Photo of the Week

Native News Network Staff in Entertainment. Discussion »

ISABELLA INDIAN RESERVATION – Dennis Banks takes his energy to still work hard for American Indians seriously. Seventy five year old Dennis Banks, a co-founder of the American Indian Movement and a man who still possesses enormous energy, has had a busy week.

Dennis Banks – American Indian Movement Co-founder

While in New York City on Monday, on Indigenous People's Day, he was interviewed by Amy Goodman. By Tuesday night, he was at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan to discuss repatriation issues. On Thursday, he provided teachings and conducted a pipe ceremony at the first gathering of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Men's Society on the Isabella Indian Reservation. Friday, he was still there where he led the Men's Society and several tribal women who carried ancestral remains to their final resting place on the reservation.

This picture was taken outside the Ziibiwing Center of the Anishinabe Culture & Lifeways just before Banks led the march late Friday afternoon. This photograph captures the gravity of the situation. Banks was profoundly upset at that the 124 remains that were unearthed in 1973 were given to the Tribe in 9,000 small white boxes with small bone fragments that numbered 103,801 by the University of Michigan.

He spoke to the group moments later and asked,

“How do 124 humans get turned into over a hundred thousand fragments. What did the University of Michigan do? Did they break them into pieces using pliers? Did they use hammers?”

How do the young people say it these days?, "just sayin'" Well, Banks was "just askin'."

posted October 13, 2012 9:20 am edt