PLEASE POST WIDELY
NORTHWEST LEONARD PELTIER SUPPORT NETWORK
TACOMA OFFICE
P.O. BOX 5464
TACOMA, WA 98415-0464 USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
AN INTERNATIONAL CALL FOR ACTION
INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER
FEBRUARY 6, 1999
INTERNATIONAL LEONARD PELTIER SOLIDARITY FAST
There comes a time when people who believe in social justice
need to
pull together in time of great need. This is just such a time. The
situation
of political prisoner and American Indian Movement activist
Leonard
Peltier is at a critical stage. With your help we can move
Leonard's
struggle to a higher level that it needs to be at. We acknowledge
the
many important struggles that are going on throughout the world.
Leonard Peltier, himself, also has acknowledged the importance of
the
on going struggles of the people. He has issued statements asking
his
supporters to also actively support Mumia Abu-Jamal. He has
actively
supported other political prisoners, while he himself has been
locked-up
in the iron house. He has publicly supported the Zapatistas and
the
indigenous people's struggles in Chiapas, and has used his support
network to gather food and supplies for them. Leonard has directly
supported countless other struggles of the people.
Now Leonard needs the direct support of all of us. We apologize
for
pushing the call to action so hard every where we are able to. But
we
have limited resources, whereas the powers of oppresion have near
unlimited resources.
1. BACK GROUND ON THE STRUGGLE OF LEONARD PELTIER
2. END THE TORTURE OF LEONARD PELTIER NOW!
3. INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER
4. INTERNATIONAL LEONARD PELTIER SOLIDARITY FAST
5. FOR MORE INFORMATION
BACK GROUND ON THE STRUGGLE OF LEONARD PELTIER
Leonard Peltier is an Ojibwa-Lakota American Indian Movement
(AIM)
activist who was framed on murder charges in the deaths of two FBI
agents in a firefight on the Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota Reservation
in
South Dakota on June 26, 1975. The following are two of the main
reasons that the firefight took place on that day.
1. Because the Lakota people had refused to take money for the
stolen
Paha Sapa (Black Hills), the U.S. Government knew that if they
were to
take any more Lakota land that there would be resistance. In the
area of
Sheep Mountain of the Pine Ridge Lakota land, the U.S. Geological
Survey had located major uranium deposits. Working in the direct
interests of the nuclear power and weapons industry, agents of the
U.S.
Government set out to do two things: First to suppress the
traditional
Lakota people and their allies AIM, who would resist the taking of
their
land. And to create a diversion to hide their illegal taking of
the
Sheep
Mountain area. At the same time that the firefight took place the
papers
were signed that took away 133,000 acres of Lakota land and gave
it to
the U.S. Government.
2. AIM was viewed as a direct threat to the interests of
multi-national
companies that sought the great amount of mineral resources that
was
on Native land. AIM and others had inspired a new movement
of resistance to the U.S. Government's Indian policies. For this
reason
the FBI used it's COINTELPRO program to try to destory AIM.
After the 1973 Wounded Knee Liberation the U.S. Government tried
to suppress AIM by the means of placing hundreds of its members on
trial across the country. On the Pine Ridge Lakota land, there was
campaign of terror against traditional Lakota people in which
homes
were burned, cars were run off the road, drive by shootings into
people's
homes and there were 66 known murders of traditional Lakota
people.
Because of this reign of terror traditional Lakota people asked
for
help
from AIM. AIM set up a camp on the Jumping Bull's property for the
purpose of protecting the people and the setting up
self-determination
community programs. Before the firefight hundreds of government
agents
were brought in to Pine Ridge. The day before many family members
of the death squard were moved out of Pine Ridge. On the morning
of
the firefight roads were blocked off around the area. The FBI used
the
lame excuse of following a truck in which a person that they said
they
were looking for in the case of a theft of a pair of boots. Rather
than
stopping the truck out on the blacktop, two unmarked cars came
rushing on to the Jumping Bull's property in the same manner as
the
drive by shootings had taken place. The AIM members believed that
they were under attack by the death squad and the defended
themselves. As a result of the firefight one AIM member and two
FBI
agents died. Under the assult of hundreds of government guns the
AIM
members were able to excape.
Later three AIM members were capture and placed on trial.
Because
Leonard was captured in Canada, the first trial included only two
AIM
members. In their trial they were found not guilty for reason of
self-
defense. Leonard was extradited based upon false documents given
to
the Canadian court. Then the government transfered Leonard's trial
from the original judge to a hand pick judge who would not allow
self-
defense evidence or evidence of the government's illegal use of
false
documents. To insure Leonard's conviction the government
fabricated
ballistic reports in order to connect Leonard directly to the
agents
deaths. The government also coerced witnesses into giving false
testimony against Leonard. Leonard was completely framed and found
guilty and sentenced to imprisonment for two lifetimes.
Over the years Leonard's defense has disproven the governmet's
case
to the point that the U.S. prosecutor has stated that the
government
does not know who killed they agents, and that Leonard is only
guilty
of "aiding and abetting" because he was there that day. What this
means is, since the first two defendants were found not guilty for
reason
of self-defense, then Leonard has been locked-up for 23 years for
"aiding
and abetting" an act of self-defense.
END THE TORTURE OF LEONARD PELTIER NOW!
Over the years the government has continuously harassed Leonard
in
prison. Leonard is currently suffering from complications of a
previous
maxilla-facial surgery at the Springfield Medical Prison facility.
In
that
surgery Leonard almost died. Not only did that surgery not improve
Leonard's condition, it made it far worst. Leonard is now in
continuous
excruciating pain. He cannot open his mouth enough to bite his
food,
nor can he even chew food. Leonard, for very good reasons does not
want to go back to Springfield. The renowned maxilla-facial
surgeon
Doctor Keller of the Mayo Clinic has writen to the prison telling
them
that he is willing the treat Leonard. But so far the federal
Bureau Of
Prisons (BOP) has refused to let Leonard be treated. If the
government,
for political reasons, causes and allows a prisoner to suffer
great
pain,
there is no other word for that than torture.
We are calling upon all people who believe in social justice to
help
in
the campaign to end the torture of Leonard Peltier NOW! Please
send e-
mails to: Ms. Kathleen Hawk, Director, Bureau Of Prisons at:
[EMAIL PROTECTED], or write to her at: 320 First St., Washington,
DC
20534, or fax: 202-514-6878, or call: 202-307-3198 and ask that
Leonard
be allowed treatment by Dr. Keller at the Mayo Clinic.
INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER
FEBRUARY 6, 1999
Feb. 6th of this year marks the 23rd year of Leonard's arrest.
Each
year we mark this day with international marches and rallies. This
year
is even more important than in the past because of the torture of
Leonard and the renewed growing campaign for justice for Leonard.
Please, where ever you maybe throughout the world, join with us in
this
day of solidarity. We need to make a massive statement to end the
torture of Leonard and that people throughout the world demand
justice
for Leonard. If you can help please contact the Leonard Peltier
Defense
Commttee at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] We are asking that on that day that
groups
write up solidarity statements for people in their areas to sign
and
send
them to: U.S. Pardon Attorney, Roger C. Adams, 500 First St. NW,
Suite 400 Ref: Leonard Peltier #89637-132, Washington, D.C. 20530
USA. President Bill Clinton, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW,
Washington,
DC 20500 USA. (These should include support for clemency). To: Ms.
Kathlenn Hawk, Director, Bureau of Prisons, 320 First St.,
Washington,
DC 20534 USA. Warden Booker, Leavenworth Federal Prison, P.O. Box
1000, Leavenworth, KS 66048 USA. (These should demand the end of
the torture of Leonard and support for his treatment at the Mayo
Clinic).
Please send copies to: LPDC. P.O. BOX 583, Lawrence, KS 66044
USA.
NWLPSN FEBRUARY 6, 1999 MARCH AND RALLY--TACOMA, WA.
The march starts at 12:00 noon at the Puyallup Nation Tribal
Grounds
(off I-5, exit 135 north, State Route 164 in Tacoma. The Tribal
Grounds
are about a 1/4 mile on the right hand side of the road). We will
march
from the Puyallup Nation Tribal Grounds to the Federal Court House
in
downtown Tacoma at 1717 Pacific, where the rally will take place.
CARPOOLS will be leaving Seattle at 10:30 am from "Planned
Parenthood" parking lot at Madison and 22nd. In Olympia the
Committee for Justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal is organizing a carpool
that
will met at 10:30 am at the parking lot of Value Village (corner
of
Harrison and Division).
INTERNATIONAL LEONARD PELTIER SOLIDARITY FAST
Starting on February 6th the INTERNATIONAL LEONARD PELTIER
SOLIDARITY FAST will begin. The purpose of this fast is to end the
torture of Leonard Peltier NOW! The fast will continue with teams
fasting
for two weeks at a time, then a new team will take over. We plan
to
continue this fast until the torture of Leonard ends. On each day
of the
fast different fasting people will be issueing statements calling
for
the
end of the torture. Starting on the first day of the fast, we are
asking
that
supporters each day send e-mail messages to: Ms. Kathleen Hawk,
Director, BOP at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] asking that Leonard be sent to
the
Mayo Clinic and thus end the torture of Leonard Peltier. Those who
wish
to be a part of this by either fasting or getting that statements
of the
fasters please contact the NWLPSN at: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
FOR MORE INFORMATION
In the northwest of the U.S. and Canada you can contact us at:
e-mail
bayou@blarg, or to get petitions, or to order our pamphlet "THE
CASE
OF LEONARD PELTIER" ($3 for 1-5 copies or $2 for 6 or more copies)
or to make a donation (which we are badly in need of), or to be
placed
on our mailing list or e-mail list, please write to:
NWLPSN-OLYMPIA
OFFICE, 5201 Capital Blvd. Ste. 199, Olympa, WA 98501 USA. Or
vist our web site at;
http://members.aol.com/TurquoisWm/JusticeforLeonardPeltier.html.
Outside of the northwest please contact: The Leonard Peltier
Defense
Committee, P.O. Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044 USA. Phome number
(785) 842-5774. fax (785) 842-5796, e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] (ask to
be put
on the LPDC e-mail list) Web page:
http://members.xoom.com/freepeltier/index.html.
We wish the thank everyone who has helped in this long struggle
and
those who helped by reposting this message.
In Solidarity
Arthur J. Miller
NWLPSN-Tacoma Office
end
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