Russell Means, the Oglala Lakota Indian (Means said the designation "Sioux" was derogatory) whose controversial political activism on behalf of America's Indian tribes first became headlines in the 1973 siege of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, died today on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Born on Pine Ridge in 1939, Means' transfer to a nearly all-white California high school resulted in daily relentless bullying. First Means fought back, then he fell into alcohol and substance abuse for several years before getting his footing in 1969 at the American Indian Center in Cleveland, OH. It was in Ohio that Means met Dennis Banks, co-founder of the new American Indian Movement.

In 1972, Means and other prominent Indian activists organized a mass demonstration on Washington, D.C. to coincide with the election. The housing they were promised by the Department of Interior was rat-iinfested and overcrowded so the demonstrators took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs and renamed it the Native American Embassy.They were evicted four days later when they were promised that investigations of programs that were supposed to help Indians would take place.

Three months later, Means and 200 armed supporters began a 71-day occupation of Wounded Knee where, in 1890, the U.S. military massacred more than 300 men, women, and children of the Sioux/Lakota tribe.Several weeks later, Means went to Washington, D.C. to try to broker an end to the siege. He was arrested and jailed when he rejected the unconditional surrender offer. The remaining protesters surrendered on May 8th, 1973. Means and other principles talked about this action in the 2005 documentary Wounded Heart: Pine Ridge and the Sioux.

His 1974 trial for his role in Wounded Knee ended after seven months when the Judge dismissed all charges after it was revealed that a member of Means' own defense team was an FBI informant who supplied information to the prosecution.

In 1994, Means sought the limelight on the silver screen. He played Chingachgook in the 1992 move, The Last of the Mohicans. Means' autobiography, Where White Men Fear to Tread: The Autobiography of Russell Means, was published in 1995. He used this venue to rail against the term 'Native Americans' and the whole notion of Native American Heritage Month.

Means was just a few weeks shy of his 73rd when he died of esophegeal cancer.

Monday October 22, 2012: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Come and join us for an hour and a half to do yoga, relax and celebrate womanhood.

As women we dedicate much of our time to nourish others, let's take a little time to share yogic tips for women with Victoria Duranona.

If you'd like to learn more about yoga, the library offers many books and videos on the topic.

The AADL has a large collection of TV shows, and we’re always getting new shows added to the collection, as well as new seasons of shows already in our catalog. New to AADL is Rizzoli and Isles. The show features a medical examiner and a police officer who investigate crime on the streets of Boston. The show is based on novels by Tess Gerritsen.

As for new seasons of shows you already love and get from AADL, we’ve got new DVDs of Dynasty, MI-5, Parenthood, Dexter, NCIS, Upstairs, Downstairs, Mad Men, and Coupling, to name a few. If you’ve been waiting for the new seasons on DVD, get your name on the list for them!

The library is always adding new “old” movies to the collection. In case you missed them, be sure to check out:

The Game (1997)
Directed by David Fincher, this thriller is worth a watch. Conrad Van Orton (Sean Penn) meets with his brother Nicholas (Michael Douglas) to give him his birthday gift: an open invitation to participate in a game hosted by a mysterious company. When Nicholas goes to enroll in the game he is rejected from participating due to his psychological profile. Soon afterwards increasingly alarming incidents begin to occur, pulling both brothers into a conspiratorial plot.

Death Comes To Town (2010)
Times are tough in Shuckton, Ontario: On a single day the town’s bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympics is rejected, their mayor is murdered, and Death arrives on a Greyhound Bus. Local citizens sleuth their way to find the mayor’s killer and in the process they unwittingly discover Shuckton’s seedy underbelly. This eight episode mini-series features the comedic genius of The Kids in the Hall.

Lena Dunham is the director, writer and star of Tiny Furniture, an independent dramatic feature film released by The Criterion Collection. The film centers around Aura, who has recently graduated from college and returns home to New York to her mother’s house and now has the task of figuring out her life. She struggles with employment, and with her relationships with love interests, as well as her friends and family.

As is the trend of recent low-budget indie films, it is dialog heavy and features a young protagonist finding her way. Aura is deep in the dilemma of being young and aimless, but is also at the point where she knows responsibility should be taken; she just doesn’t know which direction to turn. The film also subtly focuses around her relationship with her mother, who is a grounded and successful artist. Interestingly, Aura’s mother and sister in the film are portrayed by Dunham’s real-life mother and sister, so there’s extra chemistry among the actors.

In addition to sharp dialog, Dunham also blesses viewers with great composition and visually appealing images on the screen. It’s a charming little film, and even though the subject matter is slow and heavy, it’s filled with witty dialog that keeps you amused, and it has a touching ending. As a bonus, The Criterion Collection DVD release also features Dunham’s first feature film, "Creative Nonfiction," and four of her short films.

In the first of the Valencian crime series, debut novelist Jason Webster introduced Chief Inspector Max Camara in Or the Bull Kills You * * (2011) where he is roped into investigating the grisly murder of a star matador. Not only does he hate bullfighting but what he finds on the blood-stained sand shocks the city of Valencia to its core.

In the follow-up, A Death in Valencia * Max is feeling low and virtually homeless (now that! ... is another story in itself). On the eve of a papal visit, the body of a well-known (and Max's favorite) paella chef washes up on the beach, drawing Max into a web of corruption and violence as he tried to untangle these threads.

"Dark and witty..., the plot is fast and twisting, the scene-setting vivid, and the atmosphere powerfully authentic, showcasing the determined, lonesome Camara, with his love of flamenco and brandy, and occasional doped-out high, A Death in Valencia delves into issues that rouse unruly passions and divide the Spanish people today."

"The undercurrent of melancholy, as Camara finds himself in conflict with the powers-that-be, sets this apart from the usual Southern European procedural/whodunit ". Will appeal to fans of the brooding, sexy Aurelio Zen Series by Michael Dibdin (now available as a PBS Masterpiece Mystery series).
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Born in California, journalist and travel writer Jason Webster (website) moved to Spain in 1993. He lives near Valencia with his wife, the flamenco dancer, Salud.

* * = starred reviews
* = starred review

The library is always adding new “old” movies to the collection. In case you missed them, be sure to check out:

The Fly (1986)
Starring a young Jeff Goldblum, this remake of the 1958 original is about an ambitious yet eccentric scientist that has an unfortunate incident involving a fly. This film is sure to please fans of 80's horror films as well as those looking for a good Halloween flick.

Pecker (1999)
Edward Furlong and Christina Ricci costar in this romp from Baltimore to Manhattan as an amateur photographer receives surprising attention from the metropolitan art scene. This John Waters gem covers everything from eating too much candy to exploitation of the homeless. (This is also one of my favorite movies.)

Alex Karras, a Detroit Lion for twelve seasons and an actor for many years, died today in Los Angeles.

In 1958, Karras was a first round draft pick for the Lions. He was a member of the Lions' Fearsome Foursome (a term used in pro football to describe the frontline defense. The other Lions players were Roger Brown, Darris McCord, and Sam Williams. Karras was suspended in 1963 for one year when he was caught placing bets on NFL teams. He returned to the team in 1964 and played for seven more years.

In the mid-1970s, he called the plays, with Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell, on ABC's Monday Night Football.

His most memorable Hollywood role was in the the 1974 hit western satire, Blazing Saddles in which he played the Mondo.

He and his real-life wife, Susan Clark, who survives, starred in the TV sitcom, Webster (1983-1987) (the first season is on order), along with Emmanuel Lewis. Karras and Clark played the adoptive parents of the orphaned son of a pro football player.

Karras, who was 77, died from complications due to cancer and dementia.

In my attempt to find a sitcom that appeals to me and to my 7 year old daughter I revisited The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Remember that show? Mary was the woman who could turn the world on with her smile, she could take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile, as her theme show song so whimsically tells us. The Mary Tyler Moore Show premiered on CBS in September 1970, and during its seven-year run became one of the most acclaimed television programs ever produced. In the 1970s it stepped away from how woman were traditionally portrayed on television. Mary was a woman who was striking it on her own after a failed two year relationship. In the first episode we find out that Mary is a 30 year old woman who has been living with her boyfriend while putting him through medical school. Shortly after her boyfriend completes medical school Mary leaves the relationship because he refuses to marry her. However, Mary Richards doesn't let this rain on her parade. She packs it up and moves to Minneapolis, Minnesota where she gets a job as an associate producer of a second-rate news show. In addition to touching on the subject of a single woman working for a living, it also touched on controversial subjects like homosexuality, marital problems, divorce and equal pay for women. This show is funny, touching and a whole lot of other things. I find myself laughing out loud with my daughter over some of the great material creators and writers James. L. Brooks and Allan Burns pumped out. I remember as a child looking up to Mary and being in awe of her fantastic hair, studio apartment and Evan-Picone wardrobe. I'm still in awe of Mary, and now some 30+ years later so is my daughter.

It's the most wonderful time of the year: Halloween season!

There is something fun for everyone to do in the next four weeks leading up to The Big Day, whether you're headed to a haunted attraction, watching the leaves change color, or seeing a spooky movie or two. But no matter what, be sure to fit in a viewing of It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown before the month is up! The library carries it on DVD and Blu-Ray.