Senate Resolution No. 1710

BY: Senator KENNEDY

MOURNING the death of Clyde Bellecourt, renowned
Native American civil rights leader, distinguished
citizen and devoted member of his community

WHEREAS, There are certain outstanding members of our community who,
through their selfless commitment and dedication, have served to better
the quality of life in our community and have had a measurable positive
impact on the lives of its residents; Clyde Bellecourt was one such
individual; and

WHEREAS, It is with profound sorrow and deep regret that this
Legislative Body records the passing of Clyde Bellecourt, noting the
significance of his purposeful life and accomplishments; and

WHEREAS, Clyde Bellecourt, founder of the American Indian Movement
who led protests in the 1970s at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, and in
Washington over broken treaty obligations, and who later pressured
sports teams to expunge their Native American nicknames, died on
Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at the age of 85; and

WHEREAS, Born on May 8, 1936, on the White Earth Indian Reservation
in northwestern Minnesota, Clyde Howard Bellecourt was the seventh of 12
children born to Charles and Angeline Bellecourt; he attended a Roman
Catholic mission school on the reservation until he was a teenager; and

WHEREAS, Overcoming much adversity, Clyde Bellecourt co-founded the
American Indian Movement (AIM) in 1968, along with Dennis Banks, Russell
Means, George Mitchell, Charles Deegan and others, to help advocate for
tribal sovereignty and better housing and opportunities for Native
Americans in Minnesota and across the United States; and

WHEREAS, Clyde Bellecourt, who later worked for a utility company,
was chosen as the movement's first chairman and helped launch the Trail
of Broken Treaties, a long march from the West Coast to Washington in
1972; and

WHEREAS, A true asset to society, Clyde Bellecourt began the
bilingual and bicultural Heart of the Earth Survival School in 1972,
before establishing the Peacemaker Center for Indian youth; the American
Indian Movement Patrol, to provide security for the Minneapolis Indian
community; a Legal Rights Center; the Native American Community Clinic;
Women of Nations Eagle's Nest Shelter; the International Indian Treaty
Council; and the American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center,
a program to move welfare recipients to full-time jobs; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, he helped create the National Coalition on
Racism in Sports and the Media, which urged professional, amateur and
school teams to abandon nicknames like Redskins, Indians and Braves,
which he saw as demeaning stereotypes; and

WHEREAS, Subsequently, in recent years, both the Washington Redskins
of the National Football League and Major League Baseball's Cleveland
Indians dropped their old names; and


WHEREAS, In 2016, Clyde Bellecourt published an autobiography,
Thunder Before the Storm, in which he wrote of his own healing and the
transformation of the American Indian Movement from violent
confrontation to constructive engagement; and

WHEREAS, With his fierce dedication, monumental presence and
selfless leadership, Clyde Bellecourt truly embodied the spirit of the
American Indian Movement and the spirit of resistance, as well as the
strength and the resolve its people have held for more than 530 years;
and

WHEREAS, In addition to his beloved wife, Peggy Sue (Holmes)
Bellecourt, Clyde Bellecourt is survived by four children, Susan, Tonya,
Little Crow and Little Wolf; and a host of grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Clyde Bellecourt's fight for justice and fairness leaves
behind a powerful legacy that will continue to inspire people across our
state and nation for generations to come; his insight and strength will
forever serve as a beacon of love, light and hope to the countless lives
he touched; he will be deeply missed and truly merits the grateful
tribute of this Legislative Body; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Clyde Bellecourt, and to express its deepest
condolences to his family; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Clyde Bellecourt.