Rising: The American Indian Movement and the Third Space of Sovereignty

Rising: The American Indian Movement and the Third Space of Sovereignty was originally scheduled to run from April 17 through August 2, 2020. In light of current conditions the Dr. Danielle Moretti-Langholtz and her nine Anthropology and Native Studies students enrolled in the spring 2020 Native American Sovereignty  senior seminar re-imagined the exhibition in an exciting and engaging virtual medium.

A careful look around campus and Williamsburg will show you that students and fellow citizens are engaged in a “common read” by the Native author, Tommy Orange (Cheyenne, Arapaho). The 2019 novel by Orange is called There, There, and introduces readers to the contemporary urban Indian experience. Set in Oakland, California and Oklahoma, Orange draws on the rise of AIM—the American Indian Movement—and the real-life takeover of Alcatraz Island, in 1969, and makes it a foundational element in his popular book.

Anthropology students enrolled in Native American Sovereignty, a spring 2020 senior seminar with Dr. Danielle Moretti-Langholtz, researched the rise of AIM in photographs and historical documents as well as curated an exhibition. The exhibition highlights some of the central events associated with AIM, such as the takeover of Alcatraz, Wounded Knee 2 and the Trail of Broken Treaties. Biographies of AIM leaders; Russell Means, Dennis Banks, the Bellecourt brothers, and Leonard Peltier will be featured as part of this historical and visual overview. The rise of AIM took place during the wider social upheavals of the protests against the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement.