_ __ _____ __ _ __ ___ ____ _ __ ___ ' ) / / ') / / ) ' ) ) / ) / ' ) ) / ) / / / / / / /--/ / / / ___ / / / / ___ (_(_/ (__/ ( / (_ / (_ (___/ '__/_ / (_ (___/ ' O ( N A T I V E A M E R I C A N ) O o O ____ _ , ___ _ , ___ O o O / ' ) / / ) ' ) / / ' O o o o o O / /-< / /--/ /-- VOLUME 02, ISSUE 003 O o O __/_ / ) (___/ / ( (___, 15 January 1994 O o O ( N E W S ) O This issue contains articles from NATIVE_L/NATCHAT Lists and by members of the Invisible Band. <----<<<< >>>>----> This newsletter is a way of keeping the brothers and sisters of the Invisible Band and those who share our spirit informed about current events within the lives of those who walk the Red Road. It is hoped that our presence will be rewarded with a Native American RoundTable on GEnie. It is archived at the Native American FTP site ftp.cit.cornell.edu in the directory /pub/special/NativeProfs/newsletters; and is being sent to gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us (Gary S. Trujillo) should he wish to include it in his NATIVE-L or NATCHAT lists. "A treaty, in the minds of our people, is an eternal word. Events often make it seem expedient to depart from the pledged word, but we are conscious that the first departure creates a logic for the second departure, until there is nothing left of the word." -- Declaration of Indian Purpose (1961) American Indian Chicago Conference O'siyo Brothers and Sisters! Soon we will be in the moon of the new calf. If you have not already made plans for your garden it is not too soon to do so. This is especially true if you will be acquiring seeds and roots from other sources. As the new time of rebirth approaches I also ask all my brothers and sisters to look in their own hearts and find a way to nurture more hope and love for all those who grow in Wakan Tanka's garden. I ask that we all try a bit more to stand tall and straight as the grandfathers and grandmothers who have gone before us. Mitaquye Oyasin! Night Owl ------------------ clip here for news feature -- 8< ----------- --------- "RE: Amnesty International" --------- From: Ray Mitchell Subj: Amnesty International (was: ACTION: Free U.S. Political Prisoner) Mailing List: NATIVE-L Further to earlier emails, I hope that the extracts below will help to outline Amnesty International's concerns about Leonard Peltier's case. The extracts come from a campaign action issued on behalf of Leonard Peltier during AI's campaign on behalf of Indigenous Peoples. Please note that AI's concern is that Leonard Peltier may not have received a fair trial. AI is not calling for his release as a prisoner of conscience - it is calling for a retrial in the interests of justice. Ray Mitchell Urgent Action Coordinator AI British Section =============================================== [background text deleted] Amnesty International sent observers to Leonard Peltier's trial in 1977 and to subsequent appeal and evidentiary hearings in 1978, 1983, 1984 and 1991. The organization has repeatedly expressed concern at irregularities in the proceedings which led to Leonard Peltier's conviction, including that his extradition to the USA from Canada in 1976 to stand trial was granted on the basis of evidence which the FBI later admitted it had fabricated. [text deleted] Amnesty International identified instances where AIM members and others appeared to have been falsely charged with criminal offences, selectively prosecuted or deprived of due legal process for reasons of race or political activities. [text deleted] Points to raise in your letter - That you are concerned about irregularities in the proceedings which led to Leonard Peltier's conviction which may have prejudiced the fairness of his trial. - Note in your letter that Leonard Peltier's extradition to the USA was granted on the basis of evidence which the FBI later admitted it had fabricated. - Please say that these and other factors have led Amnesty International to conclude that the interests of justice would be best served if Leonard Peltier were granted a retrial, and urge the authorities to review his case in order to bring this about. --------- "RE: Anthropologists and Native Americans" --------- From: CUBLDR.Colorado.EDU!leeson_k Subj: Anthropologists and Native Americans Mailing List: NATIVE-L I wish to call Tristine Lee Smarts attention to the following two documents evidencing AAA & SAA opposition to S 1980. It is essential that anthropology not permit itself to be drawn into such acrimonious debates in the future. I am reliably informed that the AAA & SAA relented in their opposition to S 1980 only after Senator Inouye had a heart to heart talk with them in his senatorial woodshed. Deward Walker Native American Rights Fund Fact Sheet TO CORRECT MISSTATEMENTS PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (AAA) The current newsletter of the AAA renews its lobby effort against repatriation of human remains, sacred objects and national Indian patrimony to Indian nations and religious leaders. The AAA's house organ carries an attack on S. 1980, Senator Daniel Inouye's bill, which is widely supported conceptually by Native American peoples, misstatement and mischarterizations regarding S. 1908; these are discussed in more detail on the attached pages. 1. The AAA does not represent any museums, nor Indian tribes or Indian museums. However, most of the AAA complaints are made in their name. 2. S. 1980 does not "set up a simplistic and perilously adversarial dichotomy" between museums and tribes and "undercut" their ability to solve repatriation problems, as the AAA claims. The opposite conclusion was reached by the year-long dialogue and Report on Museum/Native American Relations (hereinafter, "National Dialogue Report") 3. The AAA claim that any national legislation will "prevent communications" between tribes and museums is unsupported and is refuted by the National Dialogue Report process and recommendations. 4. AAA's assertion that repatriation problems can be handled "infinitely better at the local level" is off-base for three reasons: 1) it is not a local issue; 2) "local solutions" have not solved the problems which exist in the 50 states and are not substitutes for federal policy, as recognize the the National Dialogue Report; 3) S. 1980 does not preclude local solutions. 5. The AAA seriously misrepresents the impact of S 1980 on Indian museums, which do not display or retain items over tribal objection. 6. The burden of proof requirement of S. 1980 is fair and proper. 7. Legitimate scholarly work will not be "jeopardized" by S. 1980. 8. Inventory costs are addressed by S. 1980. 9. The concern for more inventory time and other details can be easily addressed. That is the purpose of hearings and mark-up sessions. 10. An express study provision is not necessary. 11. Though it can be refined, the repatriation requirement of Sec. 4 is consistent with mainstream values, as confirmed by the National Dialogue Report, and the change of policy recently announced by the Secretary of the Interior. 12. The "constitutional issues" raised by the AAA are red herrings without any legal merit. CONCLUSIONS The AAA does have an existing code of ethics, which calls on the profession to measure its actions within the context of the potential impact of the culture being studied: In research, an anthropologist's, paramount responsibility is to those he studies. When there is a conflict of interest, these individuals must come first. No other issues so adversely affects Native tribes, communities, and cultures than the ones which S. 1980 attempts to redress--and, of all people, anthropologists should be among the first, not last, to recognize this human rights problem and to stand up for the peoples they study. Many anthropologists who work among the tribes has long held this view. It is unfortunate that the AAA has chosen initially to stand as a non-constructive critic of S. 1980, which is a good point of departure for development of mature and healing policy. The AAA is out of step with the choice that society and its representatives in Congress have made, however, it is not too late for this group to act more responsibly and constructively. For more information contact NARAF staff attorneys: Walter R. Echo-Hawk, (303) 447-8760 Henry J. Sockeson, (202) 785-4166 --------- "RE: Book Reviews of Interest to Native Americans" --------- From: sbrock@teal.csn.org (Steve Brock) Subj: Short Review of Children of Grace (Nez Perce History) Short Review of Ella Deloria's Iron Hawk by Julian Rice Short review of After the Trail of Tears 1839-1880 (History) Short review of Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman (Fiction) Subj: Short Review of Children of Grace (Nez Perce History) CHILDREN OF GRACE: THE NEZ PERCE WAR OF 1877 by Bruce Hampton. Henry Holt and Company, Inc., 115 W. 18th St., N.Y., NY 10011, (800) 488-5233, (212) 633-0748. Illustrated, index, notes, bibliography, maps. 413 pp., $27.50 cloth. 0-8050-1991-X REVIEW By 1877, the Nez Perce had had enough of broken treaties and intrusions upon their land. After several skirmishes between the Nez Perce, (resisting being moved to a reservation) and whites (who were building cabins on Indian land), eighteen settlers were killed in White Bird Canyon, Idaho, beginning one of the bloodiest and most devastating chapters in Native-white relations. With vivid and detailed accounts of the many battles and skirmishes that ensued as hundreds of Nez Perce were chased across Montana for almost four months, Hampton covers the ensuing surrender of Chief Joseph ("I will fight no more forever") and follows the eventual relocation of the tribe to Oklahoma. "Children of Grace" is well- researched, well-written, and highly recommended for students of Native history as well as general readers. Subj: Short Review of Ella Deloria's Iron Hawk by Julian Rice ELLA DELORIA'S IRON HAWK, edited by Julian Rice. University of New Mexico Press, 1720 Lomas Blvd. N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87131-1591, (505) 277-2346, (505) 277-9270 FAX. Illustrated, index, referenc- es, orthographic notes. 238 pp., $35.00 cloth (0-8263-1435-X), 15.95 paper (0-8263-1447-3). REVIEW The second of three books by Rice on Ella Deloria, this volume, recently released in a trade paperback edition, concentrates on one of the longest narratives she collected, that of Iron Hawk (Cetan- maza in Lakota). To the Lakota, Iron Hawk is a culture hero (a vulnerable human rather than a god) whose life combines all of the individual units of individual culture hero stories. The book contains both English and Lakota versions of the story, a detailed interpretation, and essays on themes and symbolism. It is highly recommended for classes on Lakota culture, literary criticism, and Native American myths. Subj: Short review of After the Trail of Tears 1839-1880 (History) AFTER THE TRAIL OF TEARS: THE CHEROKEES' STRUGGLE FOR SOVEREIGNTY, 1839-1880 by William G. McLoughlin. University of North Carolina Press, P.O. Box 2288, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2288, (800) 848-6224, (919) 966-3829 FAX. Index, notes, maps. 455 pp., $39.95 cloth (0- 8078-2111-X), $17.95 paper (0-8078-4433-0). REVIEW The Appalachian mountains were the original home to the Cherokee, but the Indian Removal Act of 1830 sent them to Oklahoma, on what is bitterly called the "Trail of Tears." McLoughlin, who died a year ago this month, documents the Cherokee efforts to govern themselves and receive political acknowledgment in the face of opposition by politicians and settlers. They established, notwithstanding internal struggles between mixed and full bloods (over such surprising subjects as slavery), their own constitution, public school system, and legislative and judicial bodies. The book is eye-opening and recommended for classes in Native American history. Subj: Short review of Sacred Clowns by Tony Hillerman (Fiction) SACRED CLOWNS by Tony Hillerman. Harper collins Publishers, 10 E. 53rd St., N.Y., NY 10022-5299, (800) 242-7737, (800) 822-4090 FAX. 305 pp., $23.00 cloth. 0-06-016767-X REVIEW What do the murder of a shop teacher at the Saint Bonaventure Mission School on the Navajo reservation and the murder of a koshare (sacred clown) on the (ficticious) Tano pueblo have on common? Delmar Kanitewa knows, but Officer Jim Chee can't catch up with the boy. Throw in a liberal amount of tribal lore and history, especially with regard to the set of Lincoln Canes sent by Abe himself to several pueblos in 1863, a dispute over the placement of a nuclear waste depository that has "Nature First" advocates up in arms, and the up-and-down romance between Chee and attorney Janet Pete, and you have... Well, I highly recommend that you find out. Tony has recently signed a contract with Harper collins for two more novels for $1 million. --------- "RE: Chiapas situation" --------- From: J.AUDLIN James D. Audlin (Chief Distant Eagle) Subj: Chiapas situation GE Electronic Mail Sub: Chiapas situation From SIEPMANN@delphi.com From: BOS::NJOHNSON From: New Liberation News Service Subject: Alert - Refugees in Chiapas NATIONAL COORDINATING OFFICE ON REFUGEES AND DISPLACED OF GUATEMALA (NCOORD) REQUEST FOR URGENT ACTION January 9, 1994 Recent events in the Mexican state of Chiapas have caused increasing concern for the Guatemalan refugees there, as well as the local Mexican indigenous population. Approximately 26,000 Guatemalan refugees live in 121 camps located in zones bordering Guatemala in Chiapas. In this regard, we raise several issues and ask for your responses. As you know, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) launched an attack on army positions and occupied several towns in Chiapas on January 1. Mexican officials report that the towns of San Cristobal, Ocosingo, Las Margaritas and Altamirano, held briefly by the EZLN, have been retaken by the Mexican army. Official casualty counts of 100 deaths are low; the Catholic church estimates over 400 deaths in the uprising so far, with no certainty as to the number of civilian casualties. Reports indicate that there may be 12,000 Mexican troops in Chiapas as of this date. As of January 7, bombings and armed confrontations continued in the Chiapan highlands. Statements from some Mexican officials have suggested that foreigners played key roles in the conflict, but they have presented no evidence. The Secretariat of Foreign Relations of Mexico, though, has declared that it has no grounds for affirming the organizational participation of the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG). In addition, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) in Mexico has denied any possible participation by Guatemalan refugees in the armed conflict in Chiapas. The church has also been accused by some Mexican officials of playing a role in the conflict. The governor of the state of Chiapas, Elmar Setzer, has stated "some of the liberation theology Catholic priests and their deacons have linked themselves to indigenous groups like those which decided to rise up in arms against the federal government and the Mexican army, and have even facilitated support to these groups." A particular target in these verbal accusations in Bishop Samuel Ruiz of the diocese of San Cristobal, a long-time defender of the rights of the indigenous population in Mexico and the Guatemalan refugees there. Bishop Ruiz has denied all accusations alleging church involvement, but such statements could affect the safety of the Guatemalan refugees and church workers, as well as the indigenous local population. The Mexican Bishops Conference has issued a formal declaration concerning the conflict in Chiapas which states that the conflict is a call from "a suffering people that we all must listen to and know how to interpret...Those in authority must be ready to discover the meaning of these voices and should not try to violently repress them These are voices of anguish and desperation; the very peasants who have taken up arms have said this war is not to destroy, but rather to build a better homeland." The declaration was signed by Ramon Godinez Flores, the Secretary General of the Bishops conference. Bishop Ruiz has called for national and international accompaniment and human rights observers in the Chiapas area to guarantee respect for human rights and security for the civilian population in the area. The official date for the return of 201 Guatemalan refugee families to the Chacula farm in Nenton, Huehuetenango, remains January 10. On that date, the refugees will leave the camps with the border crossing at La Mesilla on January 12. Increased militarization in the area and on the border between Mexico and Guatemala, as well as difficulties in communication, may increase the difficulties to be encountered in this return. It is unlikely that the refugees will go to Comitan for documentation, but rather,depending on how flexible COMAR and immigration authorities are, that may occur in the camps. Some observers express concern that the refugees may start walking on the 12th if there is an official delay. Walking without UNHCR and COMAR sponsorship and protection could be dangerous for the refugees given the speculation in the Mexican press about possible Guatemalan connections with the Mexican EZLN. Guatemalan refugees remaining in the camps face new obstacles because of the conflict in Chiapas. Freedom of movement is being curtailed and refugees are being asked not to leave the camps. Permits to leave some of the camps for work have been suspended, negatively effecting the economic well-being of the refugees and their ability to continue to organize future returns. Dispersed refugees face similar difficulty. Given this background and the imminent start of the Nenton return, NCOORD suggests the following actions: 1. Faxes to Mexican and international officials urging respect for the human rights of the entire Guatemalan refugee population and their right to the free performance of organizational and educational activities of the Permanent Commissions, ARDIGUA, and the organized sectors involved in planning for the return of Guatemalan refugees. Urge COMAR and UNHCR to increase food and health-care assistance for all refugees while any permits to leave the camps for work reasons are suspended. President Carlos Salinas de Gortari fax: (011 525) 522 0549 or 271 1764 State Ministry Secretary of State Patrocinio Gonzalez Garrido fax: (011 525) 566 81 88 Dr. Erasmo Saenz Comision Mexicana de Ayuda a Refugiados - COMAR (Mexican Refugee Aid Commission) fax: (011 525) 531 77 02 Mr. Alfredo Witschi Regional Representative - United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) fax: (011 525) 280 21 33 2. Provide an international presence in Chiapas, and the refugee camps in particular, to guarantee respect for human rights and monitor responses of Mexican government. Support for Bishop Ruiz and the Human Rights Center "Fray Bartolome de las Casas" (in San Cristobal). Bishop Samuel Ruiz Diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas fax: (011 52) 967 83136 ____________________________________________ National Coordinating Office On Refugees and Displaced of Guatemala (NCOORD) 59 E. Van Buren St., Suite 1400; Chicago, IL., 60605; U.S.A. Tel: (312) 360-1705 Fax: (312) 939-3272 email: PEACENET; cwands --------- "RE: Communique from the Zapatista National" --------- From: J.AUDLIN James D. Audlin (Chief Distant Eagle) Subj: Chiapas situation GE Electronic Mail From SIEPMANN@delphi.com Subj: Chiapas situation From: BOS::NJOHNSON From: New Liberation News Service Subj: Communique from the Zapatista Nati The following is the full text of the declaration from the Lacandon jungle by the Zapatista Army of National Liberation: TODAY WE SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! TO THE PEOPLE OF MEXICO: MEXICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS: We are a product of 500 years of struggle: first against slavery, then during the War of Independence against Spain led by insurgents, then to avoid being absorbed by North American imperialism, then to promulgate our constitution and expel the French empire from our soil, and later the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz denied us the just application of the Reform laws and the people rebelled and leaders like Villa and Zapata emerged, poor men just like us. We have been denied the most elemental preparation so they can use us as cannon fodder and pillage the wealth of our country. They don't care that we have nothing, absolutely nothing, not even a roof over our heads, no land, no work, no health care, no food nor education. Nor are we able to freely and democratically elect our political representatives, nor is there independence from foreigners, nor is there peace nor justice for ourselves and our children. But today, we say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We are the inheritors of the true builders of our nation. The dispossessed, we are millions and we thereby call upon our brothers and sisters to join this struggle as the only path, so that we will not die of hunger due to the insatiable ambition of a 70 year dictatorship led by a clique of traitors that represent the most conservative and sell-out groups. They are the same ones that opposed Hidalgo and Morelos, the same ones that betrayed Vicente Guerrero, the same ones that sold half our country to the foreign invader, the same ones that imported a European prince to rule our country, the same ones that formed the "scientific" Porfirsta dictatorship, the same ones that opposed the Petroleum Expropriation, the same ones that massacred the railroad workers in 1958 and the students in 1968, the same ones the today take everything from us, absolutely everything. To prevent the continuation of the above and as our last hope, after having tried to utilize all legal means based on our Constitution, we go to our Constitution, to apply Article 39 which says: "National Sovereignty essentially and originally resides in the people. All political power emanates from the people and its purpose is to help the people. The people have, at all times, the inalienable right to alter or modify their form of government." Therefore, according to our constitution, we declare the following to the Mexican federal army, the pillar of the Mexican dictatorship that we suffer from, monopolized by a one-party system and led by Carlos Salinas de Gortari, the maximum and illegitimate federal executive that today holds power. According to this Declaration of War, we ask that other powers of the nation advocate to restore the legitimacy and the stability of the nation by overthrowing the dictator. We also ask that international organizations and the International Red Cross watch over and regulate our battles, so that our efforts are carried out while still protecting our civilian population. We declare now and always that we are subject to the Geneva Accord, forming the EZLN as our fighting arm of our liberation struggle. We have the Mexican people on our side, we have the beloved tri-colored flag highly respected by our insurgent fighters. We use black and red in our uniform as our symbol of our working people on strike. Our flag carries the following letters, "EZLN," Zapatista Army of National Liberation, and we always carry our flag into combat. Beforehand, we refuse any effort to disgrace our just cause by accusing us of being drug traffickers, drug guerrillas, thieves, or other names that might by used by our enemies. Our struggle follows the constitution which is held high by its call for justice and equality. Therefore, according to this declaration of war, we give our military forces, the EZLN, the following orders: First: Advance to the capital of the country, overcoming the Mexican federal army, protecting in our advance the civilian population and permitting the people in the liberated area the right to freely and democratically elect their own administrative authorities. Second: Respect the lives of our prisoners and turn over all wounded to the International Red Cross. Third: Initiate summary judgements against all soldiers of the Mexican federal army and the political police that have received training or have been paid by foreigners, accused of being traitors to our country, and against all those that have repressed and treated badly the civil population and robbed or stolen from or attempted crimes against the good of the people. Fourth: Form new troops with all those Mexicans that show their interest in joining our struggle, including those that, being enemy soldiers, turn themselves in without having fought against us, and promise to take orders from the General Command of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation. Fifth: We ask for the unconditional surrender of the enemy's headquarters before we begin any combat to avoid any loss of lives. Sixth: Suspend the robbery of our natural resources in the areas controlled by the EZLN. To the People of Mexico: We, the men and women, full and free, are conscious that the war that we have declared is our last resort, but also a just one. The dictators are applying an undeclared genocidal war against our people for many years. Therefore we ask for your participation, your decision to support this plan that struggles for work, land, housing, food, health care, education, independence, freedom, democracy, justice and peace. We declare that we will not stop fighting until the basic demands of our people have been met by forming a government of our country that is free and democratic. JOIN THE INSURGENT FORCES OF THE ZAPATISTA ARMY OF NATIONAL LIBERATION. General Command of the EZLN 1993 --------- "RE: Native Traditions" --------- From: A.HOROVITCH Art Horovitch (Invisible Band> Subj: Native Traditions Native traditions are appearing more often in mainstream media. Following is a summary of an item which appeared in the Winnipeg Free press by Alexander Paul, and was reprinted in the Montreal Gazette. Sweat Lodges are gaining recognition because they appear to have significant healing factors, according to Wayne Lautt, head of Pharmacology at the University of Manitoba medical faculty. He said the sauna-like environment triggers pronounced physical reactions. The heat raises stress hormones to a level which activate the body's natural defenses, raising the power of the natural immune system. He said researchers are taking a hard look at traditional medicine, including the use of herbs and psycho-social techniques. Cathy Bird, a public health nurse at the Peguis reserve near Winnipeg, who is a student of herbal medicine said sweat lodges are part of the link she and other traditional healers seek with the essential spirit of life. She says, " In our traditional medicine, we see illness as an imbalance, whether emotional, physical or spiritual. Medicines are used to create that balance in people who are ill." A traditional healer is part doctor, part spiritual guide and part mediator with the energy that shapes the natural world. Even simple remedies have both physical and spiritual components. A healer must guide people through an intricate process, she said, sometimes involving smudges, sweat lodges or fasting. It is partly fear of commercial exploitation that keeps traditional healers from practicing more openly. Another factor which may restrict widespread use of traditional healing is the impact of Christianity on the Native world. Bird said , " Many of our people are afraid of the medicine , because the missionaries taught them that traditional practices were evil." Bird was selected to become a healer by an elder in Alberta. After eight years she is still learning and the practice has become a way of life. It may be years before she earns the privilege of being called a healer. " I'll be 60 or 70 and I'll still be learning a lot", she concluded. Art Horovitch Montreal, Canada --------- "RE: Walk for Justice 1994" --------- From: mfranco@oavax.csuchico.edu (MARK FRANCO) Subj: WALK FOR JUSTICE 1994 NNTP-Posting-Host: oavax.csuchico.edu I have been asked by Duke Carpenter to post this Press release for the Walk for Justice 1994 Press Release American Indian Movement founder Dennis J. Banks and co-founder Mary Jane Wilson will lead a cross-America spiritual WALK which will begin at Alcatraz, just off the coast of San Francisco, on February 11, 1994, and will culminate in Washington,D.C. on July 15th. The main purpose of the WALK will be to call attention to the more than 17-year prison ordeal of the American Indian Movement ("AIM") member, Leonard Peltier. On July 6, 1993, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals issued its final denial for the retrial of the controversial conviction handed down over seventeen years ago before an all white jury in North Dakota. It was on June 26, 1975, that unknown assailants opened fire on the AIM campgrounds near the Jumping Bull ranch in Oglala, SOuth Dakota, 40 miles from the 1973, 71 day siege of Wounded Knee. During that siege, AIM and Oglala Civil Rights organization held off federal forces in an exchange of gunfire for 71 days before agreeing to a cease fire. The cease fire agreement called for an investigation of the BIA and massive corruption on the Pine Ridge Reservation. (At Wounded Knee, Dennis Banks was one of the principal organizers for AIM and a leader of the occupation forces.) The Oglala firefight lasted nine hours and, when it was all over, one Native security person (Joe Kills Right Stuntz) and two agents of the FBI lay dead. Following the largest manhunt in FBI history, Dino Butler, Robert Robideaux and Leonard Peltier were charged with the killing of the agents. Robideaux and Butler were tried in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and found not guilty by reason of justifiable defense. Peltier was tried in North Dakota before an all white jury but was not allowed to use the self defense theory. He was also denied exculpatory evidence which pointed to his innocence. This evidence was finally released, under the Freedom of Information act, from FBI files, seven years after his conviction. In his summation argument, the US Prosecutor, Lynn Crook, accused Peltier of firing the fatal bullets that killed the agents. The jury found him guilty. Seventeen years later, on November 9, 1992, the US prosecutor, still being Lynn Crook, admitted to the reviewing court: "We don't know who killed the agents." This admission was before the Eighth Circuit on Leonard Peltier's last appeal. YET PELTIER REMAINS IN MAXIMUM SECURITY FEDERAL PRISON! Not only will the WALK serve to educate the public about this case but, also, to collect signatures on Petitions and to demand Leonard Peltier's release by Presidential Executive Clemency instanter. Your support of this worthy event is very much appreciated. Questions regarding the WALK FOR JUSTICE 1994 should be directed to: Heather Birkley 4052 Amelia/Olive Branch Road Batavia, Ohio 45103 Telephone (513) 753-7654 The Address for the Walk for Justice People is: PO Box 315, Newport, KY 41071 Tel: 606-581-9456 fax 606-581-9458 I will be posting national contact lists in the next few days and will continue to post updates for the Walk as they come in. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MARK FRANCO, CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, CHICO MFRANCO@OAVAX.CSUCHICO.EDU --------- "RE: Innu Declaration" --------- From: Peter d'Errico Subj: INNU DECLARATION Mailing List: NATIVE-L [The following text was sent to me by snail mail last month. I was unable to post it until now. A separate posting follows on the subject of "what you can do."] Peter d'Errico (derrico@legal.umass.edu) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DECLARATION ON THE EFFECTIVE EXERCISE OF THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION OF THE INNU IN NITASSINAN by the Gilbert Pilot family RNational liberation is a phenomenon by which a socio-economic entity rejects any negation of its historic path. In other words, the national liberation of a People is the conquest of the historic personality of this People and its return to its roots in spite of the destruction by imperial domination. Amilar Cabal Guine Bissau INTRODUCTION The Innu People occupy and live in a land called NITASSINAN which the colonizers named Quebec and Labrador. We have occupied this land for several thousand years, 9000, according to archaeological studies. The Innu People, in their tradition and ideas of space have never made artificial borders like the colonizers. In other words, our People have used geographical limits such as rivers, lakes, mountains, etc. Moreover, the Innu People see borders through natural laws, for example migrating at hunting time to follow the caribou. Besides, around the caribou hunt there is an economic, cultural and social dependence deeply related to the spiritual. This relationship and interdependence is a gift of self, a mutual fulfillment which is expressed in food, clothing, the making of tools and the drum which unites the Innu and the spirit of the animal. In this manner we form an integral part with all forms of life in an never- ending cycle. The GREAT SPIRIT, RTSHISHE MANITOUS, wanted it to be like this and it is from this Spirit we come from in so much as we are Innu (human being) and placed in Nitassinan (our land)> This to perpetuate life and the spiritual relationship so essential to our survival. There has always existed a social and government structure of which the family is the core. An individual within the family plays in important role, responsible to his family and to the collectivity. The nomadic way of life, in constant dependence on the land and aquatic migration, has led our people to adapt to all circumstances and to acquire knowledge and capacities beyond the normal. The Caribou and the Salmon are vital elements in Innu life. The individual is hunter, fisherman, builder, geologist, astronomer, cook, mid- wife, spiritual guide, philosopher, archaeologist, geographer, toponamist, ....according to the needs and circumstances. The humility by which the Innu have evolved has enable them to practice a well thought out and controlled exploitation in NITASSINAN. The Innu have an innate respect for the things around them such as the different forms of life and the sense of sharing. The colonizers, in a dishonest and abusive manner, have contributed to the placing our survival in danger and the loss of the sense of sharing. Our love and our sense of belonging to MOTHER EARTH has been such that we have never altered her Body and Soul. Our People, the first occupants of NITASSINAN, is characterized by members who are linked by language, a common heritage, traditions and a spiritual life which make up its national identity. Our People comprises of a population living in a well-defined territory called NITASSINAN where they have maintained sovereignty for thousands of years and who have never abandoned their rights, responsibilities, laws and obligations towards NITASSINAN. Our People, in fact, can establish equal relations with other People. In NITASSINAN our People have the right to exercise their sovereign power in determining and applying, in complete freedom their laws, their rights and responsibilities based on fundamental and traditional values. Having public sovereignty over NITASSINAN we intend to affirm our full and entire jurisdiction which extends to renewable and on-renewable resources on land and below ground which comprises our territory. COLONIZATION CONTINUES NITASSINAN has been subject to real colonial incursion due to the discovery of natural resources. Mines, forests and hydro-electricity are going to be the object of an uncontrollable greed by the colonizers in the decades to come. A process will start which will accelerate the confinement of entire Innu populations to reserves for the purposes of making them sedentary. All political, administrative and religious institutions will contribute to dispossess, expropriate, denationalize and dehumanize an entire People. We have been taken from our parents and placed by force into residential schools at the mercy of other values and another way of life. These will be followed by well-planned policies bent on assimilating us, supported by programs and public services (education, health, social services, housing...) and economic development. These government actions will lead to our dependence on them. Also, it will break down the heart of our society, the family, and will create social problems such as drugs, alcohol, family violence, suicide, a high death rate and medical problems which will pass the national average in several regards. In this direction towards hell, the governments of Canada and Quebec- Labrador will favor the industrialization of NITASSINAN without ever consulting or still more without obtaining the consent of the main people concerned, the INNU. The industrial era will effect the INNU in a critical way. At this moment they are confronted by Western values based on the accumulation of goods and capital. This is difficult to understand for a People who have been characterized by a Spirit of sharing and community. Unfortunately, some INNU are content to adopt these values such as private property, gain and a thirst for power. This is Western society where a small elite possesses a big part of the wealth, thereby controlling the human tribe. Moreover, the political and judiciary serve these values and this elite. These lead to dehumanized automanization, and leaving aside values and fundamental human rights. Native people, in particular the INNU, are going to be affected by this human degradation to a critical degree. In between dependence and subjection, my family and myself have chosen affirmation and liberation. In this way, we intend to sensitize those people who have a tendency to dominate, to adopt a way which is proper to man: human activities which measure up to the fundamental needs of man and not to the service of technology and the greed of a few. The decline of the industrial area, economic and monetary uncertainty, the depletion of non-renewable natural resources, the globalization of markets vis-a-vis the environment are so many indications which make one believe that Western values are not any more the values on which societies seem to want to adhere to. So many energies, spent abusively, leads to a precarious model of development which is supposed to create a superior quality of life. However, humanity would have interest to make this turn towards its own survival. Depolution, recycling, recuperation, alternate energy, eco- development, healthy agricultural activity as well as other measures are the keys towards the gradual turn towards world equilibrium. Also, the world is showing signs of fatigue. Think only of the increase in active natural phenomenon on the earth: floods, earthquakes, volcanic activity, climatic changes, the greenhouse effect, the ozone layer, etc...... These are signs which point towards the worst if humanity does not take the means to remedy a critical situation. However, obstacles persist... Military and political power being the useless remains of economic power. Just the same, we have the hope that humanity will be able to discern the true choices that will have to be made. We have made our choice. From a small community called Mani-Utenam we have undergone a struggle where a people are faced with a choice: adopt a model of development or return to a Spirit of fundamental values. Today my family denounces: -- The politics, behavior and reprehensible gestures which are an injustice and prejudice to our integrity as members of the INNU People. -- The Canadian Constitution which has never wanted to make more precise the collective rights of the INNU People. -- The validity of a constitution which has never consented to re-establish the fundamental rights of the INNU in contravention to the present International Law now in effect which Canada wanted to join. -- The domestic laws which go against the spirit and letter of the international agreements and pacts such as the RIndian ActS and provide for general application without being specific in regards to the INNU -- The Supreme Court which has never bothered to deal with the basis for Native collective rights. Rather, they are pushed to the sterile, illegal negotiating table. -- The shameful political manipulation of Canadian and Quebec institutions which favour a dominating attitude in regards to Native People, in particular the INNU. -- The contempt for our fundamental rights as a people and the denial of our rights to auto-determination. -- The criminalization of our legitimate struggle for the national liberation of our People and NITASSINAN by the imposition of an injunction, effective for 30 years, on the members of the Coalition for NITASSINAN. This group consists of traditional INNU> Already there have been 8 prison sentences and there will be 84 more. During the hearing for these cases, the accused INNU handled their own defense in their language without the help of lawyers. They did this because they lacked money and because they were to be judged in a biased manner given that the vast majority of the population in the region is opposed to their position. -- The use of public funds which are supposed to be used for the well being of members of the Maliotenam community for the purposes of repression by the Band Council of Uashat (Sept Iles). Reprisals, threats and intimidation are directed towards the opponents of a totalitarian regime and the hydro- electric power project (Sm-lll). -- An individual fired a large caliber gun shot at our house in Oct., l992. --. Death threats have been made to me (Gilbert Pilot). The Quebec Police Force received the call in December, 1991. in Sept-Iles. -- Three hundred white people (non-native) invaded Maliotenam on January 17, 1993 to expel by force two Japanese Buddhists, some Americans, other Japanese citizens and a Montrealer who had come on a peace march supporting the INNU who are opposed to SM-lll. (The former were never tried before the courts for this action.) This is a flagrant demonstration of injustice because these same white people who had blocked a provincial road (=138) (June, 1993) were also never tried before the courts. When the INNU (Coalition for NITASSINAN) showed opposition by peaceful action, they are imposed with injunctions and imprisonments. The free expression of the right to association and the right to demonstrate are undermined... --The Quebec Human Rights Commission, as a result of an historic meeting with the INNU NATION in August, 1990, published a report in which analysis and commentary concerning the collective rights of our People were taken out, in particular the part on auto-determination. This action shows the lack of goodwill on the part of Quebec institutions when treating the INNU question and in general the Native question. No Quebec institution is ready to favour the establishment of the legitimate rights of the INNU. The spirit of colonization is maintained. --Hydro-Quebec, a state corporation of Quebec, is going ahead with its Ste. Marguerite River project (SM-11) on QuebecUs North Shore (NITASSINAN). However, the office for public hearings )BAPE), following public consultations, expressed reserve and recommended to the government of Quebec not to authorize the project as presented by Hydro-Quebec. This report shows that the Coalition for NITASSINAN was right. It was a victory for this group except that the reaction of the non-Native population was quick and strong. The latter organized a demonstration near the SM-11 dam in which they buried a copy of the BAPE report, using heavy machinery. The Energy Minister, Mme. Lise Bacon, declared with great flair that the government will favour economic benefits and jobs that will be created. The INNU and the environment are relegated to the sidelines. Intolerance and racism again come to the surface. --The signed agreement by the Band Council of Uashat (Sept-Iles) with the Ministry of Public Security of Quebec concerning police services, gives police responsibility to Quebec. In other words, it replaces the Native Police with a new police force under the responsibility of the Quebec Police Force. The INNU population never consented to this. They saw this as a way of increasing Quebec control in the daily life of the INNU. A petition was sent to the Minister of Public Security to show our opposition but it was never considered. There exists a collusion between the Band Council and Quebec aiming to squash all forms of opposition to an oppressive regime and to SM-11, thereby affecting the national integrity of the INNU and their territory. So these are the major reasons for which my family has adopted such a radical opposition and to declare the following statement: Considering my family as a cell within the INNU Nation and having responsibility towards our People and NITASSINAN, Considering the natural laws which have come from the Creator as the only laws which can govern our lives, Considering the importance of assuming our responsibilities without outside interference, And referring to modern international law now in practice and invoking more particularly to: .--Article II b) and d) of the International Convention on the abolition and condemnation of the crime of apartheid; --.the Universal Declaration on Human Rights; --.the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural rights: --.The Teheran Proclamation; --.the United NationUs Declaration on the elimination of all forms racial discrimination;. --The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; --.the Declaration on Development and Social Programs; --.The Declaration on the Utilization of Scientific and Technological Progress for Peace and Humanity; --the Declaration of Principles on International Cultural Cooperation --.and in particular, the Declaration on the Access to the Independence of Peoples and Colonized countries. DECLARATION We, the undersigned, Mr. Gilbert Pilot, my partner, Mme. Vivian Michel and our children, Shipiss (12 years), Pinashue (5 years), Penute (2 years) and Uashtessiu (1 year) for whom we are speaking, declare and proclaim our right to auto-determination and also our independence in regards to the Canadian, Quebec and Labrador governments. We reclaim our national INNU identity and thus all our national rights: --. The right to existence; --.The right to determine without outside constraint, our political status; --.The right to exercise in complete freedom, our economic, social and cultural activities in accordance with the principles governed by our traditional values; --.The right to circulate freely on our land; --.The governments must commit itself not to exercise any pressure which would impede the development of our family conforming thus to the spirit and letter of the different Declarations, Conventions and International Pacts now in effect; --The right to maintain our privileged and spiritual relationship with NITASSINAN --.The right to be treated equally with other nations in mutual respect. This is essential to the advancement of peace and international cooperation. We ask the International Community to recognize our INNU nationality and all references to that effect. We ask for an effective protection from the International Community for my family while we are working for our rights for auto-determination. We ask the International Community to recognize the necessity of our family to establish a new concept to development based on an harmonious development of NITASSINAN> We opt for more human activity in the area of development where eco-tourism is preferred. We ask the International Community for financial and technical support in elaborating and implementing our idea of development. In order to make effective, the exercise of our Right to auto-determination my family, in a common decision, have decided to: --.renounce all the advantages and privileges coming from the Canadian and Quebec governments whether it is monetary or material: --.renounce our RIndianS status which the Indian Act, a discriminatory law which has no other purpose than to assimilate us and take away our national identity. Thus we renounce our dependence on government and their institutions which has been imposed in a concerted way. We proclaim our economic and political independence and intend to exercise our Right to political, social, economic and cultural auto-determination in complete freedom in NITASSINAN. We sign this on the 29th day of September, 1992, in Maliotenam. Gilbert Pilot Vivian Michel Shipiss Michel, child Pinashue Pilot, child Penute Pilot, child Uashtessiu Pilot, child Sylvestre Rock , Witness Translation from French to English: Gerry Pascal -- Peter d'Errico voice: 413-545-2003 Legal Studies Department fax: 413-545-1640 University of Massachusetts/Amherst 01003 derrico@legal.umass.edu --------- "RE: Conferences and Powwows" --------- From: JANS Janet McNeely (Evening Star) Subj: Upcoming conferences and powwows GE Electronic Mail = Powwow Information = I got my copy of the _Powwow 1994 Calendar_ this week. This is one of my mainstay resources for powwow information throughout the US and Canada. This year's copy is prefaced with a history of the Powwow, description of events and important people in the Powwow, and a guideline of powwow courtesy covering such issues as what you should and should not do about picture-taking and the like. Wish I'd seen this before I attended the first--I would have gotten a lot more out of it. If you're interested, the book is $6.95, and can be obtained by sending a check and request to The Book Company, P.O. Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483. =Powwows= Feb 2-4 Sinte Gleska College Founders Day Powwow Rosebud, SD Info: 605 747 2263 1st Sat. Feb. Mason School Powwow, Tacoma WA Info: 206 596 1139 Feb 5 Hosaga 20th Annual Powwow Springfield, MA Info: 413 783 3428 Feb 11-13 Lincoln's Birthday & Self-Government Sovereignty Celebration, Warm Springs, OR Info: 503 553 3393 Anna Clements 2nd Wkend Feb Seminole Tribal Fair & Rodeo Hollywood, FL Info: 305 584 0400 2nd Wkend Feb Honor Our Ancestors Traditional Powwow Negaunee, MI Info: 906 249 3153 And a BIG one to plan for if you're thinking of being in the Arizona area this spring...includes the World Dance Championships and Arts Festival... Mar 4-5 MorningStar Celebration of the American Indian Phoenix AZ Info: 602 830 5914 Send notices of forthcoming powwows, conferences and gatherings to: jans@genie.geis.com