IN A LITTLE POND
Republished with the express permission of Rezinate~
Russell Means always had an inflated view of himself, the man who would be king, the “chief facilitator”, patriot, liberator, Crazy Horse come again-to what end was he able to receive a pardon from outgoing South Dakota governor Bill Janklow in 2003?
Means had political aspirations, wanting something more than being the big fish he thought of himself as in a small toxic pond he was instrumental in creating.
So driven was Means that he aligned himself with Hustler magazine owner and publisher Larry Flynt as Flynt’s laughable vice presidential running mate-another one of Means absurd contradictions as he later segued into an attempt to position himself as the Dauphin of matriarchy.
Matriarchy then became his favored schtick, another vehicle to maintain some measure of media and internet attention and possibly make a buck or two in the process.
An epiphany,a desire to atone for a lifetime characterized by mysoginy, of pimping women by his own admission?
Not likely-more I suspect of arriving at a realization that indigenous women were undergoing an awakening of their own, beginning to empower themselves, and Means always being one not to miss out on what could be an opportunity reversed course and suddenly began to castigate men and slobber platitudes about the sanctity of the womb and the reproductive cycles of women-the prototypical caveman referring to other men as cavemen.
The proverbial leopard attempting to change it’s spot, trickster playing another game.
The love hate relationship between Janklow and Means is a case study of the adage that politics make strange bedfellows.
In 2000 Janklow became personally involved in the campaign to blunt the efforts of Peltier supporters to secure remediation in the form of a pardon or clemency from then outgoing president Clinton-yet a mere two years later as Janklow is leaving office he pardons Means.
Janklow the “Indian Hater”, the man who wanted heads to roll in AIM- did he undergo some grand awakening, or were there other reasons? Sympathy for a fellow rapist, or even monetary?
Was the fact that while Means was serving his year under such harsh conditions as can only be referred to as “hard time” playing day secretary at the Abourzek law office sitting around in the secretarial pool dunking a Danish over a cup of coffee sufficient to arouse compassion,to kiss and makeup, or are there other layers of influence?
If placing a bet I’d put my money on the latter.
I’ve yet to talk to a man who bought into Means matriarchy charade, though some women apparently have, the vast majority of them being non indigenous- Means target audience of choice.
