The Thunder Before the Storm: The Autobiography of Clyde Bellecourt

by Clyde Bellecourt, Jon Lurie

Overview

Legendary activist and AIM co-founder Clyde Bellecourt tells "the damn truth" about the American Indian Movement as he lived it.

The American Indian Movement burst onto the scene in the late 1960s as indigenous people across the country began to demand what is rightfully theirs. Clyde Bellecourt, whose Ojibwe name translates as "The Thunder Before the Storm," was one of AIM's co-founders and iconic leaders. This powerful autobiography provides an intimate narrative of his childhood on the White Earth Reservation, his long journey through the prison system, and his embodiment of "confrontation politics" in waging war against entrenched racism.

Bellecourt is up-front and unapologetic when discussing his battles with drug addiction, his clashes with other AIM leaders, his experiences on the Trail of Broken Treaties and at Wounded Knee, and the cases of Leonard Peltier and murdered AIM activist Anna Mae Aquash. This gritty, as-told-to memoir also uncovers the humanity behind Bellecourt's militant image, revealing a sensitive spirit whose wounds motivated him to confront injustice and to help others gain a sense of pride by knowing their culture.

The Thunder Before the Storm offers an invaluable inside look at the birth of a national movement—the big personalities, the creativity, and the perseverance that were necessary to alter the course of Native and American history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681341248
Publisher:	Minnesota Historical Society Press
Publication date:	10/15/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	344
Sales rank:	121,275
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Clyde Bellecourt cofounded the American Indian Movement and worked for Indian rights for decades. He lived in Minneapolis.

Jon Lurie, educator and journalist, has worked in the Minneapolis Native American community for many years. He is a staff writer for The Circle and has written for numerous other publications.

Table of Contents

Prologue: The Damn Truth 3

1 My Mother's Limp 7

2 The Drum within the Walls 29

3 Confrontation Politics 41

4 Peggy Sue 61

5 The Indian in White America 69

6 Occupations 87

7 Spiritual Rebirth 97

8 The Damn Hard Work 105

9 The Trail of Broken Treaties 115

10 Cedar Pass 129

11 Fools Crow 141

12 Wounded Knee 151

13 Speaking to the World 165

14 The Thunder Before the Storm 177

15 AIM for Sovereignty 193

16 America on Trial 201

17 The Damn Hard Work II 213

18 Almost Ruined Me 231

19 The Longest Walk 237

20 Hardest Thing I Ever Had to Do 259

21 Splintered Arrow 265

22 The Coffee Conspiracy 289

23 No Honor in Racism 297

24 Neegonnwayweedun 315

Acknowledgments 321

Index 323

Interviews

Tribal affiliation—White Earth Ojibwe

Editorial Reviews

"As a young woman coming of age in 1977, I received guidance from Clyde and other leaders in the American Indian Movement, who saw a role for a young scholar like myself. His story of those courageous and challenging times honors both the hard work we did and those who made and continue to make history."
Winona LaDuke, activist, environmentalist, economist, and writer

"More than just a history of Red Power, it is a personal story of struggle and redemption. Clyde Bellecourt may continue to incite controversy but one thing is certain: he is a legend who has devoted his life to fighting for Indian people."
Bradley Shreve, PhD, Tribal College Journal

"Raw. Unapologetic. Transporting. . . . History without the bullshit. This book demonstrates that indigenous resistance in the face of government tyranny is a tradition that continues to this day."
Simon Moya-Smith (Lakota and Chicano), culture editor at Indian Country Today

"[Bellecourt's] powerful and conversational narrative carries readers along with an immediacy and frankness that is enlightening, sometimes humorous, and never dull. Bellecourt helps non-Native readers confront uncomfortable truths, facts that make this entry particularly significant."
Library Journal starred review

From the Publisher

★ 11/01/2016
Anishinaabe activist Bellecourt recounts to Lurie (Canoeing with Jose) his life as a founding member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in this riveting autobiography. Organized by Bellecourt and other Native Americans at Stillwater State Prison in Minnesota in the 1960s, the organization aimed to restore sovereignty to indigenous communities by tackling issues such as police brutality and unemployment and helping members reclaim their cultural identity through the use of traditional ceremonies. Activities such as AIM's occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 are described, with Bellecourt giving credit to the many Native women who helped support the movement. The activist candidly recalls his struggles with addiction and his public falling out with actor and Lakota activist Russell Means. As with any autobiography, the depiction of events pits Bellecourt's words against those of others, but his powerful and conversational narrative carries readers along with an immediacy and frankness that is enlightening, sometimes humorous, and never dull. Bellecourt helps non-Native readers confront uncomfortable truths, facts that make this entry particularly significant. VERDICT Highly recommended for U.S. history students and anyone wishing to learn more about the modern struggles of Native peoples in America.—Sara Shreve, Newton, KS

Library Journal