THE EDGEWOOD DECLARATION of the International Confederation of Autonomous Chapters of the American Indian Movement December 18, 1993 We are the American Indian Movement, AIM. We walk into the future in the foot-steps of our ancestors, following the principles of our traditional spirituality, sovereignty, self-determination, sobriety, and mutual respect. Hence, we are firmly committed to the time- honored indigenous political perspective of the inalienable the inherent right of the people to decide for themselves, by grassroots democratic process, the nature of their destiny. It follows that we hereby declare and reaffirm that we are, in the manner of those who have come before us, an international confederation, an alliance of fully autonomous but reciprocally supporting chapters. Accordingly, each chapter of AIM agrees to advance the cause of indigenous sovereignty and self-determination within its own context and regional conditions. Decisions of individual chapters are made independently and, given a legitimate local base and constituency, such decisions are to be respected by other chapters. Our reasons for making this statement, regarding matters which many might consider self-evident, concern certain recent assertions and resulting public confusion fostered by a small group headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, calling itself the National American Indian Movement (N-AIM, or Name; an organization founded, by its own account, in September 1993). Because of the nature of the false claims advanced by this clique, and the publicity attending their lies, it has become necessary to publicly address and repudiate them. This is especially true with regard to the notion that there exists either a legitimate AIM National Office or National Officers with authority to appoint or remove local AIM members from whatever positions they may occupy on the basis of chapter affirmation, or to dictate policy to the movement as a whole. Let us be perfectly clear. There has not been a genuine national membership meeting of the American Indian Movement since 1974. therefore, no membership authorization for a national office or national officers can be said to have been obtained since that time. To the contrary, it has been specifically determined on at least two separate occasions during the intervening twenty years that such a structure and/or such titles are contrary to the interests of the movement, and of American Indian people more generally. AIM leadership has always been from the bottom up-on a chapter by chapter basis, not from the top down. And the sporadic and self- proclaimed National Leadership Meetings conducted during the 1980s and T90s have done nothing to alter this essential fact. Again we must be clear. AIM is not-despite statements lately issued by Vernon and Clyde Bellecourt Carol Standing Elk and others- a corporate body, under the laws of the United States, the State of Minnesota, or any other foreign government. Nor is it an entertainment enterprise, a personal fiefdom, a career option, a medium for private profit, or any of the other things this fringe element seems to believe. Instead, AIM is a bonafide national liberation movement-open to the participation of all indigenous people, regardless of the status or recognition bestowed upon them by our oppressors - oriented specifically and exclusively to reasserting the sovereign and self- determining dignity of our nations. Because of all these factors we state without hesitancy or equivocation that we collectively reject all pretense to legitimacy or authority by N-AIM and those persons it has unilaterally appointed to positions of regional, state or local leadership over the past several months. Let it be understood by all those reading this document that we will no longer tolerate the divisiveness and disruption brought about by N-AIM or any similar entity. We have begun the process of doing whatever is necessary to maintain the integrity of the American Indian Movement and the struggle it represents. Anyone considering themselves an ally, supporter or advocate of indigenous rights will respect our position, and respond accordingly.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 16:13:44 +0000
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