John Trudell is an acclaimed poet, national recording artist, actor and activist whose international following reflects the universal language of his words, work and message. Trudell (Santee Sioux) was a spokesperson for the Indian of All Tribes occupation of Alcatraz Island from 1969 to 1971. He then worked with the American Indian Movement (AIM), serving as Chairman of AIM from 1973 to 1979. In February of 1979, a fire of unknown origin killed Trudell's wife, three children and mother-in-law. It was through this horrific tragedy that Trudell began to find his voice as an artist and poet, writing, in his words, "to stay connected to this reality." Listen carefully to Trudell's "We Are Power" speech below. Serious truth-telling in this explosive clip:-
Take the time to explore Trudell's philosophy and be prepared for some critical introspection. You can check out his full documentary here. Another clip that grabbed me was the following where he describes the modern human being as the living dead and this realm we exist in as a place where spirits get eaten:
OneLove
:::MME:::
