love for his own people, the planet Earth, and, believe it or not, for humanity as a whole. Despite all his rage, he ends up where Malcolm X did after his pilgrimage to Mecca. No, white people and people of any other enthnicity or race, should overcome any fears they have and dive deeply into these pages. That’s what Russell Mean wants. Taking into consideration the things he says will only make you stronger, even if they do hurt. That is the approach of the warrior, even if it means merely being a literary warrior. Go ahead and read this book. I dare you. You’re a coward if you don’t.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the autobiography of the radical and rather uncompromising American 'Indian' leader, Russell Means. Overall I found it an interesting read which I would recommend to others.

[Jackson Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a very picky reader but even though I am just that; the book is magnificent. I would give it five stars. The truth inside the story may be hard for some readers to believe, or even to accept. The struggle Russell Means stands for may not always be an agreeable problem. For someone who went through so much turbulence because of his heritage to write a work of art like this is remarkable.

If you visualize as you read this story you feel the emotion of his words. Up and down like a rollercoaster it takes you through your entire range of emotions from happy to sad, amazed to dis-belief.

By the time you finish you understand why he is the person he is. I think his life proves why he is one of America's most important leaders. You don't have to be from the Dakotas or Oklahoma to understand this book.

It would be an honor to meet him and shake his hand, and I think everyone should read this autobiography so you can learn the truth about so many things we were never told or taught in school.

[Alexandra Cornelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book i truly captivating and I can't put it down, i'm halfway trough it. I think it offers a valuable insight into the real situation of american indians in the 19th and 20th century. It perfectly describes the harsh conditions under which they struggle to survive and all the anger that they show sincer they were deprived of their land and rights. But despite being a very good narrator, Mr. Means was a vey controversial man who has done many bad things. This is also quite natural when you grow up in a family where education means violence and when you live in poverty. THis book perfectly describes how lost the indians are, not being able to practice their spirituality and ways of life and they all respond to this with a lot of anger. After all, violence and agressive attitudes are representative of low social classes, and in America the indians were treated worse than the poorest of people. I would encourage everyone to read this book, and try to see things from their point of view as well.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Means is a uncompromising activist he doesn`t make excuses for being a radical and for having had contacts with other radical groups. He has a aim for his people and he only cares about his people.

He doesn`t make excuses for disliking white people, esspecially rednecks. Although I don`t agree on his views on the white working class. It were the big coperations who stole the indian lands and dumped the Indians in white society and forces the Indians to integrate.

His criticism of the ignorant letwing wannabee white people and orthodox marxists are spot on. Leftwingers care as much about the Indians as the rightwing rednecks they just want to instrumentalize them for their own causes.

[Lee Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute all time favorites. Don't let the thickness of this book scare you! This autobiography tells, "The other side". Russell Means is a true American Indian activist/leader, who fought for his country, stood up for his rights and the rights of his people and the land. I found this book to be honest, direct and eye opening. It gives light, reason and understanding to
what really happened at Wounded Knee. Since reading this book, I have traveled to meet Russell Means to see for myself what a real warrior is. Magnetic & honorable - Russell Means.

[Devowasright · Rating 5 out of 5]

i truly engrossing account of the rise of AIM, the American Indian Movement, and all the horrors that led up to it and followed. The author definitely paints himself in the best light, but given all that happened i think that is justifiable. it bogs down a bit toward the end, but i think this should be required reading for every American citizen.

[Da1tonthegreat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, despite it being the overly lengthy autobiography of someone I only heard of recently. Brave Eagle (legal name Russell Means) was a militant Oglala Lakota nationalist and a major figure in the American Indian Movement. He lays out his whole life story in this book. Means rejects that mode of living and thinking which he calls 'European' and which others would call 'globalist,' the anti-life, materialist, capitalist imperialism that destroyed his civilization (and ours).

Unlike the black civil rights movement, the American Indian movement was an uprising of the descendants not of slaves but of warriors. Indian braves carried out the armed takeover of Wounded Knee, declared a sovereign Lakota state, and shot it out with the feds. While indigenous people's movements typically fall on the political left and AIM was no exception, Means was a Libertarian who rejected Marxism as much as he did capitalism. Declaring himself a "born-again primitive," he denied Christianity and embraced the spirituality of his ancestors. It's very easy to sympathize with his desire for a traditionalist ethnostate for his people

[Jonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and was fortunate enough to have the chance to meet the author at a book signing. It was just after "The Last of the Mohicans" had come out with Daniel Day Lewis as Hawkeye. Mr. Means was an imposing figure. Well over 6 feet tall, he had gorgeous, shining black hair, in braids, and penetrating eyes. He spoke for awhile and then signed books and I remember when it became my turn and he asked for my name, and I told it to him, he said, "Jonna, you live in a beautiful land. Take care of it." And I said, mesmerized, "Yes, sir" ... He passed away last year, but I will always remember that exchange. And the book is a great memory of the man as well.

[Malcolm · Rating 1 out of 5]

From selling adulterated weed to clueless white kids to ranting about how other tribes have "stolen" sacred Lakota ceremonies for the pow-wow, Means displays a mean streak of both reverse racism and a puritanical side. He may have quit drinking alcohol at some point in his uneven life, but he never lost the alcoholic's manipulative need to be in control of the situation at all times. His autobiography is self-promotion of a controversial career littered with broken promises and ruined relationships, take it with a large quantity of salt.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This autobiography examines in depth the life and times of Russel Means, an activist that continues to fight for native american sovreignty. His story will make you appreciate the extent of his convictions and it will underscore governmental plots to discredit the American Indian Movement.

[Debewin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book by a fearless leader

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book i believe i have ever read; I've actually read it twice purely because there is so much information in it that i couldn't take it all in at first.

I personally took a dislike to the man (and believe now he's older he has sold himself out to the people he spent his life fighting against). I don't agree with the way he has done certain things, but I believe in everything he stands for and understand that there were certain things that had to be done to get the point across. At the end of the day he had to do what was right for him and his people at the time. It chronicles life as a native in the 20th century, and how himself, and his people have tried to get back what they are rightly owed, and to gain the respect that they so rightly deserve. How they want to be seen as equals and be allowed to be themselves.

It also chronicles the kind of man that he was; at times not the nicest person, but he is able to own up to his faults and face his own personal demons, which is no mean feat for anyone.

Many people outside the US see the Native people as some kind of magical, spiritual beings (almost deity like); they're not. They are real humans facing uphill struggles and battles that we (unless you are an indigenous person) could never understand. Russell brings those struggles to life in the way he tells his story. Whether you love or loathe him at the end of this book, you can't help but be touched by it in some way.

If you only read one book in your life, make it this book.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A candid autobiography of an interesting individual whose impact on the radical times of the 1970's is without doubt. It is a book full of braggadocio about his partying, fighting and womanizing in addition to his work with AIM. Kudos for including details that didn't always portray Mr. Means in the best light: alcoholism, spousal abuse, neglect of his children. Probably included in part as therapy as it seems that this book may have come about as part of his treatment for anger management. As a woman it was difficult to read at times because, while you get the idea that Mr. Means recognized the above listed faults and by the end of the book was working to deal with them, I am not sure that he recognized nor saw his misogyny as a problem at all. I literally had to put the book down in disgust and walk away when reading about how he seduced his third wife when he was in his mid-thirties and she was a high school student at the time. I found I had much sympathy for the women in his life who he kept leaving. Hopefully the last 20 years of his life after this autobiography was written were happier times for Mr. Means and his family. There were so many inconsistencies and contradictions within this book and it was hard at times to decide what was the truth, what was embellished truth, what was complete fabrication and which viewpoint Mr. Means actually held.

[Eden Silverfox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Russell Means was an American Indian activist, part of the American Indian Movement and later in life, an actor. I've only seen a few of the movies he was in, Disney's Pocahontas and the 2007 movie Pathfinder.

I've read a lot about him online, about his life and the things he has done, both good and bad. Even after reading his book, I'm still not sure what to think of Mr. Means.

One thing is for sure that he got people's attention. I definitely learned a lot more about him while reading this book and even though I am Indian too, there are many things that I disagreed with. Russell Means and I definitely don't share the same views on everything, or view the way to handle things in the same manner. However, I will say that this was interesting book and I did really like reading it, even if I disagree with a lot of his views. I think some of the parts I most enjoyed were reading about his kids - He seemed to really care about them and it's too bad he wasn't in their lives too much for many years.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about Russell Means's life, I would say read this book and I'm sure you'll find it interesting. May Russell rest in peace.

[Kathryn French · Rating 5 out of 5]

Russell Means's autobiography is well worth reading, for several reasons.
First it is an unvarnished honest look at life as an Indian in the US in the 20th century. He tells about his own life, and about what the current modern culture is doing to the Indians' traditions.
Second, as a political activist, he has a unique perspective on what the western hemisphere governments have done to the native peoples of the Americas. It isn't pretty.
Third, and most pertinent to today's climate under the administration of the 45th president, he unveils Washington as having been full of lies, deceit, and obstructionism for many of the preceding administrations, under both Republicans and Democrats. We all know politicians can be devious/dishonest, but I found it helpful to read concrete examples of earlier malevolence, to realize such behavior is not a new thing in government.
I pulled a quote, from page 488, that was revealing. Means wrote this in 1995:
"As an Indian and a Libertarian, I saw that unless something was done to awaken the people, as William Shirer wrote in the 1950s, America will be the first country to become fascist democratically - a process that has begun."

[Todd Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will change everything you thought you knew about Russell Means, released in 1995, it explores his life up until then. An activist for the rights of American Indians during his life, Russell had plenty of issues/run ins with the US Government and was arrested several times, even ran for President on the Libertarian ticket. You really see how racist and backwards the government and Bureau Of Indian Affairs really are, even to this day. I really recommend this book and it will definitely change the way you think about Russell, American Indians, and even the government and our treatment of the Indians.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very honest account of the life of one of the most controversial and influential Native American activists of the 20th century. Whether building coalitions to stop the strip mining of the Black Hills, or occupying Wounded Knee for months, the courage and conviction of Russel Means shines through his book. While his methods may be jarring, what is more surprising is his descriptions of the tyranny of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Far from promoting Native American sovereignty, it appears from Means’ account that the BIA interferes at any point when indigenous exert “too much sovereignty” in politics, religion, and freedom of expression. The fact that our agency of Indian Affairs had a shoot to kill order on the author of this book should tell us something about its purpose. Means explains in no uncertain terms to goals and consequences of policies such as boarding schools, relocation, allotment, and termination as a continuation of cultural and physical genocide against his peoples. The sterilization of indigenous women in IHS facilities is a testament to the desire of the US government to eliminate our First Peoples and make miserable those that remain. Means is by no means a perfect human, but his story reminds us that none of us are. He affirms that despite what we or the US government may want to believe, we did not kill all the Indians. They are very much here. And we are better because of it.

[James F · Rating 3 out of 5]

The autobiography of Russell Means, one of the leaders of the American Indian Movement (AIM) at the time of the Wounded Knee occupation. If anyone thinks that the genocide against the American Indians is ancient history, they should read this book. It describes in painful detail the racism against native Americans during our own lifetimes, the corrupt and scandalous role of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the continuing theft of Indian land, and the many violations of human rights, including murders, "disappearances", beatings, rapes, frame-ups, and judicial misconduct on the part of local, state, and federal law enforcement and officials. It's also in many ways an inspiring book, on the resistance of the Indians especially in the late sixties and early seventies when American culture was beginning to radicalize, although it's also disheartening as it goes on into the period of reaction from Carter and Reagan on.

I was aware of the Wounded Knee occupation when it was going on, and in fact the first radical political meeting I ever attended was to hear Lee Brightman, another AIM leader, speak about the occupation. However, I was not aware of many of the other AIM activities, such as the Yellow Thunder Camp. Just for the radical history of the period, this book is worth reading.

However, there are problems with the book as well. Means was certainly militant in his activities against the racists and the government, and is a fund of information about US Indian policy. He is very open about many of his own shortcomings, such as his problems with alcohol, his tendencies to violence, and his neglect of his family. But there is also throughout the book an undercurrent of attacks on other AIM leaders, especially Vernon Bellecourt. I suspect that part of the problem is that Means seems to have no sense of the importance of winning people over; his tactics are always confrontational, and he must have been difficult to work with in an organization. He also tends to let his personal friendships or dislikes of people affect his political evaluations. But toward the end of the book, I realized that there was a more fundamental political problem: Means has a very traditional, spiritualist-religious approach and no realization of the larger political issues in society other than racism, which led him to make some very questionable alliances, for example with Larry Flynt, with the Moonies, and finally with the Libertarian Party. He was (or at least became) an extreme anti-communist, who calls the present US government "socialist" and supported the US war against Nicaragua. This undoubtedly was one of the reasons for his break with AIM. I intend in the next few months to read the autobiographies of some other AIM leaders such as Leonard Pelletier and Dennis Banks which may shed more light on the disputes.

Ultimately, though, this was a book very much worth reading, and for all his political errors, Means is a person worthy of respect for his sincerity and courage in fighting for his people.

[Allee · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I kind of had to read this book at a sprint because it sat on my table for awhile and then all of a sudden was due back at the library and couldn't be renewed... so I tried to read it in about 3 days. It's about 550 pages. It was hard.

That being said, I'm glad I read it. I'm relatively aware of how much Indians have been screwed over, but because they've been successfully ghetto-ized (as in, pushed back into a confined area), it's hard to really see the impact of the reality of that. But then I just got a 550 page dose. And I enjoyed it not only because of the light it shed on the ghettoization of Indians, but also the insight into Indian spirituality and worldview, as compared to the white/Western/Eurocentric linear thinking that dominates America today. It's a more holistic worldview where people see themselves as one part of an equation and the focus is on being in tune and being present with your surroundings. I think obviously that characterization is missing a lot but, it's part of the impression that I was left with. And that's not a groundbreaking realization or insight, but to have delved into it for 500 pages I got a better sense and understanding of it. It's a damn shame we've done our utmost to stomp it out.

I'd recommend it if you're into those kinds of things, learning more about the recent history of American Indians and activism (much of the book traces his role in AIM, a radical Indian org from the 70s) and experiencing more of an Indian perspective. It has led me to think a little differently about things, hopefully that lasts.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very long autobiography about a disillusioned, bitter and angry Indian, as Means preferred to be called. His anger, at times is quite understandable under the circumstances that he describes. However he was also a very self-assured and no-nonsense type of man. His righteous and staunch defense of his people, their land and their rights, is commendable but often too disjointed, especially his assorted trials. He often failed to take responsibility for his actions, however misguided, for his children, for his drinking and anger. Yet you get to see his behaviour and attitudes, warts and all. There's no doubt that he was a figure to be reckoned with. I did admire his bravery in the face of bureaucratic bs that constantly stalled every opportunity for advancement, whether his own or his nation's. Although it was written with Marvin J Wolf, you really hear Means' voice throughout the narrative. With that said, the US owes much to the Oglala Nation (along with every Native American nation in North Am.) and I believe there will never be enough money or compensation for the centuries and subsequent generations of stolen land and broken lives. A must read if you're at all interested in AIM, Wounded Knee or activists from the 70s who tried to bring pride and traditional values back to their people. RIP Russell Means