Joseph and John Trimbach, Paul DeMain, and Tim Giago Hosted by Michigan State University (4-23-2008)

Front cover of Joseph and John Trimbach's American Indian Mafia: An FBI Agent's True Story About Wounded Knee, Leonard Peltier, and the American Indian Movement (AIM).

Retired FBI agent Joseph H. Trimbach and his son John Trimbach report that their April 23, 2008 presentation at the Kellogg Center Auditorium of Michigan State University (MSU) was a success. Click on the cache links to read how MSU promoted the event.

The MSU calendar reported:

FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph Trimbach and John Trimbach will debate the legacy of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and challenge the three pillars of AIM: COINTELPRO versus AIM, the Anna Mae murder investigation, and Leonard Peltier as a political prisoner.

The students and professors in the audience were great, and there were no rabblerousers who disrupted the presentation.

The renowned Indian journalist Tim Giago was also scheduled to present, but became ill; so Paul DeMain, the Managing Editor of News from Indian Country, took his place. Mr. DeMain is sometimes disparaged as an "apple" (red on the outside, white on the inside) by panicky Aimsters because he has criticized AIM leaders for their violence and deception and has not vilified the FBI.

At the last minute, Mr. Giago fortunately recovered and was able to attend, but Paul DeMain still took his place as a speaker.

The Trimbachs report:

We hope we changed some minds on Churchill, Peltier, and the AIM leadership's role in the destruction of Wounded Knee village, the murder of Anna Mae Pictou Aquash, and what was once an improving relationship between law enforcement on the reservation and the residents. There's a lot of historical damage to repair. We hope MSU was merely the first of many speaking engagements. Tim will hopefully join us for the next one.

The event was recorded and may be available at a later date. Maybe they will post the audio or video of this event on their site.

These posters were commissioned to promote the event.

I am glad that these fine men are working together to overcome the legacy of mistrust and violence created by the leaders of the American Indian Movement and their mouthpieces.

I posted a story about the March 2008 promotion of Trimbachs' book that I attended here. I have been writing about the Trimbachs' historic and long-awaited book since April 29, 2006.