My father's family differed with AIM in some ways while acknowledging the injustice of the "peace" that comes with losing the wars. Radicalism always creates as many problems as it purports to solve. I will leave it at that.
As for the man, no matter what you felt about his activism and tribal 'politics' (which like most politicians (in the generic sense, not the occupational sense,) evolved over time,) you knew he was a "true believer' in his cause and should be honored for that. Never doubt his intensity in his belief that he was doing what was right. So much innuendo and claims about his life will possibly never be clarified now that so many participants in the less savory aspects of the times and events are dead but I will choose to remember him as a man ("warts and all") that tried to live out what he thought was his calling as an American Indian. Sad to hear he was unable to beat the "C" with native treatments. He would have loved the irony of that (although he might have preferred the term rightness I think) if he had won against cancer without the white man's medicines.
Sad.
Rest in Peace, sir.
Gracias,
Glenn