White Revolutionaries Infiltrated Wounded Knee and Replaced Indian Occupiers

"We began to see young [white] infiltrators trying to enter the village with gas masks and camouflage jackets, carrying maps, marijuana, and books by Mao-Tse-Tung."---Joe Trimbach

In their just-released e-book American Indian Mafia, Joseph and John Trimbach describe how the Indian village of Wounded Knee was attacked by the American Indian Movement (AIM) in 1973 and its residents subjected to a 71-day reign of terror.

The publisher's review notes:

The 1970s legacy of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota is haunted by the forgotten suffering of innocent victims and a falsified history found in almost every library in America. The perpetrators are often referred to as “brave warriors” and “selfless activists,” while many of their Indian victims are consigned to anonymity.

Soon after the people of Wounded Knee were taken hostage, armed white revolutionaries with drugs and alcohol began to replace the Indian occupiers. Joe Trimbach, who was the FBI Special Agent in Charge, observes:

...[T]he village situation grew worse. Of mounting concern was the presence of "white crazies," fledgling revolutionaries that had begun to replace Indian occupiers. We began to see young infiltrators trying to enter the village with gas masks and camouflage jackets, carrying maps, marijuana, and books by Chairman Mao-Tse-Tung. Drugs and alcohol that had not been present in great amounts previously were now seen throughout the village. Wounded Knee was turning into a counter-culture drug fest, a Woodstock with guns rather than guitars.

As the standoff continued, we received several reports that many of the non-Indian activists and organizations were attempting to assume leadership roles. Those who did not agree with AIM's violent tactics and armed confrontation found themselves in direct conflict with resentful Native leaders. I have talked to people who tell me there were fisticuffs, assaults, shootings---a few of which reportedly resulted in death---and at least one rape. The only predominately white organization whose friendly overatures appeared to be welcome was the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), probably because of their expertise in munitions, military operations, and escape and evasion tactics. If someone challenged the AIM leadership, somebody from the VVAW, it was reported, would intervene and "take care" of that person...there were quite possibly more deaths by the militants' own hand than by returned gunfire from law enforcement (American Indian Mafia, p. 140-141).

According to Mr. Trimbach:

Day after day, as the men and women of the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service served as target practice for pumped-up militants, few in Washington realized that a considerable number of the agressors were not Indians at all, but rather fringe radicals and anti-establishment reprobates itching for the chance to shoot at establishment figures (p. 301).