An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States

awarded until 2011, and discontinued after the murder of its namesake,
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. It is not clear why Bellecourt was
chosen; though, given his connections to Ture, as well as his continued
activism with the United Indian Liberation Front, which included
Indigenous peoples throughout the Americas, it is not surprising.
Ture began the panel discussion by explaining the logic of how award
recipients were chosen. The award was first given to Nelson Mandela
because of his struggle against a “racist, settler regime” in South Africa.
“This year the prize is being awarded to the Indigenous people of the
Western Hemisphere, commonly called American Indians, for their
continuing struggle against 500 years of aggression, occupation, and
genocide.” 73 The panelists included lawyers, academics, and revolutionaries
who advanced humanity and celebrated those whom the West might not
recognize as humanitarians because they do not fit into the Western
definition of a humanitarian.
Bellecourt began by introducing himself in the Anishinaabe language.
He then stated that although he was accepting the award, that Native people
throughout the Americas, from the Dené in the Northwest territories to the
tip of Argentina, continued to struggle against ongoing occupation.
Professor Cerqueira then spoke, explaining that the prize existed as a
direct criticism of the United Nations and other prizes awarded to those
who many activists deemed war criminals. “Our purpose here is to
recognize just struggles, human struggles for human rights, which have
been abandoned, neglected, ignored by the media and establishment,” he
said.
Bellecourt began to speak again. After describing the American Indian
Movement occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973, he made a point to offer
comments about his dear comrade, Ture: “He came out of the struggles of
the Africans in America. And he came to our people, and he offered his
friendship, his love, his respect and his solidarity.” Bellecourt continued,
“One time I remember a speech he was giving. And here’s what he said,
‘The Indians have a history. The Indians have a glorious history. It’s not to
be found in America’s history books. But it will be when the Indians have
their proper nationalism and there is no power on earth that can stop it.’”
Bellecourt loved Ture so much because of his revolutionary passion and his
unflinching support for Indigenous peoples in the US. Ture did not speak
much during this segment. He spent only a few minutes critiquing the logic