>From Tacoma LPSG Greetings All, Things are looking good for our march and rally. We have folks coming in from as far away as Montana from the east, Vancouver, B.C. from the north and Salem, OR from the south. I wish to thank everyone who has helped out. Our Leonard Peltier support work is about as grassroots as any struggle can be. We are completely dependent upon supporters to carry the message out to the people of Leonard Peltier's case and the events we organize for him. Also, we get no foundation grants or money from big organizations. All the funds we use to keep organizing for Leonard comes from donations from supporters. We do not waste a penny of donations. All money goes into fliers, posters and our mailings. At this time with the Feb. 9th event we are a little over $200 in debt. We are hoping that with this appeal we can raise the money to pay off our debt and maybe have a little left over to use for our spring organizing. Please if you can and are willing send a donation to: NWLPSN, c/o SLPSG, P.O. Box 2514, Seattle, WA 98111. As we seek to involve more and more people in Leonard's case and events, we are asked a number of questions. First folks are always asking us how does Leonard's case relate to all the other struggles taking place such as peace, environmentalism, human rights, labor and anti-corporate globalization to name a few? If you look into Leonard's case you will see that Leonard was a Native worker (farm worker and carpenter) who learned first hand about the conditions of labor, something he has written and spoken about. He took a stand against the multinational corporate rape of Mother Earth and that was a major reason for what happened on Pine Ridge. The resistance of the acts of genocide by the Native People of this land has been about resisting the war against Native people and that they should have the same human rights as other people have. So it does not take much understanding to see all the connections between Leonard's case and most other struggles. While it is true we work hard to get the message about Leonard's case out, please don't take that as meaning that we wish for everyone to stop all else that they are doing and just work for Leonard. Rather what we seek is to get Leonard to be included in the many agendas of social activists. If folks were to stop all else there would be two major problems with that. First, the powers of repression use repression as a means to suppress the work of the struggles. If we all stopped the work of those struggles to defend people like Leonard then the powers of repression will have won. Thus, at the same time we seek to defend people like Leonard we much also keep our other work going. Second, some of our best resources comes from folks involved in other struggles that use those resources from time to time to help Leonard. Thus, if they were not active in other things those resources would be lost to us. Some folks ask us why do we continue our campaign for Leonard? At what point does one just give up because it seems so hard to continue? We know that this work is hard and at times very frustrating. But we also know that there is no hope in giving up. For the issues that are connected to Leonard' s case and for Leonard the person, the struggle must go on and it will. We all hope for a better world and the only way that will ever come about is by commitment and continuous effort. We will not back down, we will not give up, we will not stop UNTIL FREEDOM IS WON! Below you will find the updated speakers list. In The Spirit Of Total Resistance Arthur J. Miller Tacoma LPSG
Please post widely FREE LEONARD PELTIER INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER MARCH & RALLY FOR JUSTICE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2002, TACOMA, WA 12:00 NOON, MARCH FOR JUSTICE, PORTLAND AVE. PARK (On Portland Ave., between E. 34th and E. Fairbanks Ave. Take Portland Ave. exit off I-5 and head east) 1:00 PM, RALLY FOR JUSTICE U.S. FEDERAL COURT HOUSE, 1717 PACIFIC AVE. SPEAKERS Harold Belmont, Elder, Native People's Alliance Matilaja, Yu'pik - Yakama Juan Jose Bocanegra, Seattle Downtown Human Services Council Steve Hapy Jr, NW AIM Arthur J. Miller, Tacoma LPSG Shelly Vendiola, Indigenous Women's Network Shelly Means, WAC Alton McDonald, Tacoma Black Community Activist Kelley White, Coastal Salish, member of Leonard's original B.C. defense UNTIL FREEDOM IS WON! Feb. 6th, 2002 will mark the 27th year since Leonard's arrest. The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee has started a new campaign for Leonard that includes a number of legal actions by Leonard's legal defense team. Our annual Tacoma March & Rally For Justice marking the date of Leonard's arrest will be focusing on this new campaign. For more information on this new campaign please go to: www.freepeltier.org. This event is co-sponsored by The Northwest American Indian Movement. The Native People's Alliance, and The Tacoma Leonard Peltier Support Group. TACOMA LEONARD PELTIER SUPPORT GROUP P.O. BOX 5464 TACOMA, WA 98415-0565 E-MAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] UNTIL FREEDOM IS WON! STATEMENT FOR THE FEBRUARY 9TH, 2002 INTERNATIONAL DAY IN SOLIDARITY WITH LEONARD PELTIER TACOMA MARCH AND RALLY FOR JUSTICE Leonard Peltier, (Lakota/Ojibway) American Indian Movement (AIM) activist, has been locked for the Last 27 years, having been framed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the charge of killing two FBI agents at a firefight between the FBI and AIM on the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation. The FBI was at Pine Ridge as a part of the plan to suppress the traditional Lakota people and their AIM supporters for their opposition to the illegal theft of Lakota land for uranium mining. In the two years before the firefight over 60 Traditional Lakotas and AIM members had been murdered by a death squad on Pine Ridge. On the day of the firefight roads in the area of the AIM encampment were blocked, hospitals were warned to expect wounded and 1/8 of Pine Ridge was being illegally turned over to the U.S. government. The FBI sent into the area of the AIM encampment two unmarked cars in the same manner as other drive by shootings had taken place at Pine Ridge. A firefight took place and two FBI agents and one AIM member died. In the first trial of two AIM members they were found not guilty for reason of self-defense. In the trial of Leonard Peltier the court would not allow self-defense evidence, ballistics tests were falsified and witnesses were intimidated. Even though Leonard's lawyers disproved the government's case against Leonard in the appeals to the point that the government stated they had no real evidence connecting Leonard to any deaths, the courts would not grant Leonard a new a fair trial. In 1993 a petition for Executive Clemency was filed but because of pressure by the FBI President Clinton did not approve it. Currently there are two lawsuits and one appeal that are being worked on by Leonard Peltier's legal team. For updates on Leonard's case, how to can donate to Leonard's legal fund please go to the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee web site at: www.freepeltier.org. The Tacoma Leonard Peltier Support Group, Native People's Alliance, and The Northwest American Indian Movement are co-sponsoring the Annual International Day In Solidarity With Leonard Peltier March And Rally in Tacoma, WA on Saturday, February 9, 2002. February 6th marks the 27th year since Leonard's arrest. Our annual event is always held on the Saturday after February 6th so that more people can attend. We are committed to keeping Leonard's case out in the public UNTIL FREEDOM IS WON! This is an important time in Leonard's case with the two lawsuits and the new appeal being filed. Public support for Leonard is needed if there is any hope for justice for Leonard. Please, we ask you that if you can to please join us in Tacoma for our march and rally. We are also in need of donations for our on going campaign. Please send them to: NWLPSN, c/o SLPSG, P.O. Box 2514, Seattle, WA 98111. Please, if you can, past this information on to others. Thank you. IN THE SPIRIT OF CRAZY HORSE Harold Belmont Steve Hapy Jr Arthur J. Miller Native People's NW AIM Tacoma LPSG Alliance TACOMA LEONARD PELTIER SUPPORT GROUP P.O. Box 5464 Tacoma, WA 98415-0464 E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] FEBRUARY 6, 2001 MARKS 27 YEARS OF SHAME RENEW YOUR SUPPORT FOR LEONARD PELTIER! Nearly 27 years ago, on February 6, 1976, Leonard Peltier was arrested. >From that day forward Leonard Peltier has lived his life from the confines of a prison cell. For some, the 27-year-old struggle to free Peltier has become hopeless and mundane, with the same efforts, the same obstacles, and the same defeats year after year. For Leonard Peltier, time passes even slower; with the same prison walls and the same prison clothes, and the same routines never changing. For Leonard Peltier, February 6 approaches like a nightmare that seems inevitably to repeat itself, bringing the realization of yet another year spent in prison, away from family, friends and an ever-changing world. However, the year 2002 will be far different than any other. For the first time the FBI and other officials will be directly challenged for lying and deceiving those who had the authority and duty to correct this grave injustice long ago. Also, the year 2002 will very likely involve the exposure of evidence suppressed for decades, shedding new light upon Leonard Peltier's case and the struggle from which his case was born. Let's mark February 6, 2002 by renewing our commitments and active support and by preparing for the months to follow. Without you, hope for justice collapses. With you, the year is bound to bear many promising developments, developments that could very well lead to freedom. Until Freedom Is Won! The New Peltier Justice Campaign Leonard Peltier Defense Committee PO Box 583 Lawrence, KS 66044 785-842-5774 www.freepeltier.org
