Angela Russell
Vine Deloria and the National Congress of American Indians made it clear that they supported African American demands for social and economic justice. But the National Congress of American Indians stopped short of forging an actual alliance, pointing to philosophical and tactical differences. The National Indian Youth Council (NIYC) tentatively explored ways of working with the black freedom struggle, which ultimately led to the organization playing a key role in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s Poor People’s Campaign. Before that time, however, individual NIYC members participated in civil rights efforts, including the March on Washington in 1963 and the Selma-to-Montgomery March in 1965. The following document, written by Angela Russell, a citizen of the Crow Nation who would go on to become a tribal judge, offers a rare personal insight into Native involvement in the civil rights movement. Consider why she felt being involved in the Selma march was so important and how she connected it to Native rights.
Since that big day in March when one of my friends and co-workers, Fran Poafpybitty, and I went down to Alabama to march on the final day of the Selma-to-Montgomery March, I have been asked by countless friends, tribal leaders and even relatives the reason I went. “Why did you go?” many have asked. Let me caution those of you who firmly believe that protesting of any sort, whether it be demonstrating, picketing or petitioning, is below the dignity of any American Indian, to stop here. But, if you are part of that group who feels that we, as American citizens, have the right to publicly protest when we believe that our rights, or those rights of a select minority in our country, are being violated, then continue. Some of you may change your mind in the process, but as is often said, “One learns something from every experience.”
Fran and I went down to Montgomery, not representing any particular organization, but as interested and concerned individuals—American Indian individuals! . . . The trip down [from Denver] was long and hectic! None of us were consciously aware of any type of physical danger that we might have met there, in fact, we did not realize that there was anything to fear, until we got further South. (We were the first chartered bus of marchers to arrive in Montgomery.) It was in southern Missouri and Arkansas that we first experienced the strong negative reaction of the townspeople toward our group. . . .
We changed bus drivers periodically on the thirty-six hour ride to Montgomery. We could tell, as we got further South, that our bus drivers were getting a little tense and scared. . . . We arrived at the Catholic City of Saint Jude outside Montgomery’s city limits bright and early [Thursday] morning. It was a hazy day, but already the camp was filled with much activity and excitement. The Selma marchers had arrived there the previous night and some were still lying there sleeping in their sleeping bags, on old blankets, on cardboard boxes, or just on the bare wet ground.
By 9:00 A.M., there were about 3,000 marchers convened at Saint Jude. . . . The trek into the city was long but interesting. As we marched along one of the Negro sections of town, we were cheered and hailed by old and young alike. As we marched hand-in-hand we sang freedom songs as “We Shall Overcome,” “Which Side Are You On,” and “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around.” It was a wonderful feeling being a part of this group. As one gazed around at the marchers, one was struck by the diversity of people and age groups. There were a number of things, though, that we all had in common: loud singing voices, firm hand grips, tears streaming down our cheeks, and membership in the human race.
As we entered the business district, and neared the Capital, we found the white citizenry abusive and angry. . . . The Capitol was white, massive and very impressive. Over the Capitol were flying together the Confederate and Alabama State flags! I was struck to see the Confederate flag towering over the United States flag which was placed just outside the entrance to the Capitol. As we reached the Capitol, each of us looked for a place to sit on the hot, smelly street. It had taken us almost three hours to reach this point—our destination. The afternoon had gotten steadily hotter and the humidity was high. We were roasting from the heat and the hike! Yet, our spirits were high and we were ready for more. Only the Federal Troops, who were protecting the marchers, stood dead-still like wooden soldiers.
The speakers’ podium was set up in front of the Capitol. After much hustling and bustling, the program started. The podium was packed with many of the top leaders of the civil rights movement including those from the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee, the organizing sponsor of the march, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, clergymen from all parts of the United States, distinguished government officials, show celebrities and the noted author, James Baldwin.
After the “sing-out” led by Harry Belafonte with Joan Baez, the Chad Mitchell Trio, Odetta, and many other famous singers and entertainers, the series of speeches began. Speakers included Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, UN Undersecretary for special political affairs, Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, King’s top aide, Martin Luther King, Jr., James Baldwin, Mrs. Rosa Parks, known as the mother of the civil rights movement, and others. The things these men and women said concerned their struggle and progress in the civil rights movement. They were short but moving speeches.
Dr. Martin Luther King had said at the beginning of the march in Selma, “You will be the people that will light a new chapter in the history books of our nation. Those of us who are Negroes don’t have much. . . . Because of the system, we don’t have much education. . . . But thank God we have our bodies, our feet and our souls. Walk together children . . . and it will lead us to the promised land. And Alabama will be a new Alabama, and America will be a new America.” There, again in Montgomery, we felt the full force of similar statements. The people were drawn together in a close unity as I have never experienced before! I thought to myself how great it would be if American Indians could unite in this way for a good, purposeful cause!
The last speaker was Mrs. Rosa Parks, the mother of the civil rights movement. She appeared to be a small woman but when she started talking, it was with real force and sincerity. I thought to myself how courageous this woman was to defy the unwritten laws of her community and state. She had refused to yield her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery and for this she was jailed. This was the impetus that set off the civil-rights demonstrations led by Martin Luther King. . . .
By 4:00 that afternoon, the program ended. Martin Luther King asked the out-of-town marchers to get out of the city before dark. There was a mass exodus out of Montgomery—we were exhausted, but down deep we felt a certain satisfaction. It was only the next morning that we learned of the tragic death of Mrs. Viola Liuzzo, a white civil rights worker, from Chicago. She had been shot to death the night before while driving some of the Selma marchers home. It was sad and disheartening to learn that our peaceful demonstration had ended with this tragedy.
Each of the 3,000 and more participators in the Selma-to-Montgomery March, no doubt, had their own special reasons for going South. Some may have gone down to transmit goodwill, others to lend support to the movement, and still others for a new experience. Yet, I believe that along with various personal reasons, we all went protesting the denial of voting rights to a certain segment of our population.
This was certainly not the first time Indians have been involved in a demonstration. Clyde Warrior, a Ponca from Oklahoma and a member of the National Indian Youth Council, took part in the March on Washington, D.C., in August of 1963. Many feel that this march gave much support to the passing of the Civil Rights Bill in July, of 1964, as did the Selma-to-Montgomery March for the second Civil Rights Bill passed in July of this year.
Recent Indian protests include the Fish-In by the Indians of Washington state in protest of violation of their fishing rights (Olympia, March, 1964), a demonstration by the Indians of Maine at the United Nations (New York City, a few years ago), a demonstration sponsored by the Minneapolis Urban American Indian Committee for unfair practices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (Minneapolis, fall, 1965), and numerous small demonstrations again this fall in Washington state for fishing rights.
In fact, one young Indian writer asserts that it was the Indians who probably originated demonstrating and public protesting. He claims that when Osceola of the Seminoles was captured and imprisoned, his fellow Seminoles demonstrated outside his jail cell. And, the Northern Cheyennes demonstrated their refusal to be confined to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) by walking all the way back to their homeland in Montana and Wyoming. There are countless other examples in Indian history of demonstrations and protests.42
Just as American Indians want their treaties respected, the American Negros want their rights as citizens respected and not violated in this country. Is it not right for us to help them win their rights? I’m reminded of the words of one of our great presidents, Abraham Lincoln, who said, “To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards out of men.”