Michelle Vignes died last week. She’s a legend.
Melanie Light wrote for La Journal:
“Vignes photographed the American Indian Movement (AIM) occupation of Alcatraz Island in 1969 and AIM’s declaration of secession from the United States as an independent Oglala nation at Wounded Knee in 1973. At Wounded Knee the FBI set up roadblocks with tanks, and armed agents policed the area for over three months. Vignes was one of the few photographers to shoot from inside the standoff and created a lasting bond with AIM members and the Native American community. At Wounded Knee, “my aim was to show what it is to be under siege, surrounded by the Army.”
Image: Arriving in Wounded Knee, South Dakota, during the siege in 1973. © Michelle Vignes
