American Indian Airwaves (AIA), an Indigenous public affairs radio porgram and, perhaps, the longest running Native American radio program within both Indigenous and the United States broadcast communication histories. Also, AIA broadcast weekly every Thursday from 7pm to 8pm (PCT) on KPFK FM 90.7 Los Angeles (http://www.kpfk.org). Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aiacr American Indian Airwaves is produced in Burntswamp Studios and started broadcasting on March 1st, 1973 on KPFK in order to give Indigenous peoples and their respective First Nations a voice about the continuous struggles against Settler Colonialism and imperialism by the occupying and settler societies often referred to as the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Latin and South America countries located therein. American Indian Airwaves operates as an all-volunteer collective with no corporate sponsorship and no underwriters.
https://www.kpfk.org/on-air/american-indian-airwaves/
Remembering the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890 & the Wounded Knee Occupation of 1973
December 29th of this year marks the 129th year anniversary of the Wounded Knee Massacre whereby the United States 7th Calvary stopped Spotted Elk, Miniconjou and Lakota Ghost Dancers, and community members from returning home to Pine Ridge, now located in South Dakota. Near the Wounded Knee Creek, Spotted Elk and community members were stopped by the United States 7th Calvary during a time when the United States government essentially banned all Native American traditions. Shortly after the initial encounter, a scuffle ensued and resulted in the U.S. 7th Calvary open firing and killing over 300 Indigenous women, children, and men. The Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890 is often inaccurately characterized as the last battle between American settler colonialist and Indigenous peoples and their respective First Nations. However, throughout the generations until early 1973, with little to moderate change of Indigenous peoples’ conditions, Native Americans continued to struggle as the United States continuously failed to honor any of its signed and ratified treaties while sustaining protracted policies of genocide and assimilation. In a response to rampant civil and human rights violations of Pine Ridge residents, over 200 members of the American Indian Movement and supporters occupied Wounded Knee in the Lakota Nation from February 27th, 1973 to May 8th, 1973 in a 67-day military standoff with tribal and U.S. government officials, which quickly drew international and domestic support from people, organizations, and foreign governments throughout the world. At the time, the American Indian Movement and supporters were responding to traditional Lakota community members request for protection from elected tribal chairman, Richard “Dickie Wilson”, whose administration, along with United States government’s support, was rife with corruption, nepotism, and violence. Subsequently, the 67-day standoff eventually resulted in a negotiated settlement between the American Indian Movement and the United States government on May 8th, 1973.