Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders joined Neighborhoods Organizing for Change (NOC) in a historic forum on Black issues called the Black America Forum on Friday, February 12, 2016.
As the community continually grew uneasy at Bernie’s answers. Many shouted for him to be more specific about how he’s going to carry out his campaign promises. Noticing the communities unrest, and on a time limitation because of a scheduled DFL fundraising dinner with his opponent Hillary Clinton in St. Paul, Sanders stood up from his panel seat without allowing the moderator to close out the event. This is when legendary co-founder of the American Indian Movement (AIM), Clyde Bellecourt (pictured below), pressed hard on Bernie Sanders to speak to the issue of Treaty Rights and the attempted genocide of indigenous people.
Sanders briskly replied to Mr. Bellecourt’s question before escaping into the curtains and heading off to that DFL fundraiser with Hillary Clinton. This is what he said:
C. Bellecourt: “Are you going to honor the treaties?”
B. Sanders: “The Native American people have gotten a terrible deal from the federal government. I will do everything I can to address that.”
Here is a video of the confrontation between Clyde Bellecourt and Bernie Sanders:
Without giving a definite answer about Treaty Rights, Senator Sanders dropped the mic in front of Anthony Newby and promptly walked off stage, in what some audience members say they felt was inappropriate.