June 26, 2010


Greetings,

I want to first say thank you--thank you for taking the time and
making the commitment to come to this place--but thank you mostly
for remembering. Sometimes I sit in this cage and I find myself
wondering if anyone really remembers. Many days, remembering is
all my mind allows me to do. So, again, thank you. Thank you for
bearing witness and being a part of a living memory.

But maybe the most important thing I'd like to say is don't
forget. Not ever.

You must be the historians who keep this lesson alive because
this story isn't about one day, one event, one person, or even one
lifetime. This is a story that goes all the way back to the day a
misguided fool, whose name I won't even mention, led his troops in
an attack on innocent people at the Greasy Grass, and in the process
got himself and over two hundred of his troopers killed. And while
the victors on that day had no choice but to defend themselves,
we have been the victims of a genocidal revenge that continues
until this very moment. So don't forget. Not ever.

It is vengeance that preoccupies the mind of the colonizer. It
is this fervor to show us who is boss that led to the massacre
at Wounded Knee, the theft of the Black Hills, the establishment
of boarding schools, and the criminalization of our languages
and traditional ways. It is vengeance that armed the GOON squads,
killed our leaders, and surrounded our people at Wounded Knee again
in 1973. Revenge is why they today prosecute Indian people for the
crimes they know the government committed during their murderous
campaigns of the last generation. Vengeance is what killed Joe
Stuntz, Anna Mae Aquash, Buddy Lamont and so many others. Getting
even is what keeps me in prison. So don't forget. Not ever.

All of these events are bound together, interrelated and
interdependent. And quite clearly the lesson they intend for us
to learn is don't defend yourselves. Don't stand up for what is
right. Don't think for yourselves. Don't choose to be who you
are. Don't remember your ancestors. Don't live in defense of the
Earth. Don't you do it! Don't even think about it. If you do,
this government--this mindset of control--will unleash an attack
so vast it will even seek to destroy our genetic memories. So don't
forget. Not ever.

In days past, some among our people were induced to become
"scouts". For whatever reasons, these individuals made possible
the treacherous campaigns that resulted in the deaths of countless
innocent people. These days--sadly--there are still these types
amongst us. The government preys on the weaknesses of these people,
inducing them to turn against the rest of us. The government
uses this treachery to cover up state sanctioned murder and
terrorism. They do this and then tell us that what we remember
didn't really happen at all, as though memory or truth is something
to be shaped and molded to fit a preconceived outcome. So don't
forget. Not ever.

We gather today after decades and generations of blood and trauma. We
gather in defiance.

And we remember.

We remember not just one day or one event, because remembering what
occurred on June 25 or June 26--or any particular date--is important,
but not as important as an understanding of the ongoing campaign
of colonization. This is a continuing human drama of slaughter
and uncontrollable bloodlust and we're still here, engaged in
our running defense; praying for balance, peace and justice; and
trying to make some sense of it all. Perhaps, in the face of such
a menace, the most important thing we can do is remember. So teach
your children. Pass this knowledge. Don't forget. Not ever.

Remembering is resisting and, if we remember, then we'll be free
one day. Free of their mindset. Free of their theft. Free of their
guns and their bombs. Free of their cages. Free to be who we are.

And free of their fear. That's the truest freedom of all and true
freedom is what this is really all about, not the illusion of
freedom they offer us.

So don't forget. Not ever.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,


Leonard Peltier

Watch video

LP-DOC - PO Box 7488 - Fargo, ND 58106
Phone: 701/235-2206; Fax:701/235-5045
contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info
27 May 2010
This Issue: 35th Anniversary

Scheduled Events

Oglala Commemoration—Plan to attend this important event in South Dakota to mark the 35th anniversary of the tragedy at Oglala. See www.oglalacommemoration.com for details. Are your tribal leaders attending the National American Indian Congress mid-year conference and trade show in Rapid City, 20-23 June? Encourage them to extend their stay and also join Leonard’s family, Peltier attorney Bruce Ellison, Tom Poor Bear and others at this year’s event.

Commemorating Leonard Peltier & the "Reign of Terror"—Honor Leonard Peltier and those who lost their lives during the Reign of Terror. Help build the movement to bring about Leonard’s release from prison. Saturday, 26 June 2010 from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m., @ the San Jose State University Building Auditorium, Room 189, and the grassy area. The event is sponsored by the South Bay area chapter of the LP-DOC. For more information, contact Donna at 408-293-4774 or send an e-mail to FreeLeonardPeltier@hotmail.com.
If you'll be hosting an event, give us the details: contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info.

What will you do to mark the day? One way to make it count? Exercise your freedoms as never before. Talk to everyone you meet about the Peltier case. Then write a letter. After that, make a phone call. Pay your Members of Congress and congressional candidates a visit, too, if you can. Remind everyone of the promise—Justice for ALL—and express your outrage at Peltier’s continuing imprisonment, the arbitrary and vengeful denial of parole, and the medical neglect and other torturous conditions of confinement Peltier faces every single day.

Call the White House Comment Line (202-456-1111 or 202-456-1112) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Comment Line (202-353-1555), too.

At DOJ, demand equal justice for Leonard Peltier. If Attorney General Holder can vacate the conviction of a white U.S. Senator on the grounds of misconduct by federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (as he did in 2009), he must afford an Indian man the same protection. Demand that Holder review the Peltier case. The Courts have already acknowledged the government misconduct in the case, so Holder won’t have to look so very far. As Holder has stated, it’s his job to do the right thing. So let’s make him do the right thing.

Demand that Obama take action, too. Demand that he immediately commute Peltier’s sentence. Or perhaps Mr. Obama might finally enter into nation-to-nation negotiations as requested by the sovereign Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians? Demand that Obama honor the its request for the transfer of Leonard Peltier into that Nation’s custody.

Congratulations, Leonard


Leonard Peltier is the 2010 recipient of the Kwame Ture Lifetime Achievement Award. Kari Ann Cowan accepted the award on her uncle’s behalf at the Redwind Nation Annual Youth Conference in California in April.

Powwow Trail

This summer, Kari Ann Cowan will table for the LP-DOC at powwows throughout the Dakotas and the surrounding region. Join Kari Ann at White Earth, Hinkley, and Leech Lake. These and other powwows soon will be posted to our calendar of events at http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/calendar.htm.     Kari challenges each of you to hit the powwow trail, too. Find an event near you. Reach out to your community to educate them about the Peltier case. Motivate people everywhere to stand up for freedom for Leonard Peltier.

LP-DOC on Facebook

We’ve had a group on Facebook for a long while, but we now also have an official page where everyone can learn about the case and efforts to win Leonard’s freedom. Search for the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee on Facebook or visit http://urlm.in/eqwk.


Volunteerism


Do you have some spare time to devote to helping the LP-DOC with some important tasks? Do you have fax capability? Are you a MySpace aficionado? Are you heading to Detroit for the U.S. Social Forum? We’d love for you to join our team. Drop us a line and let us know your interests and resources, today: lpsupport@whoisleonardpeltier.info.


Giclee Reproductions

Images of new paintings by Leonard Peltier are generated from high resolution digital scans and printed with archival quality inks onto your choice of canvas, fine art, or photo-base paper. Visit Leonard Peltier Art (www.leonardpeltierart.com) for details and order your reproduction today.

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