AIM activist passes on

Harjo:  Vernon Bellecourt (1931-2007)"Vernon was a great representative of the Ojibwe Nation and one of the great communicators of our generation," said William A. Means, Oglala Lakota, Bellecourt's friend, fellow activist and community organizer. "He was the best at getting across the message of treaty rights, human rights, mascots and racism to people from the grass-roots all the way to national officials."

Means lauded Bellecourt's work as president of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, his support of our lawsuit against the disparaging name of the Washington football team and his efforts on behalf of the International Indian Treaty Council, which Means served as president for two decades. He commended what turned out to be the final work of Bellecourt's life: "Getting another year's heating oil for 27 tribes from the people of Venezuela and CITGO." Bellecourt returned from Venezuela shortly before being hospitalized.