Notes on Russell Means' Speech "For America To Live Europe Must Die"

Historical Context

  • Speaker: Russell Means, a prominent Native American activist.
  • Location/Date: Black Hills International Survival Gathering, July 1980.
  • Significance: Considered one of Means' most famous speeches.

Oral vs Written Culture

  • Means expresses disdain for writing, asserting that it represents a European mode of thinking.
  • Importance of his Lakota culture's oral tradition:
    • Speaks to the value placed on spoken words over written ones.
    • Views the imposition of writing as a tool for cultural degradation of non-European societies.

Identity and Terminology

  • Terminology Choice: Prefers “American Indian” over “Native American,” emphasizing the importance of specific tribal identities.
  • Rejects the notion that term "Indian" is tied to India, pointing out the misconception based on Columbus's terminology.

Cultural Teaching and Learning

  • Argues that traditional knowledge is essential for resisting Europeanization.
  • Critique of Education: Concludes that formal education cannot instill native identity or values.
  • Resistance to European Influence: Underlines the significance of staying connected to traditional ways as a form of cultural survival.

Critique of European Intellectual Thought

  • Sees thinkers like Newton and Marx as part of an oppressive tradition that distorts spirituality.
  • Materialism vs Spirituality: Establishes a dichotomy between European material gain and Indigenous spiritual value systems.
  • Dehumanization Process: Draws parallels between industrial society’s practices and the mental frameworks used to justify dehumanization during warfare and oppression.

Exploitation and Environmental Concerns

  • Critiques how European industrialism uses Native lands for resource extraction (e.g., uranium mining on reservations).
  • Presents the concept of “National Sacrifice Area”: Areas designated for resource extraction where local populations pay an environmental and health price.

Ideological Opposition to Marxism

  • Describes Marxism as another European ideology that does not offer true liberation for American Indians.
  • Marxism as Industrial Continuation: Argues it perpetuates the same destructive industrial systems that harm indigenous populations.
  • Critique of Revolutionary Promises: Asserts that Marxist revolutions have historically led to further oppression of non-European peoples rather than liberation.

Spiritual and Cultural Identity

  • Emphasizes the need for a return to traditional practices and beliefs as a foundation for resilience.
  • Environmental Harmony: Advocates for a worldview that respects and aligns with the natural order, contrasting it with European approaches that exploit the earth.
  • Reiterates that real revolution is about restoration of balance and harmony with the earth, not merely changing political regimes.

Understanding "European"

  • Distinction of Terms: "European" refers to a worldview and mentality rather than genetic characteristics.
  • Cultural Nationalism: Identifies as a cultural nationalist; prioritizes relationships with traditional peoples who resist European values.

Conclusion and Call to Action

  • Means concludes by defining his identity not as a leader but as an Oglala Lakota patriot committed to the survival of his culture.
  • Urges American Indians to maintain a sense of identity and resist adoption of European ideologies that dilute their cultural heritage.