1932 - 2017
Dennis Banks was an influential Native American activist and co-founder of the American Indian Movement (AIM), which emerged in the late 1960s to address issues of sovereignty, discrimination, and cultural preservation for Native Americans. Born on April 12, 1932, in Leech Lake, Minnesota, he played a key role in organizing protests and events, such as theWounded Knee occupation in 1973. Banks was also a writer and educator, advocating for the rights and traditions of Indigenous peoples throughout his life.