Honoring A Warrior - WaBun Innini

In October 2006, Talking Feather Radio was privileged to interview Vernon Bellecourt, whose Ojibwe name, WaBun-Innini, means "Man of Dawn" or "Daybreak." On October 13, 2007 Wabun Innini transitioned and became an Ancestor. Join us in a special tribute to this Warrior. Wabun Innini was an activist who worked passionately on issues of Indian sovereignty, treaty rights, health, education and accurately presenting history. He educated, informed and enlightened people all over the world so people would gain a better understanding of American Indians. Wabun Innini fought to restore land and dignity to Native Americans. He vigorously advocated against the use of derogatory Indian nicknames for sports teams. He was a longtime leader of the American Indian Movement and became a negotiator in AIM's 1972 occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs headquarters in Washington, DC, which was part of the Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan. In the 1973 occupation of the town of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, Wabun Innini served as a spokesman for the group in the final days of the 71-day standoff with federal agents. He also participated in the campaign to free AIM activist Leonard Peltier. Wabun Innini was a special representative of the International Indian Treaty Council and helped organize the first treaty conference in 1974. As part of his work, he met with presidents such as Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.