Churchill takes the stand

In his trial in Denver, Ward Churchill explains his 9/11 essay (again) and his claims about smallpox:

Ward Churchill takes the stand to defend himself

Axed CU professor gives jury his version of eventsThe use of the term "Little Eichmanns" to describe victims in the twin towers--a reference to Nazi technocrat Adolf Eichmann--was Churchill's way of trying to convey the idea that even those whose roles in society are seemingly innocent effectively perpetuate the greater system in which they operate, he said.

"When you bring your skills to bear for profit, you are the moral equivalent of Adolf Eichmann," Churchill testified.And:Churchill also defended his claims that the U.S. military deliberately infected American Indians in New England and along the Upper Missouri River with smallpox.

Of his assertion that a military commander at Fort Clark ordered smallpox-infested blankets be distributed among the Mandans in the 1830s, Churchill said: "I considered it common knowledge."

"It's enshrined in the oral traditions specific to the Mandans," he testified. "The oral history for me is conclusive."Earlier that day, Russell Means took the stand:

Churchill:  Smallpox theory common knowledgeRussell Means, facilitator of the Republic of Lakota, is now on the stand testifying on behalf of Churchill. He's known Churchill for years and wrote a chapter in one of his books and also served in the American Indian Movement together.

Means testified Churchill is "writing the wrongs of history—literally."

Means choked up on the witness stand and said "to take a small phrase and besmirch him and try to ruin his reputation among the people who know what he writes. It is a scholarly massacre—it's what I call it. It's not right and it's full of holes...they do not treat white professors at CU the same way."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Churchill Trusts a Jury? and Churchill Goes to Trial.