‘Cover Stories’ Archives
THE THUNDER BEFORE THE STORM
The Autobiography of Clyde Bellecourt As told to Jon Lurie The American Indian Movement burst onto the scene in the late 1960s as indigenous people across the country began to demand what is rightfully theirs. Clyde Bellecourt, whose Ojibwe name translates as “The Thunder before the Strom,” is one of its co-founders and iconic leaders. This powerful autobiography provides an intimate narrative of his childhood on the White Earth Reservation , his long journey through the prison system, and his embodiment of “confrontation politics” in waging war against entrenched racism. Bellecourt is up-front and unapologetic when discussing his battles with drug addiction, his clashes with other AIM leaders, his experiences on the trail of Broken Treaties and at Wounded Knee, and the cases of Leonard Peltier and murdered AIM activist Anna Mae Aquash. This gritty, as-told-to memoir also uncovers the humanity behind Bellecourt”'s militant image, revealing [...]
