We have some very exciting news! President Clinton has publicly confirmed that Leonard Peltier’s clemency petition has reached his office, and that it will be decided one way or the other in the very near future.
Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard the last many years for Leonard. You have brought this case right up to Clinton’s desk. But now we must work harder than ever for the next few weeks. We are down to the wire and this is literally a matter of life and death.
It is now or never for telling the White House how we feel about the case. We are asking people to call every single day to the White House, starting now, and up through December 1. (We will send out new information then).While it is possible that a positive decision might take longer, we must make very sure that Leonard’s case is not dropped from the list in the early stages.
The FBI camp has initiated their own phone campaign to the White House protesting clemency. Leonard’s support across the country is huge, but we must make ourselves heard, more than ever. Please call the White House comments line ever day through December 1! Try to organize as many friends
and supporters as possible to make the calls with you!
To reach the White House Comments Line, call 202-456-1111. You will get a recording, but you can skip it by dialing "0" for the live people. What counts is that hundreds of calls come in every single day. Clinton needs to know he has our full support for Leonard’s release.
You may get an operator who seems very interested in talking, or someone who does not want to talk at all and doesn’t care. This doesn’t matter at all either. Whoever answers your call, they must tally the total at the end of the day and send the numbers upstairs to Mr. Clinton.
Keep the message courteous and straightforward. Here is a sample:
- Identify yourself and your state, plus any nation you belong to and any job title if you wish.
- Explain that you want Clinton to immediately and unconditionally release Mr.Peltier.
- Explain that Mr.Peltier never got a fair trial because the FBI coerced witnesses and concealed the ballistics test reflecting his innocence.
- Mr.Peltier especially deserves clemency because of his incredible record of good deeds behind bars.like sponsoring a Native scholarship program, adopting children in Central America, supporting battered women’s centers, and substance abuse programs, and sponsoring an annual Christmas clothing and toys drive for the children of Pine Ridge.
- Time is running out to resolve this national tragedy, because Peltier now suffers from diabetes, a heart condition and high blood pressure.
- Releasing Mr.Peltier will be an important first step in national reconciliation between the United States government and the Native American people of this country.
If you wish to write as well as call, the White House fax number is 202-456-2461.
Call the White House Comments Line Today — 202-456-1111
— Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, PO Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044;
785-842-5774; www.freepeltier.org
The Last Battle
LEONARD PELTIER
As I stood in silence looking through the broken window of the wooded shack in which was once my home, I could see the misty morning dew as it laid in rest, not yet awaken by the coming of the Father Sun. Then, suddenly, there came a formilizing sound that carried me back to my early childhood. I heard the sound of someone crying. But after a few moments I realized…it was only that of the wailing wind, weeping out as if in great pain. Then, as suddenly as it came, it departed. Once again the cold sound of silence fell upon me…with it came back so many memories. It was at that moment that I decided to visit the beautiful Mother Earth, to seek out her comfort and love from this haunting feeling of emptiness.
As I walked through the heart of this ancient reservation the gentle mist seemed to reach out and cling to me like some violent spirit without form. As I continued to walk, I came across several hidden trails of nature, but all looked to belong abandoned…leaving only the ugly for memories, as if a reminder of that that once was.
Then, there sitting upon a river bank, I could see an old Indian man, with long silver shining hair, bound tightly in braids that reached the length of his hips, aimlessly tossing pebbles to the muddy water…water that had long changed its colors from the White Man’s pollution…fish, turtles, and even the playful tadpoles. So many of life’s water creatures, once depended upon for the survival of my people, laid lifeless with decay upon the river’s banks.
As I turned to the old man, I couldn’t help but wonder who he was, for over the years I had come to know all the Elders of our Nation. And then, as if my thoughts were spoken, he rose up to look into my eyes. As if he had known I would come and had been waiting. As he stood there, from the morning light I could see tears forming in his lifeless eyes, and, as I looked a little closer, I could see that they were the sacred tears of blood, cried through generations of sorrow by our people.
Then, softly I heard him say, My son, I am a very old man of great age, sorrow, pain in many visions, but most important of all I am the original seed of life, handed down to our people by the Great Spirit.
I am the voice…of a thousand battles, who speaks with the wisdom and direction from years of counseling with traditional Chiefs and our Elders.
I am the voice…for a Nation that seeks the beauty of freedom…freedom through whatever means possible, from the rusty chains of bondage, that has long imprisoned our people and those of all Indian Nations.
I am the voice…for the people that have struggled and cried for hundreds of years, the bitter tears of blood, through death, starvation, racialism, and suffering under the vice of the White Man’s greed.
I am the voice…for the people who demand that the White Man stop destroying mankind, stop abusing our beautiful Mother Earth through the use of nuclear arms and explosives.
I am the voice…to you my people of the great strength and pride, for we can no longer survive off the White Man’s pity. We must strike back and fight…if we are to prevent the total annihilation of our people, and all nations.
I am the voice…that will carry with great love and pride your prayers and cries to the Great Spirit for forgiveness for the violent crimes being forced upon you the people to commit, in order to survive…with the honor and pride that so many of our people have died for through generations of battle.
Then suddenly, as if Mother Eath had vailed him with her ravishing beauty…he vanished, leaving only a handful of pebbles, as if a reminder of the very ground at which he once roamed at some time or another.
As I continued upon my journey across the reservation a smile crept upon my face, as I thought about the old Indian man …raving on like some madman about the destruction of Mother Earth.
I found no such destruction. As I shrugged my shoulders in doubt, I thought perhaps it was just an hallucination. With this thought in mind I began to look around me, searching for life, and more and more I noticed several of the Great Spirit’s creatures laying about motionless, others staggering from deformity, quivering from pain under the slumber of death.
Grievously sad and bewildered, I began to wonder what could have possibly inflicted such a widespread destruction upon my four-legged brothers. Why?? And where are my beloved sisters, the dear and the antelope, that once grazed in multitudes and roamed freely across the vast plains?
As I continued to gaze about I began trembling vigorously. Then, I as if in desperation, my eyes turned to the sky, searching for the beautiful winged ones that once flew with enormous speed and grace. But they too could not be found…for they also lay crippled, infected or motionless under the summer heat of our now barren Mother Earth.
With extreme hate and vengeance, I looked once more upon this horrifying sight that had once been the beautiful Mother Earth, so abounded with life and enormous beauty. While looking upon this monstrous destruction created by the White Man’s greed, I began to smell the repelling odor of human flesh burning, so foul a scent that my eyes began to burn, as my heart beat uncontrollably…violently fighting to be free from all this death and destruction.
As the odor of death filled my lungs I started to run. As I approached my village it appeared to be deserted, for I found only the mute sound of silence. I could not hear the barking of dogs that never failed to watch over our village, there came no sound of laughter from the children that never failed to play under the warm Father Sun, or of their mothers that would call out to them, I found only that of a dreadful silence…a cold chill began to ran through me as the mighty fear of loneliness clinched me within its powerful hands.
Overpowered by panic, I forced myself to ran to the very first Indian house that was near. After entering a few feet I froze, for there before me were the mutilated bodies of my people, men, women, and children lay on the floor, masked by the face of an agonizing death. As if shackled to the very pit of pain, I began to scream as tears rolled down my cheeks. And when I came upon the last house in my village, I found the same as the first, twisted bodies deformed beyond recognition.
Lost and alone, I walked as if in a trance to the center of the village. Then I heard a terrifying explosion that deafened my ears and rapidly vibrated my entire body. As I looked up into the sky I saw a flash of light, so bright it became blinding to my naked eyes…with extreme pain I continued to watch as an enormous mushroom formed.
Not able to look any longer I turned my eyes upon the ground, and cast from my shadow came the mirrored reflection of the old Indian…weeping and wailing bitter tears of sorrow over our people.
Blistered and weak I fell to my knees…and there upon the ground was a pool of blood…the old man’s weeping tears.
FALL 2000 CLEMENCY MOBILIZATION STATEMENT
Whereas: Leonard Peltier was originally convicted of aiding and abetting murder of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota Reservation, but formerly withheld documents supporting Peltier’s innocence later forced the prosecution to admit that they could not prove who actually killed the agents, and despite this lack of evidence, Peltier has remained in prison for 24 years, and
Whereas: The trial of Leonard’s co-defendants resulted in a not guilty verdict based upon the right of self-defense, and Whereas: There is disturbing evidence of FBI misconduct in this case, that falsified affidavits were used to extradite Peltier from Canada, that ballistics tests were falsified and young witnesses were intimidated, that even the U.S. Attorney has admitted no one knows who pulled the trigger that killed the two FBI agents, and
Whereas: The case of Leonard Peltier came about because of a long conflict on the Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota Reservation that resulted in the suffering of many people, and
Whereas: Peltier, a Native American activist, has been a model prisoner for over 24 years, with no record of violence and has contributed to many humanitarian efforts from prison, and that the seriousness of his deteriorating health could result in stroke, heart disease and kidney failure if not properly treated soon, and that his Parole Board recently denied his request for parole and his next hearing is not scheduled until the year 2008,
Therefore be it Resolved. That the NORTHWEST LEONARD PELTIER SUPPORT NETWORK is organizing a campaign for the Fall of 2000 to encourage President, William Jefferson Clinton to grant Leonard Peltier Executive Clemency in the spirit of reconciliation. Please call the White House Comments Line (202) 456-1111. We ask all people to join with us in this campaign.
Susan Morales, NWLPSN Co-Coordinator; Robert Free, NWLPSN, Co-Coordinator; Arthur J. Miller, NWLPSN, Co-Coordinator; Steve Hapy, Jr, NWLPSN, Security Coordinator; Carol Reed, NWLPSN Secretary-Treasurer
NWLPSN Advisors and Organizers Harold Belmont, Peter Bohmer, Tiokasin Veaux, Tyree Scott, Juan Jose Bocanegra, John Parsak, K.L. Shannon, Jim Page, Jim McMahan, Dylan Magon Floyd-Miller, Tim McHugh.
Essay and Statements provided by the Northwest Leonard Peltier Support Network, Tacoma Office POB 5464, Tacoma, WA 98415-0464; Voice Mail, (253) 593-9631; e-Mail, NatAimer@aol.com & bayou@blarg.net.