Chronology of American Indian History

January 19

James Watts brands reservations as

“socialist.”

In a television interview, Secretary of the Inte-

rior James Watts states, “If you want an example

of the failures of socialism, don’t go to Russia.

Come to America, and see the American Indian

reservations.” Watts goes on to say that reservation

“socialism” has led to “alcoholism, unemployment,

venereal disease, and drug addiction.” Indian

leaders across the United States denounce the sec-

retary’s equation of tribalism with socialism and

his grossly negative characterization of reservation

life.

January 25

The Voigt Decision affirms Ojibway fishing

and hunting rights.

A U.S. Court of Appeals rules in Lac Courte Oreilles

Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians v. Voigt

(also known as the Voigt decision) that the Ojibway

of Wisconsin have a right to fish, hunt, and gather

wild foods in their former homeland, even though

the area was ceded to the United States by treaty.

The decision will inspire an Ojibway movement

to defend their treaty rights, breeding increas-

ing tension between Indians and non-Indians in

Wisconsin.

February 27

KILI opens as a radio station serving the

Lakota Sioux.

On the 10th anniversary of the takeover of

Wounded Knee (see entry to FEBRUARY 28, 1973),

public radio station KILI begins broadcasting

in Porcupine, South Dakota. Managed by Dale

Means, the brother of American Indian Move-

ment leader Russell Means, the station features

local programs, high school reports, and tribal

news in both English and Lakota. Reaching more

than 22,000 Lakota Sioux throughout the state,

the enterprise is conceived as a relatively inexpen-

sive way of disseminating information from an

Indian perspective.

May 10

Micmac prisoner Donald Marshall is

exonerated.

The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia acquits Don-

ald Marshall, a Micmac who has served 11 years in

prison for a murder he did not commit. The case

brings attention to the inequities of the Canadian

justice system, which is three times more likely to

imprison a Native than a non-Native accused of a

crime.

June 13

The Mescalero Apache retain control over

reservation hunting and fishing.

The Mescalero Apache and the state of New Mex-

ico dispute which party has the right to regulate

non-Indian hunting and fishing on the tribe’s reser-

vation. The matter is settled by the Supreme Court

in New Mexico v. Mescalero Apache Tribe. The court

holds that because the tribe has invested heavily in

developing the reservations’ hunting and fishing

Six children of famed athlete Jim Thorpe celebrate the
return of his Olympic medals with Juan Antonio Sama-
ranch (center), president of the International Olympic
Committee. (AP/Wide World Photos)