Copyright © 2000 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

        Imagine, if you would for a minute, living in a room the size of your bathroom. Imagine spending all of your live over the last two decades enclosed in such a place: three walls and bars. Imagine the feeling of constant confinement, walls closing in on you, and the continuous battle to suppress all thought about it. Imagine being there, not because you are a criminal, a threat to society, but because you devoted your life to the well-being of your people. Imagine having to be cautious of every move you make, for eyes are forever on you, waiting for you to slip up. Imagine knowing that your keepers wish you dead and have, in the past, tried to assassinate you. Imagine living this life, imprisoned by a frame-up, a massive conspiracy by the government of the United States of America. Imagine the life of Leonard Peltier.

        Leonard Peltier is an Anishinabe-Lakota American Indian Movement (AIM) activist, Pipe Carrier, Sun Dancer and Political Prisoner who was framed on the charges of killing two FBI agents; who has spent the last 24 years in prison even though the government has stated that they don't know who killed their agents.

        The U.S. Government has had a long history of abusing the Native people of this land. Norman Zigrossi, head of the FBI office that was incharge of the agents that were kill, express the attitude of the FBI when he said: "When you're conquered, the people you're conquered by dictate your future. This is a basic philosophy of mine. If I'm part of a conquered nation, then I've got to yield to authority." What Zigrossi fails to understand is that the Lakota people were not conquered, but rather signed a peace treaty (the Fort Laramie Treaty) with the U.S. Government. Like all the treaties the government signed with Native people, the government violated this treaty everytime that there was something they wanted to steal from the Lakota people.

        On the Pine Ridge Oglala Lakota Reservation the government found uranium deposits that they wanted for nuclear power plants and weapons of mass destruction. The government then gave that information to multinational corporations who would want to profit from that uranium. The government and the multinational corporations already knew that the traditional Lakota people would not freely give up the land that they wanted, for they still refused payment for the Paha Sapa (Black Hills) that had been illegally stolen from them for massive mining operations. So the government set out to steal that land by suppressing the Traditional Lakota people.

        The Traditional Lakota requested help from AIM. This led to the Wounded Knee Seige. After Wounded Knee the FBI put the full force of their COINTELPRO program against AIM that include hundreds of arrests and some murders of AIM members. Back at PIne Ridge a death squad, that was trained, funded and directed by the FBI hand a free hand to murder and burn homes. Again the Traditional Lakota asked for help from AIM. An AIM encampment was set up. On June 26, 1975 two unmarked FBI cars came speeding into the area of the encampment in the same manner inwhich the driveby shoots of the death squad had taken place. A firefight took place and one AIM warrior and two FBI agents died.

        The FBI claimed that they were only there following a red pickup which they said they had reason to believe that a young Native boy they were looking for had "been seen in", who was wanted for stealing a used pair of cowboy boots and then they were ambusted. The following facts show how unbelievable the FBI story is:

1. The two FBI agents were not normal agents, they were highly trained counterintelligence agents and members of the FBI SWAT Team.

2. They knew about the AIM encampment, they had been in the area the day before asking about the truck, so why did they not try to stop the truck out on the public road rather than follow it into the encampment at a high rate of speed and pull up in a defenssive manner and jump out of their cars with guns drawn and start firing?

3. If this was just an ambush why did the FBI agents just withdraw once the firefight started?

4. On that same day the area on Pine Ridge with the uranium, some 133,000 acres, was being illegally signed over to the U.S. Government in Washington.

5. Roads going into the area had roadblocks on them before the firefight. And local hospitals had been notified to expect wounded.

6. An internal FBI memo entitled "The use of special agents of the FBI in paramilitary law enforcement in Indian country" outlined military assualt forces to be used against AIM.

7. Within a very short time the AIM encampment was surrounded by hundreds of FBI agents.

        In the first trial of those the government said were responsibe for the deaths of the agents, two AIM members were found to have acted in self-defense and were acquitted by an all white jury. Leonard was then exradited from Canada based upon false affidavits. His trial was moved to a smaller racist town and the case was given to a known racist judge. At his trial his lawyers were not allowed to give the same evidence that was presented at the first trial that proved that AIM only acted in self-defense. The government also fabricated evidence, intimidated witnesses and spied on the defense team. Through the years Leonard's lawyers have disproved the case against Leonard in the appeals to the point that the government admitted to having no evidence linking Leonard to the deaths of the agents and that his only role was in aidding and abetting in the deaths by just being there. Now since the first two AIM members were found to have acted in self-defense, this means that Leonard has been in prison for 24 years for aiding and abetting an act of self-defense.

        Even though the government's case has been disproven the courts still refused to grant Leonard a new and fair trial. Now the struggle is around trying to get President Clinton to grant Leonard clemency. There have been a number of signs that Clinton may rule, one way or another, on clemency before he leaves office. One of the clearest signs of this is that the FBI has been actively working to gain public support against Leonard. This means that all people who believe in social justice need to work against the FBI campaign against Leonard by coming out in the public in support of clemency and calling the White House Comments Line at 202-456-1111 and voice your support for clemency.

        Leonard's case if not just about this one person, though that is important; it is not just about the continuing struggles of Native people against a government and multinational companies that want to take all that they have left, though that is important; it is not just about resisting the greed and oppresion of the government and multinational companies a thing that effects us all, though that is important; it is not just about standing up for a resister knowing full well that any of us that may do the same could share Leonard's fate, though that is important; it is also about standing up for ourselves, our families and for the future generations, for Leonard's fate is directly connected to the type of world we live in.

        Many people have over the years helped with Leonard's struggle, we need all of you back in this important time. Many people out there do believe in socal justice and that the greedy few of the multinational corporations and the governments they control should not be able to steal from Mother Earth and the people who live upon her all that they desire. You who believe as we do, we need your help now. PLease letus unite together and create such a powerful spirit that no force upon earth can ever ignore nor break.

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.

NWLPSN FALL CAMPAIGN:

1. SEPTEMBER 9, 2000, SEATTLE LEONARD PELTIER CLEMENCY MARCH AND RALLY: March starting point, noon, First and Yesler (Chief Sealth Statue), Rally Steinbreuck Park. Contact: SLPSG, phone (206) 325-0085, e-mail: SLPSG@aol.com

2. SEPTEMBER 23, 2000, OLYMPIA LEONARD PELTIER CLEMENCY MARCH AND RALLY: march starting point, noon, Sylvester Park (Legion Way & Capital Blvd). Contact: OLPSG, phone (360) 236-0136, e-mail: ringfingers@yahoo.com

3. OCTOBER 8, 2000, 6TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY: JUSTICE FOR LEONARD PELTIER AND THE FIRST NATIONS, MARCH AND RALLY AT THE U.S./CANADIAN BORDER (Blaine, WA), march starting point, noon, Blaine Park (corner of Blaine & Alder), rally at Peace Arch Park. Contact: Voice mail, (253) 593-9631 e-mail: NatAimer@aol.com or bayou@blarg.net

Donations are greatly needed, please send them to: NWLPSN - Olympia Office, P.O. Box 4398, Olympia, WA 98501.

Signed

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
Kaidi Al-Muntagim Allah