Mike Forcia – The Activist Who Took Down the Columbus Statue!
Mike Forcia is a longtime Indigenous activist and member of the Bad River Band, Lake Superior, Chippewa Indians located in Minnesota, United States. On June 10, 2020, he organized the take down of the Columbus statue at the Minnesota State Capitol. He was charged with first-degree damage to property, which carried a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Through his ingenuity, Mike’s “punishment” was to teach and educate people on the truth about the genocide of Indigenous people in what is now known as the United States. He was sentenced to 100 hours of community service to teach in the schools. Mike is an amazing example of restorative justice and transformative justice.
Learn about the American Indian Movement (AIM).