Greetings my relatives friends and supporters
It is yet another year. It seems like a thousand years ago but only a year in time in reality from the last time I dictated one of these statement for the day of mourning
so, again, I want to say as last time, that I am honored that you would want to hear my words.
Sometimes when I lay on my bunk and I am between sleeping and awake, for a small moment of time, I am free and I am there with you. I know this sounds kind of melodramatic and I am not trying to be so, but things affect you differently inside of here and things affect you differently as you get older. But I want to say with all my strength, some things don’t change, at least not for me.
When I think about all we have lost to this corporate world, when I think about the losses of clean water and rivers and oceans and when I think about the losses of clean air when I think about the losses of freedom for hard working families that once had a father that could take care of his family with as single job but now has to work two or three jobs and the mother must work too and the children that come home from school with their own key and have to wait the return of one of their parents. When I think of these losses, when I think of the wage slaves that are being created daily all over the world in the name of progress, when I think of these losses I think... we damn sure have a good reason to mourn, but I really believe that the word mourn should have a different meaning for us, not something where we cry and throw our hands up and say “ WHY WHY, WHY ME, WHY US, WHY THIS” but something that we say NO MORE to. Something we make a vow to, renew our efforts, renew our minds, renew our directions to take back our water take back our air take back our forests and our mountains and valleys, restore this mother earth to the natural balance the creator meant it to be. We need to talk to the churches, talk to the various religions, we need to get them to recognize that the strongest form or worship isn’t singing songs and bowing your head, the strongest form of worship is to respect and restore to balance the beauty of nature and the earth that was given to us, that is part of us, that we are a part of, and to be responsible for.
This may sound like the ramblings of some old 69 year old man in prison for 38 years but I have had a lot of time to think about these things and when my grandchildren come to visit me, it gives me a sense of urgency for all of us to start doing something NOW!
If each one of you would take a vow to get six other people along with yourself to do at least ONE meaningful thing to restore this balance and get each one of those people to network and get 6 more people and let it go out from there like the branches of a tree then together we can make a difference. We can make a difference starting today.
This day of mourning would become the morning of a new day!
I have quoted others before and I do so again because I respect the wisdom of elders and people long past. Someone once said and I don’t remember who said it,
“All evil needs to triumph is for good people to do nothing.”
If this is more than you care to do, or if you think you can’t be involved with others for some reason, I respect that, but I would encourage you to at least plant one fruit bearing tree that someone in the future, perhaps some child would have something to eat. That maybe some other living creature might have a place of shelter and food to eat. there will always be changes throughout the earth and throughout mankind, some uncontrollable and some with design.
I know we can make a change for the better if we put our hearts and minds together and let this day of mourning be a time of renewal, we can spread the concept that mankind must live in harmony with the creators handy-work and with one another. If this time I have spent here in prison could produce anything of value I pray that it would move you to become involved. Find the right things within government and support them, and find the wrong things in government and change them. This government as it stands right now is on the verge of losing what constitutional rights people have. This government is violating the constitution over and over and over. These violations started before you or I were even conceived. As some of you may know the Constitution is a copy of the Iroquois 6 nations Confederacy law. The constitution originally was designed so that men would have maximum freedoms as long as they did not infringe on the natural rights of others or in essence harm someone else. The freedoms and respect that the law implies that we should have for one another in this nation should extend to all those outside of this realm because what is right for one man should be right for others.
We should allow other people to be free from fear. I remember an old jewish man I once met in hardware store, I engaged in conversation with him. He had fought in WW2 and he said to me, and I always remember his words, “this isn’t the nation I fought for, this nation has become a nation of people who are afraid of their gov’t and anytime the people are afraid of their gov’t they are not free and I have noticed that what people will do to someone else wrongfully, sooner or later if circumstances change they will do it to you also.
These violations of human rights must stop. I know the task may seem overwhelming and I can’t say that I have the answer for success at making a change but I do know the answer for failure.. thats to do nothing.
So if my imprisonment serves nothing else but to be living proof of these violations, then so be it, but it is a reality. Right now, it has been selective violation, but there are powers at hand that seek to inflict those violations upon everyone. This reminds me of a story that I heard once where a man said:
“First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—
and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
I ask you to remember these things because they are truisms that have happened and they will happen again to you and your children and your children’s children if we do not take a stand. a famous warrior named Emiliano Zapata from the Mexican revolution once said “I would rather die on my feet then live on my knees” .... I could go on and on but I suppose you get my meaning. I encourage you to be active, to stand your ground and help us recover the ground we have lost.
God, I wish I could be there with you.
I am going to close for now. Be thankful you have the time you have, be thankful you have each other, and give each other a hug for me.
I will see you when I see you
Your friend
Leonard Peltier.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
Statement from Leonard Peltier 11/11/2013 "Inside Looking Out"
Greetings my relatives, friends and supporters,
I am communicating to you today to address some of the concerns about the changes that have taken place within the organization that leads the efforts to bring about my freedom. I am referencing the LPDOC as you well know, those of you who are familiar with the organization, there have been changes every two or three years. Sometimes people feel this is too much and some feel it is too little and this is why I am having this comment sent out.
First of all I want you all to know that I deeply deeply appreciate ALL the people who have given parts of their lives to help bring about my freedom and enhance the lives of my people all over the world. I know it has been difficult for many, in fact for most because it is a drain on ones resources, ones time, and often times takes away from a persons family and personal life to be involved in movement activities. I appreciate that, I don’t know how to impart to you how deeply I appreciate that. There is no one who has come through the doors of the LPDOC that has all the answers or could possibly make all the right decisions, all we can really do is do our level best to do what is right, and try to right what is wrong. This kind of work wears on people and I do not expect any person to devote their ives to me. This isn’t all about me. This is about the constitutional violations toward americans that put me here. This is about the violations that keep me here. This is about the human rights violations that put AND keep me here. This is about the human rights that indigenous people all over the world deserve to have honored. This is about the treaty rights that the indigenous people of america have with the United States that are being violated feloniously today. This is about the legal procedures that were violated in my case that stand as possible precedents in the cases of others to come. Of all these things I mentioned, I am legally adjudicated evidence of those violations. I am not the only person who is evidence of these violations however, because of your struggles and those before you, and those who struggle now I am probably more visible than most of the others. As I said before people coming to the defense committee are not expected to devote their whole lives to me and I fully realize they have families and children. The older members of AIM and the struggle have grandchildren they are taking care of now. I guess what I am trying to say to you is that it is not unusual nor inappropriate for there to be changes within the Peltier Defense Committee.
As native people, and as movement people we represent in most cases the poorest of the poor in America and we are dealing with the most powerful, politically strong, well financed organization in the world today and so its not so difficult to see how we can be stressed from time to time and have changes from time to time for we are in fact the most vulnerable ALL the time. We don’t have enough money to always fund the most needed lawyers and legal workers or secretaries or web managers or whatever. We rely mostly on the good hearts of people who volunteer and we have never had enough money to pay these good people what their efforts are worth so it is easy to see why people at some point might choose to travel a different path in due time because they all have families and their own lives to live. People come into this organization with various skills and skill levels and most times they further those skills and skill levels and it enhances the strength of all of us whether they stay within this committee or not because of their involvement in their community using those skills.
In the near future you will see some changes in our website, and our level of activities, and our promotion, even more so of all our concerns for our mother earth, and our children’s future. I have personally, grand children and great grandchildren at this time and I know that you would understand my concerns for their future and my concerns for the future of all of our children. If it were not for our indigenous cultures which are totally linked to the natural environment the creator gave us than I would have had no reason to be at Oglala that day nor would the other native people on Pine Ridge have a reason to remain where they live today. That area is still the poorest of the poor the suicide rates there among children are epidemic and among adults its the same. The Cathedral, the Temple of their way of life, the Black Hills of South Dakota has the faces of those who led the destruction of their lives carved upon them. The Black hills of South Dakota was forcibly leased from the Lakota people, that lease has been up for over 40 years and yet America does not return it. The Lakota people have not accepted money for it and yet this injustice continues while all the while people of America turn a blind eye to this violation of religious freedom. This is only one example that I mention because of the size and how blatant it stands out and how most americans are not aware of this. We truly want changes in America, we want changes in the Americas from the far north to the extreme far south. We want a turnaround in the destruction of our natural environment. On the dollar bill it says in “God we trust” it should say something to the effect in God’s handy-work we MUST trust.
I could go on and on but I feel like I am getting to preachy. Forgive me if I have rambled, if you can imagine sitting in a building that you don’t like, for ONE day imagine how it would be to sit in there for approx 13688 days plus and think about these things and try to work on these things. So I would like to sincerely encourage you to try and mend your differences and join with me to make this a better place for the future of our children and all natural life. And if you so decide to be involved with some other group I totally respect that, but I encourage you, deeply encourage you, to always be doing something to make a difference in our world. A difference for the better.
Forgive me if this seems a bit lengthy but the future of my involvement is very important to me and when you get to be 69 years old, one day could be a lifetime. If you have any doubts about this statement- just as one of your grandparents. In saying this I want you to understand why we are gearing up to do everything as soon as possible. I don’t know what else I can say to get you to better understand this situation at the moment but again I want to say I appreciate all your efforts, all the things you have done, and for the indigenous people of the United States I want to echo the words that they say over and over again in their own way
WE ARE STILL HERE.
This is our home, this is our past, this is our present, and this is our future.
May the great spirit bless you with the things you need and enough to share with others who have needs also.
In the spirit of crazy horse and all our people of the past who have given unselfishly that we might exist today and have values that are worth living for.
Your friend always, IN all ways
Mitakuye oyasin
Doksha
Leonard Peltier
I am communicating to you today to address some of the concerns about the changes that have taken place within the organization that leads the efforts to bring about my freedom. I am referencing the LPDOC as you well know, those of you who are familiar with the organization, there have been changes every two or three years. Sometimes people feel this is too much and some feel it is too little and this is why I am having this comment sent out.
First of all I want you all to know that I deeply deeply appreciate ALL the people who have given parts of their lives to help bring about my freedom and enhance the lives of my people all over the world. I know it has been difficult for many, in fact for most because it is a drain on ones resources, ones time, and often times takes away from a persons family and personal life to be involved in movement activities. I appreciate that, I don’t know how to impart to you how deeply I appreciate that. There is no one who has come through the doors of the LPDOC that has all the answers or could possibly make all the right decisions, all we can really do is do our level best to do what is right, and try to right what is wrong. This kind of work wears on people and I do not expect any person to devote their ives to me. This isn’t all about me. This is about the constitutional violations toward americans that put me here. This is about the violations that keep me here. This is about the human rights violations that put AND keep me here. This is about the human rights that indigenous people all over the world deserve to have honored. This is about the treaty rights that the indigenous people of america have with the United States that are being violated feloniously today. This is about the legal procedures that were violated in my case that stand as possible precedents in the cases of others to come. Of all these things I mentioned, I am legally adjudicated evidence of those violations. I am not the only person who is evidence of these violations however, because of your struggles and those before you, and those who struggle now I am probably more visible than most of the others. As I said before people coming to the defense committee are not expected to devote their whole lives to me and I fully realize they have families and children. The older members of AIM and the struggle have grandchildren they are taking care of now. I guess what I am trying to say to you is that it is not unusual nor inappropriate for there to be changes within the Peltier Defense Committee.
As native people, and as movement people we represent in most cases the poorest of the poor in America and we are dealing with the most powerful, politically strong, well financed organization in the world today and so its not so difficult to see how we can be stressed from time to time and have changes from time to time for we are in fact the most vulnerable ALL the time. We don’t have enough money to always fund the most needed lawyers and legal workers or secretaries or web managers or whatever. We rely mostly on the good hearts of people who volunteer and we have never had enough money to pay these good people what their efforts are worth so it is easy to see why people at some point might choose to travel a different path in due time because they all have families and their own lives to live. People come into this organization with various skills and skill levels and most times they further those skills and skill levels and it enhances the strength of all of us whether they stay within this committee or not because of their involvement in their community using those skills.
In the near future you will see some changes in our website, and our level of activities, and our promotion, even more so of all our concerns for our mother earth, and our children’s future. I have personally, grand children and great grandchildren at this time and I know that you would understand my concerns for their future and my concerns for the future of all of our children. If it were not for our indigenous cultures which are totally linked to the natural environment the creator gave us than I would have had no reason to be at Oglala that day nor would the other native people on Pine Ridge have a reason to remain where they live today. That area is still the poorest of the poor the suicide rates there among children are epidemic and among adults its the same. The Cathedral, the Temple of their way of life, the Black Hills of South Dakota has the faces of those who led the destruction of their lives carved upon them. The Black hills of South Dakota was forcibly leased from the Lakota people, that lease has been up for over 40 years and yet America does not return it. The Lakota people have not accepted money for it and yet this injustice continues while all the while people of America turn a blind eye to this violation of religious freedom. This is only one example that I mention because of the size and how blatant it stands out and how most americans are not aware of this. We truly want changes in America, we want changes in the Americas from the far north to the extreme far south. We want a turnaround in the destruction of our natural environment. On the dollar bill it says in “God we trust” it should say something to the effect in God’s handy-work we MUST trust.
I could go on and on but I feel like I am getting to preachy. Forgive me if I have rambled, if you can imagine sitting in a building that you don’t like, for ONE day imagine how it would be to sit in there for approx 13688 days plus and think about these things and try to work on these things. So I would like to sincerely encourage you to try and mend your differences and join with me to make this a better place for the future of our children and all natural life. And if you so decide to be involved with some other group I totally respect that, but I encourage you, deeply encourage you, to always be doing something to make a difference in our world. A difference for the better.
Forgive me if this seems a bit lengthy but the future of my involvement is very important to me and when you get to be 69 years old, one day could be a lifetime. If you have any doubts about this statement- just as one of your grandparents. In saying this I want you to understand why we are gearing up to do everything as soon as possible. I don’t know what else I can say to get you to better understand this situation at the moment but again I want to say I appreciate all your efforts, all the things you have done, and for the indigenous people of the United States I want to echo the words that they say over and over again in their own way
WE ARE STILL HERE.
This is our home, this is our past, this is our present, and this is our future.
May the great spirit bless you with the things you need and enough to share with others who have needs also.
In the spirit of crazy horse and all our people of the past who have given unselfishly that we might exist today and have values that are worth living for.
Your friend always, IN all ways
Mitakuye oyasin
Doksha
Leonard Peltier
Friday, November 8, 2013
A New Direction for the LPDOC
November 8, 2013
dorothyninham@yahoo.com
Dear Supporters of Leonard Peltier,
After three years of being a part
of the campaign to free Leonard Peltier, I am closing that chapter of my
life and moving on. We have had a chance to use our
creativity in bringing awareness to this important case of constitutional
violations to the forefront, not only in the U.S. New York City
From a business standpoint, it is
good policy to replace managers every three years, just to keep ideas fresh and
so it is that David Hill will guide the new freedom campaign. This is
truly Leonard’s wish and we respect his right to choose the people who
will be surrounding him.
Our Team will not disappear
from the heart of Indian Country. It is our belief that out
fight is not just about one man’s freedom but about the injustice and
total disregard for the rights of Native people in and on our own
homeland. We have always been guided by our ceremonies and
Spiritual leaders and we will continue forward, following a path that our
Creator has made for us.
Please continue to support Leonard
Peltier’s fight for freedom, as we will as well. It is our prayer that
one day soon, he will walk free and have the ability to share his good words
and gratitude with the people who have his best interest and have been a part
of this struggle for so many years. I wish you all the best and
thank you for the support and kindness you have shown to our Team.
May you forever walk in peace
toward the place where there is justice and equality for all of creation.
In the Spirit of Our Warriors,
dorothyninham@yahoo.com
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Native History: More Than 300 Dakota Sentenced to Death
This Date in Native History: On November 5, 1862, a five-man military commission convicted 319 Dakota men in connection with a series of armed conflicts in southwestern Minnesota. Of the 392 tried, 307 were originally sentenced to death—later reduced to 303—and 16 to prison terms. Ultimately, 38 men were hanged after a review of those 303 cases by President Abraham Lincoln.
Read more at http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/11/05/native-history-more-300-dakota-sentenced-death-152079
Monday, November 4, 2013
The Oglala Commemoration Auction is Now Open
The Oglala Commemoration Auction is now open to raise funds for the 2014 Oglala Commemoration in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, 26 June 2014.
Visit http://www.oglalacommemoration.com/auction.html.
E-mail all bids to Oglala_commemoration@yahoo.com; Subject line: "BID"; Body: List the item and the amount of your bid.
Payment by money order or via PayPal.
These current auction items can be had in time for Christmas.
www.oglalacommemoration.com/auction
Sunday, November 3, 2013
03 November 1972: Occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs building in Washington, DC
On Nov. 3, 1972, protesters from the Trail of Broken Treaties Caravan occupied the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) offices in D.C. for six days. Read the 20-Point Manifesto, it begins: "We seek a new American majority - a majority that is not content merely to confirm itself by superiority in numbers, but which by conscience is committed toward prevailing upon the public will in ceasing wrongs and in doing right." See http://www.aimovement.org/ggc/trailofbrokentreaties.html.
Friday, November 1, 2013
President Barack Obama Proclaims November Native American Heritage Month
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
As we observe this month, we must not ignore the painful history Native Americans have endured -- a history of violence, marginalization, broken promises, and upended justice. There was a time when native languages and religions were banned as part of a forced assimilation policy that attacked the political, social, and cultural identities of Native Americans in the United States. Through generations of struggle, American Indians and Alaska Natives held fast to their traditions, and eventually the United States Government repudiated its destructive policies and began to turn the page on a troubled past.
My Administration remains committed to self-determination, the right of tribal governments to build and strengthen their own communities. Each year I host the White House Tribal Nations Conference, and our work together has translated into action. We have resolved longstanding legal disputes, prioritized placing land into trust on behalf of tribes, stepped up support for Tribal Colleges and Universities, made tribal health care more accessible, and streamlined leasing regulations to put more power in tribal hands. Earlier this year, an amendment to the Stafford Act gave tribes the option to directly request Federal emergency assistance when natural disasters strike their homelands. In March, I signed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which recognizes tribal courts' power to convict and sentence certain perpetrators of domestic violence, regardless of whether they are Indian or non-Indian. And this June, I moved to strengthen our nation-to-nation relationships by establishing the White House Tribal Council on Native American Affairs. The Council is responsible for promoting and sustaining prosperous and resilient Native American communities.
As we observe Native American Heritage Month, we must build on this work. Let us shape a future worthy of a bright new generation, and together, let us ensure this country's promise is fully realized for every Native American.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2013 as National Native American Heritage Month. I call upon all Americans to commemorate this month with appropriate programs and activities, and to celebrate November 29, 2013, as Native American Heritage Day.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-eighth.
Barack Obama
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)