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NOVEMBER 1, 2000

Clyde Bellecourt, co-founder of the American Indian Movement, spoke at the National Indian Education Association conference on Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of cultural identity in today's youth.

When Bellecourt began AIM in the 1960s, he said the American Indian population was "spiritually bankrupt." Activists at the time vowed to do anything to get language, culture, and other Indian issues addressed not only in society as a whole but in educational institutions as well.

Their perserverance helped establish cultural schools like The Heart of the Earth Survival School, founded in 1972 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was recognized by the Minneapolis School District as a charter school 16 months ago.

Get the Story:
Culture part of identity, activist says (The Sioux Falls Argus Leader 11/1)

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Relevant Links:
The National Indian Education Association - www.niea.org