In August 1972 , the Red Power movement continued under the direction of American Indian Movement ( AIM ) with the trail of broken treaties . The trail of broken treaties , a play on the " Trail of Tears , " was the migration of seven caravans from areas across the west coast to the Bureau of Indian Affairs ( BIA ) in Washington D.C . The BIA had become widely associated with corruption and not acting in the best interest of the American Indians . The protestors started arriving in D.C. on November 1 with the intent of bringing a list of twenty demands to the BIA . Upon arrival , the activists and GSA security had a misunderstanding about the activists being housed in the BIA building . This resulted in the activists overpowering the security and taking over the building . The American Indians then barricaded the doors , with furniture from the BIA they had broken apart , and the occupation began on November 2 , 1972 . This occupation of the BIA had started the week before the presidential election , making a D.C. occupation the center of media attention . Threats of police force were used daily against the Indians if they did not come out . Supporters from outside of the occupation would come to the BIA to create a human barricade keeping the police from entering the occupied building . On November 6 , a judge had given an order for the occupiers to vacate the building before 6 pm that day or they would be forcibly evicted . As the Indians braced for eviction , some exited the building to create a perimeter around it with clubs , spears and other weaponry to resist . Others inside the building were rumored to have guns and explosives awaiting the invasion of GSA officials . The spokesman of the occupation , Russel Means , spoke on the front stairs of the BIA explaining that the occupation would end when their demands had been met , and no time sooner . The deadline for the Indians to leave was pushed back yet again to November 8 . Before this date , Indian lawyers had discovered evidence that would essentially abolish the BIA with exposure of corruption and misuse of the program . On November 8 , the protestors left the BIA building with paintings , artifacts , and $ 2 million worth of damage
Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
Red Power movement