View source for Russell Means

{{Short description|Oglala Lakota activist (1939–2012)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Russell Means
| native_name        = {{small|Waŋblí Ohítika}}
| image              = RussellMeans1987.jpg
| caption            = Means in 1988
| birth_name         = Russell Charles Means
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1939|11|10}}
| birth_place        = [[Porcupine, South Dakota|Porcupine]], [[Pine Ridge Indian Reservation]], U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2012|10|22|1939|11|10}}
| death_place        = [[Rapid City, South Dakota]], U.S.
| resting_place      = [[Cremation|Cremains]] scattered at the [[Black Hills]]
| nationality         =[[Oglala Sioux Tribe|Oglala Sioux]]<br/>American
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
* Activist
* actor
* musician
* politician
* writer
}}
| party              = [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] (from 1988)
| otherparty         = [[American Indian Movement]] (1968–1988)
| yearsactive        = 1968–2012
| spouse             = {{marriage|Pearl Means|1999<!--As marriage ended by death of Means, not by death of his spouse, the year 2012 is omitted here. See instructions on [[Template:Marriage]] for more info-->}}
| children           = 10, including [[Tatanka Means]]{{efn|3 adopted in the Lakota way}}
}}
'''Russell Charles Means''' ({{Langx|lkt|Waŋblí Ohítika}}; November 10, 1939&nbsp;– October 22, 2012) was an [[Oglala Lakota]] activist for the [[rights of Native Americans]], [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian]] political activist, actor, musician and writer. He became a prominent member of the [[American Indian Movement]] (AIM) after joining the organization in December 1969 and helped organize notable events that attracted national and international media coverage.

Means was active in international issues of indigenous peoples, including working with groups in Central and South America and with the [[United Nations]] for recognition of their rights. He was active in [[politics]] at his native [[Pine Ridge Indian Reservation]] and at the state and national level.

Beginning an acting career in 1992, he appeared on numerous television series and in several films, including ''[[The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)|The Last of the Mohicans]],'' ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]],'' and ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]].'' He released his own music CD. Means published his autobiography ''[[Where White Men Fear to Tread]]'' in 1995.

==Early life==
Means was born on November 10, 1939, in [[Porcupine, South Dakota]], on the [[Pine Ridge Indian Reservation]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Sirvaitis|first=Karen|title=South Dakota|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X1al2lXC6NYC&pg=PA68|date=1 September 2001|publisher=Lerner Publications|isbn=978-0-8225-4070-0|page=68}}</ref> to Theodora Louise Feather and Walter "Hank" Means.<ref name=Means17>{{cite book|author=Russell Means|title=Where White Men Fear to Tread: The Autobiography of Russell Means|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fk7jzBdB8MMC&pg=PA21|access-date=1 November 2012|date=15 November 1996|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-0-312-14761-7|pages=17–}}</ref> His mother was a [[Yankton Dakota]] from Greenwood, South Dakota and his father, an [[Oglala Lakota]].<ref name= Stark/> Russell had three biological brothers, Dace,  and twins William and Theodore.

He was given the name '''Waŋblí Ohítika''' by his mother, which means 'Brave Eagle' in the [[Lakota language]].<ref name=Means17/>

In 1942, the Means family resettled in the [[San Francisco Bay Area]], seeking to escape the poverty and problems of the reservation. His father worked at the [[Mare Island Naval Shipyard|shipyard in Vallejo]].<ref name="holt" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-06-15-tm-11208-story.html|title=A World Apart : Indian Activists Dennis Banks and Russell Means Are Back Together--but Hardly United--in a Forgotten Slice of America Called Wounded Knee|date=1986-06-15|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-20}}</ref> Means grew up in the Bay Area, graduating in 1958 from [[San Leandro High School]] in [[San Leandro, California]].<ref name= Stark>{{cite web|url=http://news.rice.edu/2007/11/14/activist-russell-means-to-offer-insight-experience/|author=Stark, Jessica|title=Colonialism perfected on the American Indian: Activist Russell Means to offer insight, experience|publisher=Rice University: press release|date=14 November 2007|access-date=20 November 2007}}</ref> He attended four colleges but did not graduate from any of them.<ref>{{cite news|last=McFadden|first=Robert|title=Russell Means, Who Revived Warrior Image of American Indian, Dies at 72|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/us/russell-means-american-indian-activist-dies-at-72.html?smid=fb-share&_r=1&|newspaper=New York Times|date=October 22, 2012 |access-date=22 October 2012}}</ref> In his 1995 autobiography, Means recounted a harsh childhood; his father was alcoholic and he himself fell into years of "truancy, crime and drugs" before finding purpose in the [[American Indian Movement]] in [[Minneapolis, Minnesota]].<ref name=holt>{{cite web|last=Holt|first=Patricia|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1995/11/05/RV40846.DTL|title=A Rebel's Justice: American Indian Movement leader Russell Means tells his own story of rage and healing|newspaper=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=November 5, 1995|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030120172513/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fchronicle%2Farchive%2F1995%2F11%2F05%2FRV40846.DTL|archive-date=January 20, 2003|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

His father died in 1967 and, in his twenties, Means lived in several Indian reservations throughout the United States while searching for work. While at the [[Rosebud Indian Reservation]] in south-central South Dakota, he developed severe [[vertigo]]. Physicians at the reservation clinic believed that he had been brought in inebriated. After they refused to examine him for several days, Means was finally diagnosed with a [[concussion]] due to a presumed fight in a saloon. A visiting specialist later discovered that the reservation doctors had overlooked a common [[ear infection]], which cost Means the hearing in one ear.<ref name=Means17/>

After recovering from the infection, Means worked for a year in the [[Office of Economic Opportunity]], where he came to know several legal activists who were managing legal action on behalf of the [[Lakota people]]. After a dispute with his supervisor, Means left Rosebud for [[Cleveland, Ohio]]. In [[Cleveland Indigenous activism|Cleveland]], he worked with Native American community leaders against the backdrop of the [[American Civil Rights Movement]].<ref name=Means17/>

==Career==
===Involvement with the American Indian Movement===
In 1968, Means joined the [[American Indian Movement]] (AIM), where he rose to become a prominent leader. In 1970, Means was appointed AIM's first national director, and the organization began a period of increasing protests and activism.<ref name=pbs/>

====Activism====
{{See also|Wounded Knee Incident}}
Means participated in the 1969 [[Alcatraz occupation]]. He had been there once before, to occupy it for 24 hours under the lead of his father, Walter "Hank" Means, and a few other Lakota men in March 1964.<ref name=Means17/> (Means' father died in January 1967).<ref name=Means17/>

On [[Thanksgiving Day]] 1970, Means and other AIM activists staged their first protest in Boston: they seized the ''[[Mayflower II]]'', a replica ship of the [[Mayflower]], to protest the Puritans' and United States' mistreatment of Native Americans.<ref name=pbs/> In 1971 Means was one of the leaders of AIM's takeover of [[Mount Rushmore]], a federal monument. Rushmore is within the [[Black Hills]], an area sacred to the Lakota tribe.<ref name=Means17/>

In November 1972, he participated in AIM's occupation of the [[Bureau of Indian Affairs]] (BIA) headquarters in [[Washington, D.C.]], to protest abuses. Many records were taken or destroyed, and more than $2 million in damage was done to the building.<ref name=Means17/>

In 1973, [[Dennis Banks]] and Carter Camp led AIM's occupation of [[Wounded Knee incident|Wounded Knee]], which became the group's best-known action.<ref name=pbs>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/itvs/alcatrazisnotanisland/activism.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120527034921/http://www.pbs.org/itvs/alcatrazisnotanisland/activism.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 27, 2012|title=Alcatraz is Not an Island: Indian Activism|access-date=17 March 2009|year=2002|publisher=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Voigt |first=Matthias André |title=Reinventing the Warrior: Masculinity in the American Indian Movement, 1968-1973 |date=2024 |publisher=University Press of Kansas |isbn=978-0-7006-3697-6 |series=Lyda Conley series on trailblazing indigenous futures |location=Lawrence |pages=165–224}}</ref> Means appeared as a spokesman and prominent leader. The armed standoff of more than 300 Lakota and AIM activists with the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) and state law enforcement lasted for 71 days. Frank Clearwater, a visiting [[Cherokee]] activist from North Carolina, and Lawrence "Buddy" Lamont, an [[Oglala Lakota]] activist from Pine Ridge Reservation, were killed in April. African-American activist [[Ray Robinson (activist)|Ray Robinson]] disappeared and is assumed to be buried in the hills.

====Native American politics====
In 1974, Means resigned from AIM to run for the presidency of his native [[Oglala Sioux Tribe]] (OST) against the incumbent [[Dick Wilson (tribal chairman)|Richard Wilson]]. The official vote count showed Wilson winning by more than 200 votes. Residents complained of intimidation by Wilson's private militia. The report of a government investigation confirmed problems in the election, but in a related court challenge to the results of the election, a federal court upheld the results.

In the late 1970s, Means turned to an international forum on issues of rights for [[indigenous peoples]]. He worked with Jimmie Durham, who established the offices of the [[International Indian Treaty Council]] to work with the United Nations in 1977. At the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, he assisted in the organization of community institutions, such as the [[KILI]] radio station and the Porcupine Health Clinic in [[Porcupine, South Dakota]].

Means also traveled to [[Germany]], traveled behind the [[Iron Curtain]] to meet with [[East Germany|East German]] AIM supporters, and he traveled to Switzerland to take part in the Geneva human rights conference.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kindred by Choice {{!}} H. Glenn Penny |url=https://uncpress.org/book/9781469626444/kindred-by-choice/ |access-date=2024-03-09 |website=University of North Carolina Press |pages=191, 193 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Means and Ojibwe [[Dennis Banks]] were by the mid-1970s the best known [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] since [[Lakota people|Lakota]] war leaders [[Sitting Bull]] and [[Crazy Horse]], who led the attack that defeated the forces of General [[George Armstrong Custer|Custer]] at [[Battle of the Little Bighorn|The Battle of Little Big Horn]], also known as [[Battle of the Little Bighorn|The Battle of the Greasy Grass]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=McFadden |first=Robert D. |date=2017-10-30 |title=Dennis Banks, American Indian Civil Rights Leader, Dies at 80 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/obituaries/dennis-banks-dead.html |access-date=2024-03-09 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

====Splits in AIM====
In the 1980s, AIM divided into several competing factions, in part over differences among members regarding support for the indigenous peoples in [[Nicaragua]]. Means supported the [[Miskito people|Miskito]] group MISURASATA (later known as [[YATAMA]]), which was allied with the [[Contras]]. He traveled to Nicaragua in 1985 and 1986 on fact-finding tours. He came to believe that the Miskito as a people were being targeted for elimination.<ref name= McLellan/> Some AIM members supported the [[Sandinista National Liberation Front|Sandinistas]] of the national government, although they had forced removal of thousands of Miskito from their traditional territory.

On January 8, 1988, Means held a press conference to announce his retirement from AIM, saying it had achieved its goals.<ref>[http://www.aimovement.org/moipr/onrussellmeans.html "Indian activist Russell Means says he's retiring from AIM", AP], Attachment 3, Articles on Means, AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT GRAND GOVERNING COUNCIL</ref> That January, the "AIM Grand Governing Council", headed by the [[Clyde Bellecourt|Bellecourt]] brothers, released a press release noting this was the sixth resignation by Means since 1974, and asking the press to "never again report either that he is a founder of the American Indian Movement, or [that] he is a leader of the American Indian Movement". The "AIM Grand Governing Council" noted there were many open issues and legislation regarding Native Americans for which they were continuing to work.<ref>[http://www.aimovement.org/moipr/onrussellmeans.html AIM on Russell Means], Attachment 2. Retrieved June 17, 2011</ref>

In 1993, the organization divided officially into two main factions: "AIM Grand Governing Council", based in Minnesota, which copyrighted the name "American Indian movement"; and American Indian Movement Confederation of Autonomous Chapters, based in Colorado and allied with Means and [[Ward Churchill]].

====Annie Mae Aquash====
{{Main|Annie Mae Aquash}}
On November 3, 1999, Means and Robert Pictou-Branscombe, a maternal cousin of Aquash from Canada, held a press conference in Denver at the Federal Building to discuss the slow progress of the government's investigation into Aquash's murder. It had been under investigation both by the Denver police, as Aquash had been kidnapped from there, and by the [[FBI]], as she had been taken across state lines and killed on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Both Branscombe and Means accused [[Vernon Bellecourt]], a high-ranking leader of AIM, of having ordered her execution. Means said that [[Clyde Bellecourt]], a founder of AIM, had ensured that it was carried out at the Pine Ridge Reservation. Means said that an AIM tribunal had banned the Bellecourt brothers but tried to keep the reason for the dissension internal to protect AIM.<ref name="press"/>

The [[Associated Press]] (AP) reporter Robert Weller noted that this was the first time that an AIM leader active at the time of Aquash's death had publicly implicated AIM in her murder. There had long been rumors.<ref>[http://www.indiancountrynews.info/aquashmurder.cfm.htm Robert Weller, "AQUASH MURDER CASE: AIM leaders point fingers at each other"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125182726/http://www.indiancountrynews.info/aquashmurder.cfm.htm |date=January 25, 2012 }}, AP, at ''News From Indian Country'', November 4, 1999. Retrieved July 17, 2011</ref> Means and Branscombe accused three indigenous people: [[Arlo Looking Cloud]], [[Theda Nelson Clarke]] and [[John Graham (Canadian activist)|John Graham]], of having been directly involved in the kidnapping and murder of Aquash.<ref name="press">[http://www.indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=45&Itemid=60 "Russ Means holds press conference on Annie Mae's murder 11-3-99: Accuses Vernon and Clyde Bellecourt of ordering her Execution"], ''News From Indian Country,'' November 3, 1999. Retrieved July 16, 2011</ref> The two men were indicted in 2003 and convicted in separate trials in 2004 and 2010, respectively. By then in a nursing home, Clarke was not indicted.

As of 2004, Means' website stated that he was a board member of the Colorado AIM chapter, which is affiliated with the AIM Confederation of Autonomous Chapters.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040510012251/http://www.coloradoaim.org/ Colorado AIM], Official Website</ref>

===Other political involvement===
[[Image:Russelmeans11-11-01.jpg|right|thumb|Russell Means speaks against the [[War on Terror]] at a DC Anti-War Network's anti-war protest on November 11, 2001.]]
Since the late 1970s, Means often supported [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian]] political causes, in contrast with several other AIM leaders. In 1983 he agreed to become [[running mate]] to [[Larry Flynt]] in his unsuccessful run for U.S. President.<ref name=McLellan>{{cite news|author=McLellan, Dennis|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-russell-means-20121023,0,1631667,full.story|title=Russell Means dies at 72; American Indian rights activist, actor|date=October 23, 2012|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=October 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023033710/http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-russell-means-20121023,0,1631667,full.story|archive-date=October 23, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1987, Means ran for nomination of [[President of the United States]] under the [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]], and attracted considerable support within the party, finishing 2nd (31.4%) at the [[1987 Libertarian National Convention]].<ref>[http://www.chaospark.com/politics/reid47.htm "Freedom is for Everyone": Seattle Story] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828233353/http://www.chaospark.com/politics/reid47.htm |date=August 28, 2008 }}; Mike Acree, [http://www.lpsf.org/LPSF_Newsletters/nl_07_00.html Convention Reflections] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226035107/http://www.lpsf.org/LPSF_Newsletters/nl_07_00.html |date=December 26, 2007 }}, [http://www.lpsf.org/LPSF_Newsletters/ Golden Gate Libertarian Newsletter] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226035101/http://www.lpsf.org/LPSF_Newsletters/ |date=December 26, 2007 }}, July 2000.</ref> He lost the nomination to [[United States House of Representatives|Congressman]] [[Ron Paul]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/magazine/22Paul-t.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin|title=The Antiwar, Anti-Abortion, Anti-Drug-Enforcement-Administration, Anti-Medicare Candidacy of Dr. Ron Paul|first=Christopher|last=Caldwell|work=[[The New York Times Magazine]]|date=July 22, 2007|access-date=21 July 2007}}</ref>

In 2001, Means began an independent candidacy for [[Governor of New Mexico]]. His campaign failed to satisfy procedural requirements and he was not selected for the ballot. In the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004]] and [[2008 United States presidential election|2008 presidential election]]s, Means supported independent [[Ralph Nader]].

Nearly thirty years after his first candidacy, Means ran for president of the Oglala Sioux in 2004 with the help of Twila Lebeaux, losing to [[Cecilia Fire Thunder]], the first woman elected president of the tribe. She also defeated the incumbent [[John Yellow Bird Steele]].<ref>[http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/opinion/article_09432e04-144a-5acb-8929-97a26a896334.html Sam Hurst, "Cecilia Fire Thunder a 'person of character'"], ''Rapid City Journal'', December 18, 2005. Retrieved June 5, 2011</ref>

Since the late 20th century, there has been a debate in the United States over the appropriate term for the indigenous peoples of North America. Some want to be called Native American; others prefer American Indian. Means said that he preferred "American Indian", arguing that it derives not from explorers' confusion of the people with those of India, but from the [[Italian language|Italian]] expression ''in Dio'', meaning "in God".<ref>{{cite web|title=Speech: For America to Live, Europe Must Die.|url=http://www.russellmeans.com/|first=Russell|last=Means}} "In dio" is found under the speeches tab.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dickshovel.com/Banks.html|title=I detest writing.|access-date=17 March 2009|date=July 1980|work=Black Hills International Survival Gathering|publisher=First Nations Issues of Consequence|quote=Columbus called the tribal people he met 'Indio' from the Italian ''in dio'', meaning 'in God.'}}</ref> In addition, Means noted that since treaties and other legal documents in relation to the [[United States government]] use "Indian", continuing use of the term could help today's American Indian people forestall any attempts by others to use legal loopholes in the struggle over land and treaty rights.

In 2007, Means and 80 other protesters were arrested in [[Denver]] during a parade for [[Columbus Day]] which they stated was a "celebration of genocide".<ref name=McLellan/>

Following the United Nations [[Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples]] in September 2007, a group of American Indian activists presented a letter to the [[U.S. State Department]], indicating they were withdrawing from all treaties with the U.S. Government on December 20. Means announced the withdrawal by a small group of [[Lakota people]].<ref>[http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iVC1KMTOgwiSoMQyT2LwZc9HyAgA "Descendants of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse break away from U.S."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609092458/http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iVC1KMTOgwiSoMQyT2LwZc9HyAgA |date=June 9, 2007 }}, AFP: Agence France-Presse, December 21, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2011</ref> That same month, they began contacting foreign governments to solicit support for energy projects on the territory. Means and a delegation of activists declared the [[Republic of Lakotah]] a sovereign nation, with property rights over thousands of square miles in [[South Dakota]], [[North Dakota]], [[Nebraska]], [[Wyoming]] and [[Montana]].<ref>Bill Harlan, [http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2007/12/20/news/local/doc476a99630633e335271152.txt "Lakota group secedes from U.S."], ''Rapid City Journal'', December 20, 2007{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090823081033/http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2007/12/20/news/local/doc476a99630633e335271152.txt |date=August 23, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Jones|first=Ebony|title=Lakota Indians want to break free from the U.S.|work=UrbanSwirl.com-Lifestyles of Color|access-date=12 October 2014|date=30 December 2007|url=http://www.urbanswirl.com/content/view/199/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141012025944/http://www.urbanswirl.com/content/view/199/|archive-date=October 12, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Means said that his group does not "represent collaborators, the [[Vichy France|Vichy]] Indians and those tribal governments set up by the United States of America".<ref>[http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071220/NEWS/712200347/1001 Faith Bremner, "Lakota group pushes for new nation"] {{webarchive|url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080111065452/http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071220/NEWS/712200347/1001 |date=January 11, 2008 }}, ''Argus Leader'', Washington Bureau, December 20, 2007</ref>

On January 8, 2008, tribal leaders in the northern Great Plains, Rodney Bordeaux of the 25,000-member [[Rosebud Indian Reservation|Rosebud Sioux Tribe]], and Joseph Brings Plenty of the 8,500-member [[Cheyenne River Indian Reservation|Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe]], said that Means and the group of his fellow activists would not speak for their members or for any elected Lakota tribal government. While acknowledging that Means has accurately portrayed the federal government's broken promises to and treaties with America's indigenous peoples, they opposed his plan to renounce treaties with the United States and proclaim independence. They said the issue instead was to enforce existing treaties.<ref>[http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/ictarchives/2008/01/04/withdrawal-from-us-treaties-enjoys-little-support-from-tribal-leaders-79806 Gale Courey Toensing, "Withdrawal from U.S. treaties enjoys little support from tribal leaders"], ''Indian Country Today'', January 4, 2008</ref>

Means was critical of Obama receiving the [[2009 Nobel Peace Prize]], and also when [[Al Gore]] and [[Henry Kissinger]] received their [[Nobel Peace Prize]]s. He also criticized the U.S. [[Interventionism (politics)|interventionist]] foreign policy, the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]], and referred to Obama's presidency as "[[George W. Bush|Bush]]'s third term."<ref>{{Citation|title=Russell Means Comments on Obama's Nobel Peace Prize| date=October 10, 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kKiRheypcs |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/4kKiRheypcs |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-07-28}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In January 2012, Means announced his endorsement of Republican Ron Paul in his bid for president.<ref>{{YouTube|BuVa7_zz_Y0|"Russell Means Endorses Ron Paul"}}, January 26, 2012</ref>

===Other activities===
====Acting====
From 1992 to 2004, Means appeared as an actor in numerous films and television movies, first as the chief [[Chingachgook]] in ''[[The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)|The Last of the Mohicans]]''. He appeared as Arrowhead in the made-for-TV movie ''The Pathfinder'' (1996), his second appearance in a movie adapted from a novel by [[James Fenimore Cooper]]. He appeared in ''[[Natural Born Killers]]'' (1994), as [[Jim Thorpe]] in ''Windrunner'' (1994),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114948/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_38|title=WindRunner|date=June 1, 1994|via=IMDb}}</ref> as [[Sitting Bull]] in ''[[Buffalo Girls]]'' (1995), and appeared in 3 episodes of the miniseries ''[[Into the West (miniseries)|Into the West]]'' (2005) as the older Running Fox.

He was a voice actor in Disney's third highest-selling feature film ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'' (1995) and its sequel ''[[Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World]]'' (1998), playing the title character's father, [[Powhatan (Native American leader)|Chief Powhatan]]. Means was a guest actor in the 1997 ''[[Duckman]]'' episode "Role With It", in which Duckman takes his family on an educational trip to a "genuine Indian reservation" – which turns out to be a casino.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blog.bcdb.com/russell-means-72-pocahontas-actor-activist-4968/|title=Russell Means, 72, Was Pocahontas Actor, Activist|first=Ethan|last=Minovitz|publisher=Big Cartoon News|date=October 23, 2012|access-date=October 23, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20120307213706/http://blog.bcdb.com/russell-means-72-pocahontas-actor-activist-4968/|archive-date=March 7, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Means appeared as Billy Twofeathers in ''[[Thomas & the Magic Railroad]]'' (2000).

Means starred in ''[[Pathfinder (2007 film)|Pathfinder]]'', a 2003 movie about [[Viking]]s battling Native Americans in the New World. Means co-starred in ''[[Rez Bomb]]'' from director [[Steven Lewis Simpson]], the first feature he acted in on his native [[Pine Ridge Indian Reservation]]. He appeared alongside [[Tamara Feldman]], [[Trent Ford]], and [[Chris Robinson (American actor)|Chris Robinson]]. Means was also a prominent contributor to [[Steven Lewis Simpson]]'s feature documentary about Pine Ridge Indian Reservations, ''A Thunder-Being Nation''.

In 2004, Means made a guest appearance on the [[HBO]] program ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''. Means played Wandering Bear, an American Indian with skills in landscaping and herbal medicine.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.avclub.com/r-i-p-russell-means-native-american-activist-and-acto-1798234197 | title=R.I.P. Russell Means, Native American activist and actor | website=[[The A.V. Club]] }}</ref>

====Writing====
In 1995, Means published an [[autobiography]], ''Where White Men Fear to Tread'', written with Marvin J. Wolf. He recounted his own family's problems: his alcoholic father, and his own "fall into truancy, crime and drugs" before he discovered the American Indian Movement. The book drew criticism from a number of reviewers.<ref name=holt/><ref>Brent Staples, "Review: Russell Means, ''Where White Men Fear to Tread'', ''New York Times Book Review,'' 15 October 1995</ref><ref name=mb1998>Malcolm Brenner, "AIM seeks distance from Russell Means", ''The Gallup Independent'', January 8, 1998</ref><ref>[http://www.aimovement.org/moipr/onrussellmeans.html Malcolm Brenner, "Where White Men Fear to Tread"], Attachment 9, Collection of articles on Means, reproduced at AMERICAN INDIAN MOVEMENT GRAND GOVERNING COUNCIL. Retrieved June 17, 2011</ref><ref name=Mari>[http://www.weeklywire.com/ww/12-15-97/tw_book3.html Mari Wadsworth, "Russell Means Business: From Indian Activist to Hollywood celeb"], ''Tucson Weekly'', December 15, 1997</ref> While Patricia Holt, book editor for the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' wrote of the book, "It's American history – warts, wounds and all."<ref name=holt/> In another review, writer Mari Wadsworth of the ''[[Tucson Weekly]]'' wrote: "Critical readers do well to remain skeptical of any individual, however charismatic, who claims to be the voice of authority and authenticity for any population, let alone one as diverse as the native tribes of the Americas. But whatever conclusions one makes of Means' actions and intentions, his unremitting presence and undaunted outspokenness opened a dialogue that changed the course of American history."<ref name="Mari"/>

====Music, art, and media====
Russell Means recorded a CD entitled ''Electric Warrior'' with [[Sound of America Records]], in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.soundofamerica.com/artist.cfm?artist=Russell+Means|title=SOAR - Sound of America Record Distributors - specializes in Native American music.|date=July 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716111704/http://www.soundofamerica.com/artist.cfm?artist=Russell+Means |archive-date=July 16, 2011 }}</ref> Songs include "Une Gente Indio", "Hey You, Hey Indian", "Wounded Knee Set Us Free", and "Indian Cars Go Far". This was followed in 2007 with his ''The Radical'' album, which included the controversial song "[[Waco siege|Waco]]: The White Man's Wounded Knee".  In 2013, he was recognized by the [[Native American Music Awards]] with a Hall of Fame award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nativeamericanmusicawards.com/home|title=NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS|website=nativeamericanmusicawards.com}}</ref>

Means was an avid painter, with showings at various galleries around the country and the world.{{citation needed|date=October 2012}}

The American [[pop art]]ist [[Andy Warhol]] painted 18 individual portraits of Russell Means in his 1976 ''American Indian Series''. The [[Dayton Art Institute]] holds one of the Warhol portraits in its collection.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tours.daytonartinstitute.org/accessart/object.cfm?TT=ac&TN=da08&ID=31&COM=im|title=AMERICAN INDIAN SERIES (RUSSELL MEANS), 1976|access-date=13 March 2008|publisher=The Dayton Art Institute|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118154504/http://tours.daytonartinstitute.org/accessart/object.cfm?TT=ac&TN=da08&ID=31&COM=im|archive-date=January 18, 2009|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Means appeared as a character in the adventure video game ''[[Under a Killing Moon]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/games/texmurphy/underakillingmoon/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130727053946/http://www.microsoft.com/games/texmurphy/underakillingmoon/|archive-date=July 27, 2013|title=Tex Murphy - Under A Killing Moon|website=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> by [[Access Software]], in 1994.

Means is the focus of the 2014 documentary ''Conspiracy To Be Free'' by director Colter Johnson.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Russell Means, the Movie: Watch 20 Minutes of 'Conspiracy to Be Free' |url=https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/russell-means-the-movie-watch-20-minutes-of-conspiracy-to-be-free |access-date=13 October 2015 |website=Indian Country Today Media Network.com}}</ref>

In 2016 the artist Magneto Dayo and The Lakota Medicine Men did a tribute song dedicated to Russell Means and Richard Oakes called [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHAZhRtZ3dE "The Journey"] on the album ''Royalty of the UnderWorld''.

In 1999,  Russell taped six community television half-hour programs in Santa Monica, under the title of "The Russell Means Show" produced by Helene E. Hagan  (Adelphia Coimmnications). As Host for the series, he interviewed guests Sacheen Littlefeather, Greg Sarris, Kateri Walker and Redbone. The last two programs were Commentaries on Colonialism and Consumerism. The series has been archived at the Oglala Lakota College Library.

==Personal life==
Means was married five times; the first four marriages ended in divorce. He was married to his fifth wife, Pearl Means, until his death.<ref name=McLellan/> His wife Pearl died ten years later in May 2022, at the age of 62.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nativeviewpoint.com/pearl-daniel-means-film-producer-author-and-native-rights-activist-dies-at-62/ | title=Pearl Daniel-Means dies at 62 | date=June 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/dine-activist-filmmaker-and-author-pearl-daniel-means-dies-at-62 | title=Diné Activist, Filmmaker and Author Pearl Daniel-Means Dies at 62 | date=May 31, 2022 }}</ref> He had a total of ten children: seven biological children and three adopted children, who were "adopted in the Lakota way",<ref>(Sherry Means, March 4, 2014, based on probate papers of October 19, 2014)</ref> including [[Tatanka Means]] who is also an actor.

As "a grandfather with twenty-two grandchildren", Russell Means divided his time "between [[Chinle, Arizona|Chinle]], Navajo Nation, Arizona, and [[Porcupine, South Dakota]]."<ref name=Means17/>
===Legal issues===
On December 29, 1997, Means, then 58, was arrested for [[assault]] and battery of his 56-year-old father-in-law Leon Grant, a member of the Omaha Nation married to a Diné ([[Navajo Nation|Navajo]]) Nation. AIM Grand Governing Council issued a press release to reiterate its separation from Means.<ref name=mb1998/>

===Illness and death===
In August 2011, Means was diagnosed with [[esophageal cancer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/08/18/Russell-Means-Ill-come-back-as-lightning/UPI-65831313719787/|title=Russell Means: I'll come back as lightning|publisher=[[UPI]].com|date=August 18, 2011|access-date=October 12, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Russell Means, Who Clashed With Law as He Fought for Indians, Is Dead at 72|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/us/russell-means-american-indian-activist-dies-at-72.html|author=McFadden, Robert D.|work=New York Times|date=22 October 2012}}</ref> His doctors told him his condition was inoperable.<ref name=McLellan/> He told the [[Associated Press]] that he was rejecting "mainstream medical treatments in favor of traditional American Indian remedies and alternative treatments away from his home on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation".<ref>{{cite news|author=Lammers, Dirk|agency=Associated Press|title=Tribal spokeswoman says former American Indian Movement activist Russell Means dies at 72|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tribal-spokeswoman-says-former-american-indian-movement-activist-russell-means-dies-at-72/2012/10/22/7136c6e8-1c4e-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810153558/https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tribal-spokeswoman-says-former-american-indian-movement-activist-russell-means-dies-at-72/2012/10/22/7136c6e8-1c4e-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 10, 2016|date=October 22, 2012|newspaper=The Washington Post|publisher=Tribune Company}}</ref> In late September, Means reported that through [[tomotherapy]], the tumor had diminished greatly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nativenewsnetwork.com/russell-means-updates-his-condition-tumor-diminished-significantly.html|title=Russell Means Updates His Condition: Tumor Diminished Significantly|publisher=Native News Network|date=September 23, 2011|access-date=October 12, 2011|author=Rickert, Levi|archive-date=December 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111210064354/http://www.nativenewsnetwork.com/russell-means-updates-his-condition-tumor-diminished-significantly.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Later, he said that his tumor was "95% gone."<ref>{{cite video|people=Russell Means|title=Infowars Nightly News|date=June 27, 2012|url=http://article.wn.com/view/2012/06/27/Oglala_Sioux_Tribe_honors_Russell_Means_o/|publisher=World News|access-date=October 22, 2012|time=9:45}}</ref> On December 5 of that year, Means stated that he "beat cancer", and that he had beat "the death penalty."<ref>{{cite news |title=Former AIM activist Russell Means says he's cancer-free|url=https://www.twincities.com/2011/12/14/former-aim-activist-russell-means-says-hes-cancer-free/ |work=St. Paul Pioneer Press |agency=Associated Press  |date=2011-12-14}}</ref>

The following year, however, his health continued to decline and he died on October 22, 2012, at age 72.<ref name=McLellan/> A family statement said, "Our dad and husband now walks among our ancestors."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainment-us-means-idUSBRE89L15A20121023|title=American Indian activist Russell Means dead at 72|work=[[Reuters]]|date=October 22, 2012|access-date=October 22, 2012|author=Coffman, Keith}}</ref>

[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] said Means "spent a lifetime as a modern American Indian warrior ... , railed against broken treaties, fought for the return of stolen land and even took up arms against the federal government ... , called national attention to the plight of impoverished tribes and often lamented the waning of Indian culture."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/russell-means-indian-activist-actor-dies-72-17533883#.UIeo0cXA9Uk|title=Longtime Indian Activist Russell Means Dies at 72|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=October 22, 2012|access-date=October 22, 2012}}</ref> Among the tributes was one writer's belief that "his face should have been on [[Mount Rushmore|Mt. Rushmore]]."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.thenation.com/article/170774/remembering-russell-means#|title=Remembering Russell Means|magazine=[[The Nation]]|date=October 23, 2012| access-date=October 23, 2012|author=Hayden, Tom}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' said Means "became as well-known a Native American as [[Sitting Bull]] and [[Crazy Horse]]."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/22/163395048/russell-means-indian-activist-and-actor-dies|title=Russell Means, Indian Activist And Actor, Dies|work=[[NPR]]|date=October 22, 2012|access-date=October 22, 2012|author=Peralta, Eyder}}</ref>

Means was cremated and his ashes were sprinkled throughout the [[Black Hills]].

==Filmography==

===Film===
{{Div col}}
* ''[[The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)|The Last of the Mohicans]]'' (1992) – [[Chingachgook]]
* ''Windrunner'' (1994) – Wa Tho Huck / Jim Thorpe / Country Ghost
* ''[[Wagons East]]'' (1994) – Chief
* ''[[Natural Born Killers]]'' (1994) – Old Indian
* ''PahaSapa... The Struggle for the Black Hills'' (1994) – Himself
* ''[[Buffalo Girls (1995 film)|Buffalo Girls]]'' (1995, TV Mini-Series) – [[Sitting Bull]]
* ''[[Pocahontas (1995 film)|Pocahontas]]'' (1995) – [[Chief Powhatan]] (voice)
* ''[[The Pathfinder (1996 film)|The Pathfinder]]'' (1996, TV Movie) – Arrowhead
* ''[[The Song of Hiawatha]]'' (1997) – [[Mudjekeewis]]
* ''[[Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World]]'' (1998) – Chief Powhatan
* ''Black Cat Run'' (1998, TV Movie) – Ten Reed
* ''A League of Old Men'' (1998) – Imber<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0161753/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_19|title=A League of Old Men|via=IMDb}}</ref>
* ''Wind River'' (2000) – Washakie
* ''[[Thomas and the Magic Railroad]]'' (2000) – Billy Twofeathers
* ''[[Cowboy Up]]'' (2001) – Joe
* ''[[29 Palms (film)|29 Palms]]'' (2002) – The Chief
* ''[[Black Cloud (film)|Black Cloud]]'' (2004) – Bud
* ''[[The Last Shot]]'' (2004) – Himself
* ''[[Pathfinder (2007 film)|Pathfinder]]'' (2007) – Pathfinder
* ''[[Unearthed (film)|Unearthed]]'' (2007) – Grandpa
* ''Intervention'' (2007)
* ''[[Rez Bomb]]'' (2008) – Dodds
* ''[[Reel Injun]]'' (2009, Documentary) – Himself
* ''[[Tiger Eyes (film)|Tiger Eyes]]'' (2012) – Willie Ortiz
* ''[[Days and Nights]]'' (2013) – Big Jim (final film role)
{{Div col end}}

===Television===
* ''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]'' – Episode: "Plague" –  Luther Iron Shirt (1996)
* ''[[The West (miniseries)|The West]]'' – [[Documentary film|documentary]] TV series – Episodes: "The People" and "Fight No More Forever" (Voice) (1996)
* ''[[Touched by an Angel]]'' – Episode : "Written in Dust" –  Edison (1996)
* ''[[Remember WENN]]'' – Episode: "And How!" – Joseph Greyhawk (1997)
* ''[[Duckman]]'' – Episode: "Role With It" – Thomas (1997)
* ''[[Liberty's Kids]]'' – Episodes: "The New Frontier" and "Bostonians" (2002)
* ''The Profiler'' – Episode: "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" –  Uncle Joe (1997)
* ''[[Nash Bridges]]'' – Episodes: "Downtime" and "Lady Killer" –  Dexter Birdsong (1998)
* ''Black Cat Run'' (TV movie) – Ten Reed (1998)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0138326/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_20|title=Black Cat Run|date=September 18, 1998|via=IMDb}}</ref>
* ''Family Law'' – Episode: "Americans" - James Saginaw (2001)
* ''[[Curb Your Enthusiasm]]''  - [[List of Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes#Season 4 (2004)|Season 4]] – Episode 8 – Wandering Bear (2004)
* ''[[Into the West (miniseries)|Into the West]]'' – TV Mini-Series – 3 episodes – Older Running Fox (2005)
* ''[[American Experience]]'' – TV Series documentary – Episode: "We Shall Remain: Part V – Wounded Knee" – Himself (2009)
* ''[[Banshee (TV series)|Banshee]]'' (TV series) – Benjamin Longshadow (4 episodes) (2013)

===Other appearances===
* ''Under a Killing Moon'' – Video Game - The Chameleon (1994)
* ''The Making of 'Pocahontas': A Legend Comes to Life'' – TV Movie documentary - Himself (Voice of 'Chief Powhatan') (1995)
* ''Images of Indians: How Hollywood Stereotyped the Native American'' – TV Movie documentary – Himself (2003)
* ''Looks Twice'' – [[Short film|Short]] – (2005)
* ''Wounded Heart: Pine Ridge and the Sioux'' – Video documentary – Himself / narrator (2006)
* ''Turok - Son of Stone'' Video   (2008)
* ''Questions for Crazy Horse'' – Documentary – Himself (2010)
* ''The Sasquatch and The Girl'' – Short (2010)

== Bibliography ==

* [https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700636976/# Matthias André Voigt (2024). ''Reinventing the Warrior: Masculinity in the American Indian Movement, 1968-1973''], Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. ({{ISBN|978-0-70063-697-6}}).

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==External links==
{{Wikinews|Lakota activists declare secession from US}}
* {{IMDb name | id = 0575184  | name = Russell Means}}
* [http://www.dickshovel.com/intermeans.html “Russell Means, the Existential Indian,” Interview] by [[Linda Brookover]]

{{Indigenous rights footer}}
{{United States presidential election, 1988}}
{{American Indian Movement}}
{{Authority control}}

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