---
title: "Russell Means | Native American History"
description: "Russell Means was a Lakota activist and AIM leader who used protests, media, and politics to fight for tribal sovereignty and Native rights."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/native-american-history/key-terms/russell-means"
type: "key-term"
subject: "Native American History"
unit: "Unit 8"
---

# Russell Means | Native American History

## Definition

Russell Means was a Lakota activist, AIM leader, and public spokesperson for Indigenous sovereignty in Native American history. He is best known for his role in Wounded Knee and the broader push for Native self-determination.

## What It Is

Russell Means is a major Native American activist in twentieth-century United States history, especially in the story of the American Indian Movement and modern Indigenous resistance. When this term shows up in Native American History, it usually points to a person who turned protest into a public challenge to federal Indian policy.

Means was born in 1939 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and grew up with Lakota cultural roots that shaped his politics. He became one of the most visible voices in AIM, the movement that organized against police brutality, poverty, broken treaties, and the long history of federal control over Native communities. He was not just a background organizer. He was often one of the people speaking directly to the press, federal officials, and the public.

His best-known connection is the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation, where AIM members and Oglala Lakota supporters held the village for 71 days. Means became a public face of that standoff, which forced national attention onto treaty violations, tribal corruption, and the demand for Native self-determination. If you see Wounded Knee in a lesson, Means usually appears as part of the leadership and media strategy around the occupation.

He also fits into the bigger shift in Native activism from protest to policy change. After the activism of the 1960s and 1970s, federal policy moved toward more tribal control, including the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. Means is often used to show how activists pushed those changes by making Native issues impossible to ignore.

Means also used acting, writing, and campaigns for political office to keep Indigenous issues in public view. That matters because Native American History is not only about battles and treaties, it is also about who gets to speak for Native nations in modern America and how activism reaches the wider public.

## Why It Matters

Russell Means matters because he connects several big ideas in Native American History: resistance movements, tribal sovereignty, and the struggle over who controls Native futures. If you are studying the 1960s and 1970s, he is one of the clearest examples of how Indigenous activism moved from local protest to national confrontation.

He also helps you see that Native resistance was not only military or legal. Means and AIM used occupations, speeches, press coverage, and public pressure to challenge U.S. policy. That makes him useful for comparing different kinds of resistance, from armed conflict to organized protest to political lobbying.

In a broader course, Means also shows the relationship between activism and change in federal law. His era overlaps with efforts that strengthened tribal self-determination and shifted some power back toward Native communities. When a prompt asks how Native leaders responded to assimilation policies or government control, Means is a strong example to use.

He is also useful for discussing representation. Means used film and media to spread Native issues beyond reservation communities, showing how culture and politics can work together in Indigenous activism.

## Connections

### American Indian Movement (AIM)

Russell Means is closely tied to AIM because he was one of the movement’s most visible leaders. AIM formed in 1968 to confront police brutality, discrimination, and federal neglect, especially in urban Native communities. Means helps show how AIM mixed protest, media attention, and direct action to demand change.

### Wounded Knee

Means is most often studied through the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation. That event put Native grievances on the national stage and turned treaty violations and reservation conditions into a public crisis. If a question asks why Wounded Knee mattered, Means is part of the answer because he helped lead and publicize the standoff.

### Tribal Sovereignty

Means argued for Native nations to govern themselves rather than be managed by the federal government. That makes him a strong example of tribal sovereignty in action, not just as a legal idea. His activism shows how sovereignty can be demanded through protest, policy pressure, and public messaging.

### [Indian Civil Rights Act](/native-american-history/key-terms/indian-civil-rights-act)

This law is connected to the broader era of Native rights activism that included Means. While the act dealt with rights inside tribal governments, the political climate around it reflected growing pressure for Native political voice and accountability. Means helps place that legal change inside a larger movement for self-determination.

## On the AP Exam

A quiz or essay question might ask you to identify Russell Means from a description of AIM, Wounded Knee, or Native sovereignty activism. The move is to connect the person to the event and the larger historical idea, not just memorize the name.

If you see a document excerpt, look for clues about protest, treaty rights, federal power, or media strategy. Then explain how Means fits the broader pattern of Native resistance in the 1970s. In a timeline or short answer, you might pair him with AIM, Wounded Knee, or the push for self-determination.

If the prompt asks how Native leaders changed public opinion, Means is a good example because he used public-facing activism, speeches, and even acting to raise awareness. The strongest answer usually shows both the event and the issue behind it, such as sovereignty, broken treaties, or federal control.

## Key Takeaways

- Russell Means was a Lakota activist and one of the best-known leaders connected to the American Indian Movement.
- He is most closely linked to the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation, which brought national attention to treaty violations and Native self-determination.
- Means is useful in Native American History because he shows how protest, media, and politics could work together in Indigenous activism.
- His life connects to tribal sovereignty, since much of his work pushed back against federal control over Native nations.
- You will often use his name as evidence in discussions of AIM, resistance movements, and the modern fight for Native rights.

## FAQs

### What is Russell Means in Native American History?

Russell Means was a Lakota activist, AIM leader, and public advocate for Indigenous sovereignty. In Native American History, he stands out as a major figure in modern resistance movements, especially the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation.

### Was Russell Means part of the American Indian Movement?

Yes. Means was one of AIM’s most visible leaders and public spokespersons. He helped bring attention to police brutality, treaty violations, and federal policies that harmed Native communities.

### How is Russell Means connected to Wounded Knee?

Means was a leading voice during the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation. The standoff made him a national figure because it forced Americans to pay attention to tribal sovereignty, government neglect, and broken promises to Native nations.

### Is Russell Means the same thing as tribal sovereignty?

No, but they are closely related. Tribal sovereignty is the political right of Native nations to govern themselves, while Russell Means was an activist who fought for that right in public and political life.

## Related Study Guides

- [8.5 Wounded Knee incident (1973)](/native-american-history/unit-8/wounded-knee-incident-1973/study-guide/4NiglB0ar1jQ5WSg)
- [8.2 American Indian Movement](/native-american-history/unit-8/american-indian-movement/study-guide/7wtGNFF5O2jrOl8y)
- [8.6 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act](/native-american-history/unit-8/indian-self-determination-education-assistance-act/study-guide/Aj36fLzFq0xgGozB)
- [5.7 Resistance movements](/native-american-history/unit-5/resistance-movements/study-guide/CW8MlDu9HVxnQjJC)
- [10.8 Repatriation of cultural artifacts](/native-american-history/unit-10/repatriation-cultural-artifacts/study-guide/FFGeKEg7E5D1e6rj)
- [6.3 Concept of tribal sovereignty](/native-american-history/unit-6/concept-tribal-sovereignty/study-guide/YES92eFhxbBfEUDM)

## About This Document

Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`.

- [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns
- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing
- [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`)
- [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`)

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