PAT BELLANGER | Origins of the American Indian Movement (AIM)

Pat Bellanger (1943-2015), Ojibwe from the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, was a pivotal figure in A.I.M. which she co-founded in 1968 in the Twin Cities. Her activism during the Red Power era included organizing key protests like the 1972 BIA occupation in Washington, D.C and the Liberation of Wounded Knee in 1973.

Bellanger focused on family and education in the Twin Cities, where she was a leader of the survival school movement. She co-founded Women of All Red Nations (WARN) and served on the International Indian Treaty Council's board. Her dedication earned her the title of "Grandmother AIM.”

Miss you Pat. Your laughter and legacy lives on.