Statement from Leonard Peltier (6.26.09)

Greetings my friends and relatives,

I want to start off this statement or speech or whatever you want to
call it by saying again as I’ve said before thank you thank you  thank
you from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and for standing up
for right wherever you are.  I can’t express to you in words how
extremely grateful I am not just to the people of America but to the
people all over the world who have supported the cause of Indian
people and myself.

I know a lot of you have given up a lot to help so many in my
predicament.  Daily I am made aware of political prisoners around the
world.  Many who have been killed or tortured or who knows what for
trying to right the wrongs in their area, country or nation.   I have
been asked to make statements in support of other movement people
around the world from time to time, South America, Europe and other
places.  People who love freedom, people who love the earth, people
who love their family, people who love the freedom to make their own
choice with their own resources, and all indigenous people- we share a
common bond.  The bond of brother and sister hood, the bond of
believing there is a greater power than ourselves.   And I don’t mean
some government power;   I mean the greatest power in all the universe
the Creator Himself.


We also as human beings upon this earth have to recognize that there
have always been those who suffer from an illness called greed.  They
have an appetite for gaining material wealth that is never satisfied.
They have an appetite for land that is never satisfied.  And the most
common symptom of their illness is indifference to the suffering they
cause with their quest.  These people are the ones that have
identified themselves as our common enemy.  It is so terrible that
under the guise of religion and shouting freedom they pit one people
against another.  This isn’t something new.  All down through history
it has taken place.  All down through history there have been men,
spiritual men, holy men, great thinkers and philosophers who have
tried to unite us against this common enemy.

Today my brothers and sisters I want you to know that if nothing else
if we don’t unite against the destruction against the Mother Earth we
will have a common future that is void of clean air, clean water, and
basic freedoms.  We must reach our hands out to embrace others to the
cause of life.  We must do our best from where ever we are with
whatever tools available to enhance and further our quality of life.
We must find a way to break down the barriers that divide one people
from another. We must find the things we have in common and find ways
to solve our differences as basic humanity.  We must evolve to a
higher level of thinking or to as you might say a traditional level of
thinking which obviously is superior to what they call progress today.
 Our traditional values taught us to live in harmony with Earth the
greatest manifestation of the Creator that we have to relate to. Our
traditions taught us to respect our bodies the greatest gift we have
or possess as an individual.  Our traditions taught us to preserve the
environment for our children and all our future generations.  As a
member of the American Indian Movement these values are what we were
about.  Poverty isn’t solved by money poverty is solved by attitude.
The problems we have today among all our people are caused by
attitude.  They are caused by an attitude that was given to us in
boarding schools and on reservations that were nothing more than
concentration camps in the past.  They are attitudes by people who
came to us talking to us about God and wanting us to embrace their
version of religion and as one brother said once, “They told us to bow
our heads, and when we looked up our land was gone, our culture was
gone, our children was gone, our way of life was gone.”  And now the
air itself is
dwindling.

I have been in this cage for some 34 years and though I have been
caged I have sought the spirit in prayer of our brother the eagle, I
have sought to have an overview of things for as anyone can see I
don’t have the freedom to examine life from a close perspective.  And
from this distant view, abstract view, this detached view, at times I
get to see the destruction and divisiveness that these political
powers that have scattered us for so long have involved themselves in
promoting among our people.  I don’t know if it is because I am older
now or because my future is so uncertain or if through some spiritual
inspiration I deeply want to say so much.  I deeply want to move you
to do something to save our earth and our children and our children’s
future.  I didn’t get to raise my children; I haven’t got to really
know them or my children’s children.  I may never get to, but I
love them all just the same.  And I love life as much as anyone on the
outside.  And I don’t know how long I will walk this cage.  Some days
I feel quite healthy and energized and some days I feel like the 64
year old man that I am.  I’m always hopeful that I will be free at
some point, perhaps in the latter part of July after my parole
hearing, and perhaps I won’t.  The people that hold me, the FBI and
the conglomerate corporations that have for so long controlled the
resources of this country and others and for so long have done their
best to stifle, to denigrate, and to vilify the voice of the oppressed
are some of the most formidable well funded political people on Earth.
 I was told that the FBI themselves are some 10,000 strong.

I am but a common man, I am not a speaker but I have spoken.  I am not
all that tall but I have stood up.  I am not a philosopher or poet or
a singer or any of those things that particularly inspire people but
the one thing that I am is the evidence that this country lied when
they said there was justice for all. I am the evidence that they lied
when they extradited me from Canada.  I am the evidence that they can
lie at your trial, they can manufacture evidence at your trial, they
can intimidate witnesses at your trial, they can have back room
conversations and agreements with the judge at your trial.  I am the
evidence that the attitude, the powers that be still hold us in a
grip.  They hold us in an emotional grip. They hold us in a poverty
grip. They hold us in a cultural deprivation grip.  I could go on and
on about the things that go on that weigh so heavily against our
people but the bottom line is my case is well documented by court after court
after court, by hearing after hearing after hearing, by statement
after statement after statement.  And we as a people are the evidence
that this country fails to keep its treaties, this country fails to
keep its word. This country has failed to follow its own Constitution
- the treaty between the people and the government.  We are that
evidence.  I am nothing more than evidence.  That is why people all
over the world and here at home have supported the cause of justice in
my case.  In my particular situation I can’t say that there will ever
be any level of justice.

They cannot give back the 34 years of life that have been taken from
me.  They can not give back the life of Joe Stuntz that they took June
26th 1975. They cannot give back the lives of the 60 something people
that they directly or indirectly caused the death of.  They cannot
give back the thousand upon thousands of Indian people that were
killed and abused since the inception of this government.  But the one
thing we can do, we must do, is find a way to change their attitude.
My brother Leonard Crow Dog once said, “If you want to change the
white man you have to change his religion.”  And religion is a word
that means how you do something on a regular basis; most generally it
is associated with your spirituality. Perhaps with global warming as
it is and the changes in the weather patterns and the questionable
future that faces the earth, they will start to listen.  Maybe they
will reach back and embrace the words of our people foretold again and
again.  We must live the way that the Earth will renew itself every
spring.  We must help them reach back. We must speak to them at every
opportunity. We must make an effort to reach back ourselves to our own
cultural values. And in doing so we can start to solve the many
destructive challenges we face.  We must more than ever before find a
way to heal the wounds of our children and prevent the social
illnesses that are so prevalent across our reservations and
communities.  We have the tools, we have the teachings, we have the
philosophies, we have the culture, we have the artists, we have the
singers, we have the philosophers, I could go on and on but in essence
what I am trying to say is it is imperative that we bring together all
our resources to enhance the future for our children in a way that
they themselves can
further the healthy teachings of our culture and way of life; and in
doing so I have no doubt that we can change the world.

If I am freed next month or if I die in prison remember my words and
remember we are evidence that the Creator made a beautiful people a
people that respected the Earth and nature and each other.  We are
evidence on every level of goodness that when the Creator made us He
meant for us to be free.  All our traditions have taught us this way.
And even this very form of government that exists today was copied
from our people.  Our people with our foods, our medicines, belief in
freedom and right to choose have influenced the world.  Its too bad
they didn’t adopt a healthy attitude that we had toward the Earth or
an attitude of respect for us the first keepers of this portion of the
Earth.  If there is something about me that this government can point
at and say is wrong or any person say is wrong I will by my own
choice, if it proves to be fact, seek to fix it myself.  But I also
want to
remind them the policies that have been in place for so long have made
us what we are today.  The policies that have been in place for so
long, have created another reservation called Iraq and another
reservation called Afghanistan, and the list goes on and on, you see
what’s happening over there is what happened here and all down through
North and South America.

I am just a common man and I am evidence that the powers that put me
here would like to sweep under the carpet. The same way they did all
of our past leaders, warriors and people they massacred.  Just as at
Wounded Knee the Fifth Cavalry sought its revenge for Custer’s loss
and massacred some 300 Indian men women and children then gave out 23
Medals of Honor and swept the evidence of their wrongdoing aside.
Perhaps this statement is somewhat more lengthy than the others I’ve
made; perhaps it is some things I should have said before and perhaps
more, if so I hope you will forgive me.  I recently was thought to be
having a heart attack because of pain in my chest. After having been
beaten and kicked and stomped in the last year, I am not quite sure
what was causing the pain.  I had never been beaten, kicked and
stomped like that before.  And also I have never been 64 years old
before.  The one thing all this did for me is it really brought home
my sense of mortality.  I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in
this prison.  And I don’t want you to spend the rest of your life in
some prison of the mind, heart or attitude.  I want you to enjoy your
life.

If nothing else give somebody a hug for me and say, “This is from Leonard.”
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse

Leonard Peltier

All letters must be received by the parole board by July 14th‏
From:          contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info
Sent:     Tue 6/23/09 2:32 PM

If you haven't written your own letter yet, here is another opportunity to send your voice to the parole board today. All letters must be received by the parole board by July 14th, or they will not be allowed for consideration.
 
Please print these out, make hundreds of copies and have your friends, family and strangers sign these papers and mail them out immediately.
 
On another note, we have learned that Leonard has passed his treadmill test and his heart appears to be all right. We thank you for your efforts to secure health care for our brother.
 
LP DOC Board & Advisors
 
 
 
Your name and
Address
 
[date]
 
United States Parole Commission
5550 Friendship Blvd
Ste 420
Chevy Chase, MD  20815-7286
   
Re: Leonard Peltier
 
Dear Parole Commission:

I am contacting you to express my views and support of Leonard Peltier and his upcoming review for parole.  I am a law abiding, tax payer, and concerned citizen, and feel that based upon our countries morals, integrity, and support of humanitarianism, the matter of Leonard Peltier’s parole and release is of paramount significance. 

I feel that it is relevant to point out that Leonard Peltier has been incarcerated thirty-three years based upon what our very own courts have admitted was fabricated evidence, both withheld, and then later discovered to be tampered and questionable.  These very courts have admitted that Leonard Peltier did not commit the murders of the FBI agents at the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1976. It is clear Leonard Peltier was persecuted based upon his beliefs and refusal to accept the injustices imposed upon the peoples at pine ridge during that time. Because of these facts, I feel that our system has failed, and the continued incarceration of Leonard Peltier is a sad commentary of our government and the humanitarian values we profess to have for each other.

I express a deep hope that your commission will grant parole and release to Leonard Peltier.  Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
 
 
[Your name]

"An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation,
nor does truth become error because nobody sees it." -- Gandhi
                 *'....'*:-.,_,.-:*'....'*:-.,_,.-

ACTion is NOT Passive: Support Freedom for Peltier




Delaney Bruce, a founding member of Friends of Peltier, speaks at an educational forum for Leonard Peltier, 20 May 2009, at the Native American Student and Community Center, Portland State University, Portland, OR.

Hosted By:
The Leonard Peltier Support Group of Northern, CA

When:
Saturday, June 6, 2009

Where:
BTTP Gallery
1110 Howard Street
San Francisco

Description:
In the Warrior Spirit. A benefit exhibit of Leonard Peltier's paintings will open on May 22 and run through June 6. The opening reception (featuring Native American performers and speakers) will be held on Friday, May 22, 2009, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. An art auction will be held on closing night, Saturday, June 6, 2009, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m

Click Here To View Event

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From:  Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee
To:
Date: Apr 28, 2009 4:22 PM
Subject: <+> <+> Leonard Peltier is a Six-Time Nobel Nominee <+><+>


Leonard Peltier is a Six-Time Nobel Nominee


Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee April 28, 2009 For Immediate Release: Leonard Peltier is a Six-Time Nobel Nominee American Indian activist and political prisoner Leonard Peltier has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the sixth consecutive year. Peltier has been an inmate in the United States federal prison system since 1976, so the fact that he has earned the distinction of a Nobel nomination every year since 2004 is especially remarkable. Peltier’s unlawful conviction in the deaths of two FBI agents in South Dakota has long been internationally decried as one of the most blatant injustices in recent United States legal history. In the aftermath of his trial, federal prosecutors were openly excoriated for having manufactured evidence against Peltier, for having withheld exculpatory evidence, and also for having coerced witnesses into giving false testimony.

 Lynn Crooks, Assistant Special Prosecutor in Peltier’s trial, admitted to a federal judge that “the government does not know who killed its agents, nor do we know what participation Leonard Peltier may have had in it.” And yet Leonard Peltier has remained a prisoner for more than 33 years. Fifty five United States Senators and Congressional Representatives (including Democrats and Republicans) have filed an appeal brief demanding that Peltier receive a new trial. Amnesty International has repeatedly called for Peltier’s immediate release from prison, governments from all over the world have passed resolutions insisting that Peltier be released, and a large contingent of distinguished human rights advocates have been very outspoken in their strong support for Peltier - including six people who have already received the Nobel Peace Prize: Nelson Mandela (1993), Rigoberta Menchú Tum (1992), Mikhail Gorbachev (1990), the 14th Dalai Lama (1989), Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1984), and Mother Teresa (1979). Despite his well known status as a political prisoner, however, the basis for Peltier’s Nobel nominations has been his remarkable success in furthering the causes of peace and human rights.

During his 33 years of unjust incarceration, Peltier has worked tirelessly on a multitude of organized efforts to help other people achieve a more dignified and humane existence. While the Nobel Committee in Oslo (Norway) requests that letters of nomination not be made public, it is nonetheless widely known that Leonard Peltier has facilitated numerous significant donations to a wide variety of charities and human rights organizations. Peltier is, of course, not financially wealthy - but he is an accomplished painter. Often expending his meager prison commissary account funds on art supplies such as paints, brushes, and canvas, he produces works of art which are subsequently donated and auctioned. Peltier has also worked to establish assistance programs for many underprivileged groups, and he has helped in other ways to fund a multitude of efforts from scholarships for Native students to shelters for victims of domestic violence. The Christmas fundraising effort begun by Peltier more than 25 years ago on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota (one of the most impoverished places in the United States) has steadily been expanded and now provides assistance on at least five different Indian Reservations – the families now receiving the benefits of this annual program number more than one thousand. It is difficult to determine precisely the sum total of donations and contributions that Peltier has helped to facilitate, Peltier refuses to boast about his humanitarian work and many of his projects have not been made public. It is estimated, however, that the total contributions resulting from Peltier’s work during his 33 year imprisonment extend into the millions of dollars.

Peltier’s long record of human rights advocacy involves more than raising money. He has written a great deal while in prison, consistently taking advantage of every opportunity to encourage people not to harbor resentments, to take care of the environment, and to treat each other with love and respect. It is no small irony that a person treated in such an inhumane way should so strongly advocate the humane treatment of others, that a person so financially impoverished should help raise such extraordinary amounts of money for others, that a person with such just cause for bitterness and resentment should encourage forgiveness, and that a person imprisoned should be one of America’s strongest advocates for freedom. Peltier’s 1999 book Prison Writings: My Life is My Sundance (Saint Martin’s Press) continues to be a best seller on many lists. It is fitting that Leonard Peltier’s own words (from his book) should conclude this official press release: “We are in this together - the rich, the poor, the red, the white, the black, the brown, and the yellow. We are all one family of humankind. We share responsibility for our Mother Earth and for all those who live and breathe upon her. I believe our work will be unfinished until not one human being is hungry or battered, not a single person is forced to die in war, not one innocent languishes imprisoned, and no one is persecuted for his or her beliefs. I believe in the good in humankind. I believe that the good can prevail, but only with great effort. And that effort is ours, each of ours, yours and mine….

Never cease in the fight for peace, justice, and equality for all people. Be persistent in all that you do and don’t allow anyone to sway you from your conscience.” Please join the LP-DOC is congratulating Leonard on this monumental acheivement!

Write to Leonard Peltier at this address: Leonard Peltier # 89637-132 USP Lewisburg PO BOX 1000 Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 17837 ************************************************
For more information about Leonard Peltier’s case, about his humanitarian work, or about his works of art, please contact his defense committee at this address: Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee P.O. Box 7488 Fargo, North Dakota 58106 http://whoisleonardpeltier.info