Peltier Tribunal to judge US

Native American leaders to hold Leonard Peltier Tribunal Oct. 2-4

Plan to put U.S. government on trial

By Linden GawboyOn Oct. 2 through Oct. 4, the U.S. government will be put on trial for “malfeasance in Indian Country,” according to a statement released at a press conference Sept. 4. Witnesses are being subpoenaed to appear in Oneida, Wisconsin for the three-day tribunal entitled “The Leonard Peltier International Tribunal on the Abuse of Indigenous Human Rights.”

After three days of testimony, a panel of judges will rule on the conduct of the U.S. around the case of Leonard Peltier in particular and about the oppression meted out by the government to Native peoples in general. Organizers are exploring, bringing the findings of the tribunal to the World Court in the Netherlands after the tribunal.

"The Leonard Peltier International Tribunal on the Abuse of Indigenous Human Rights will tell our stories with a focus on the last 40 years,” said Dorothy Ninham--a former Oneida Nation judge and founder and director of Wind Chases the Sun.

Leaders from many Native struggles will be there to witness about “fishing rights, the sterilization of Indigenous women, extreme poverty, theft of tribes' natural resources, environmental issues and their impact on Indian reservations, the horrific rate of suicides among Native children, and the wrongful conviction of Leonard Peltier (specifically the events that led up to the June 26, 1975, incident at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and the effects on survivors of this period),” the organizers state.On Oct. 2 through Oct. 4, the U.S. government will be put on trial for “malfeasance in Indian Country,” according to a statement released at a press conference Sept. 4. Witnesses are being subpoenaed to appear in Oneida, Wisconsin for the three-day tribunal entitled “The Leonard Peltier International Tribunal on the Abuse of Indigenous Human Rights.”Comment:  For more on Leonard Peltier, see Leonard Peltier Day Proclaimed and The Book that Inspired Beach.

Below:  "Organizers of the The Leonard Peltier International Tribunal on the Abuse of Indigenous Human Rights under portraits of Peltier." (Fight Back! News/Staff)

Leonard Peltier Day proclaimed

Leonard Peltier Day Honors Imprisoned Native Icon

By Gale Courey ToensingLeaders of the Oglala Lakota Nation have declared June 26 Leonard Peltier Day in honor of the American Indian Movement activist who has been in prison for 36 years, convicted of murdering two FBI agents in a trial that leading social justice organizations say was unfair and tainted by political influence.

Peltier (Anishinaabe-Lakota) was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in 1977 for the death of two FBI agents during a confrontation with American Indian Movement (AIM) members on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota June 26, 1975. Peltier admits to being present, but denied at his trial and ever since that he shot the agents. Amnesty International calls Peltier a political prisoner.

Oglala Lakota Nation President Bryan Brewer and Vice-President Thomas Poor Bear issued a proclamation June 24 naming June 26th Leonard Peltier Day.Comment:  For more on Leonard Peltier, see The Book that Inspired Beach and Common, Moore Speak for Peltier.

The book that inspired Beach

Adam Beach inspired after reading "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse"

By Kim WheelerBeach spoke to SCENE about the book that inspired him to look more closely at his own Ojibway roots.

What is the one book you think everyone should read?

In The Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen. It gives an example of reservation life and struggles. In The Spirit of Crazy Horse instilled my native identity. And what I am going to do to stand up for myself.

What do I know about myself? What do I know about being Anishinabe? It's about my own spiritual justice, my own spiritual traditional connection. Why don't I know about this? Who is this? Who am I? It just opened those questions of looking at my internal self.Comment:  Coincidentally, I recently read In The Spirit of Crazy Horse. I'd say it was good but not great.

On the one hand, it presents a persuasive argument that Peltier was railroaded. I'm not sure which was the biggest problem: the government's bias or the defense lawyers' mistakes. But any reasonable juror should've looked at the evidence, almost all circumstantial, and voted not guilty.

On the other hand, Matthiessen goes into way too much detail. You often want and need a chapter summary to know what the takeaway is. By the time you get through an obsessive recounting of some minor character's actions, you wonder what the point was.

Matthiessen didn't have the option in 1992, but for today's authors, I'd say make the book an appealing overview of the Peltier case. Save the exhaustive details for a companion volume, a DVD, or a website. The vast majority of people won't want to know that much about the case.

Some comments on Amazon.com reflect the book's strengths and weaknesses:"A giant of a book ... Indescribably touching, extraordinarily intelligent." --Los Angeles Times Review

"Meticulously researched ... A courageous document." --Boston Globe

"A book of enormous importance ... You have to believe that Crazy Horse would have loved its renegade spirit and unflinching reach for the truth." --Milwaukee JournalBut:While I appreciate the authors attempt to present all the facts, I found most of the book very complicated and difficult to follow. Detailing all of the arrests, trials, convictions, allegations, etc. regarding all the major players (and some of the minor ones) in the movement at the time, while it served to present the climate in which Leonard's conviction took place, left me unable to form any opinion of guilt or innocence.

It's not that this isn't an important book, but many times in the early goings, Peter Matthiessen's 1980 epic account of the American Indian Movement's early days and the prison saga of Leonard Peltier reads like a personal memoir, not objective history.Yeah, there are whole sections where Matthiessen switches from a hard-hitting case study to a touchy-feely memoir of Peltier or someone else involved. I'd drop the latter sections. Inevitably Matthiessen's writing is more interesting than someone's rambling reminiscences.

Rob's rating: 7.5 of 10.

For the issues I address in Newspaper Rock, I'd still recommend Lies My Teacher Told Me or Indian Givers as the best book to read. Other worthwhile books include Shadows of the Indian, Rethinking Columbus, and A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh.

For more on Leonard Peltier, see Common, Moore Speak For Peltier and 43rd National Day of Mourning.

Common, Moore speak for Peltier

Cliff Matias at the ‘Bring Leonard Peltier Home 2012’ Event in NYC

By Cliff MatiasI stood outside for 15 minutes, already 10 minutes into the scheduled start time of the show. The stress was mounting but all of that was about to change: A black SUV pulled up to the stage entrance with superstar rapper and film actor, Common. He walked up to all the staff standing in the back alley and started shaking hands and giving hugs. When he reached me I said, “Hi” and told him I was doing a story for Indian Country Today Media Network. I asked him how he’d gotten involved with Leonard’s struggle.

“I got a call from a dear friend and mentor, Mr. Harry Belafonte, who schooled me on Leonard’s situation and asked for my help. I just had to be a part of this fight for justice.”

He mentioned that working with the Native actors on the television show Hell on Wheels gave him a respect for American Indians. Common then paused for a moment, looked down, and noticed my motorcycle riding-vest, which says “First Nations” across the top. Then he said “Yeah, first nations. I’ve learned a lot about the culture and a respect for the first nations people.”

Later on that evening, when Common rocked the crowd along with his surprise guest artist Mos Def, he said, “I’m here to support Leonard and fight against the injustices to first nations people.”

As Common and I spoke off the record about various things, Michael Moore walked in past us. Common said, “Hey, that’s Michael Moore. Yo, Mike, how you doing?” Not sure if he knew who Common was, but Moore said hello.

Now was my moment to get a one-on-one with Michael Moore. I started by asking him how and why he was involved in this project. Michael said, “I have been following Leonard’s case for a long time, and I must lend my voice and support to this American travesty of injustice.” Later on in the evening Michael would speak not only about the Peltier case but also gun violence in America, and how earlier in the day a madman walked into a school in Connecticut and killed 26 people, including 20 children.Comment:  For more on Leonard Peltier, see Jackson Browne to Headline Peltier Concert and 43rd National Day of Mourning.

Below:  "Michael Moore speaks at ‘Bring Leonard Peltier Home 2012’ Event in NYC." (Cliff Matias)

Jackson Browne to headline Peltier concert

Jackson Browne to Headline "Bring Leonard Peltier Home" ConcertJackson Browne is headlining a concert at New York's Beacon Theater. The show called "Bring Leonard Peltier Home" is being hosted by Harry Belafonte and Pete Seeger.

Peltier, Lakota, has been in prison for the past 35 years. He was convicted of killing two FBI agents who showed up on June 25, 1975 at a private residence in Oglala, South Dakota.

Peltier is currently incarcerated at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Coleman, Florida.

Jackson Browne, who became famous during the 1970s, has sold over 17 million albums in the United States and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is known for such hits as "The Pretender," "Running on Empty," "Doctor My Eyes," "Take it Easy," and "Somebody's Baby."Comment:  For more on Leonard Peltier, see 43rd National Day of Mourning and Bono Mack:  Pro-Indian = Anti-American.

43rd National Day of Mourning

United American Indians of New England Commemorate a National Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving

By Simon Moya-SmithFor the past 42 years, members and supporters of the United American Indians of New England (UAINE) have assembled every Thanksgiving at Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to commemorate a National Day of Mourning.

Established in 1970, the National Day of Mourning aims to publically combat the erroneous stories and miscomprehensions engulfing the First Thanksgiving. Born as the result of “the suppression of the truth,” according to UAINE’s website, the day is also meant to mourn the loss of the millions of American Indians who have died as a result of European settlement.

This year’s 43rd commemoration, scheduled for noon Thursday, is dedicated to American Indian Movement leader and political prisoner Leonard Peltier. Peltier, whose next parole hearing is scheduled for 2024, has been in various federal penitentiaries since his first-degree murder conviction in 1977.

Moonanum James, UAINE co-leader, and a member of the Wampanoag Nation, said that Peltier has sent UAINE a statement to be read at the rally every year since the 1980s.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Occupiers Join National Day of Mourning and 42nd National Day of Mourning.

Below:  "National Day of Mourning plaque on Cole's Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts."

Bono Mack: Pro-Indian = anti-American

A political campaign here in California has veered into racist territory:

ELECTIONS: Bono Mack gets heat from Indian Country, Ruiz from law enforcement community

By Ben GoadInland Rep. Mary Bono Mack is facing criticism from tribal groups following her campaign’s attacks against Democratic congressional candidate Raul Ruiz for participating in Thanksgiving Day protests in the 1990s.

Meanwhile, a pair of former law enforcement officials are taking Ruiz to task for his brush with the law in the same era, during which he spoke out in support of convicted killer Leonard Peltier.

Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, and her campaign have made an issue of Ruiz’ involvement in the protests and other activities during his time in medical school, painting him as ultra-liberal and un-American.

On Friday, Oct. 19, the Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations sent Bono Mack a letter condemning her for attacking Ruiz “on the basis that he stood with tribal people to protest the deplorable historic treatment of American Indians…”

The complete letter can be seen here. Here’s an excerpt:

“We certainly understand the rough and tumble nature of political campaigns, and we know that sometimes candidates say things that they later regret. As an agent of the federal government, however, you should be working to overcome the wounds of past wrongs done to Indian people, not deepen them. Vilifying someone who nobly stood with Indians and protected an Indian elder is at best gratuitous and opportunistic. At worst, it is a betrayal of a friendship, an attack against tribal peoples and others who have stood with us to protect the inherent rights we have left. Indeed, without these inherent rights more than 6,000 constituents in your district would not be employed by tribal government gaming. We know you know better.”

The letter comes a day after the Palm Springs-based Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians issued a statement calling the Bono Mack criticism outrageous.
Both that tribe and TASIN said stressed that they had a positive working relationship with Bono Mack in the past.Mary Bono Mack comments denounced by Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations

Bono Mack Says Native American-Supporting Opponent is Anti-American

By Rob CapricciosoU.S. Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-California, currently in a dead heat in her race for re-election with Democratic challenger Raul Ruiz, has recently put out a series of ads, statements, a press release, and campaign tweets indicating that Ruiz is anti-American for his past support of causes identified with American Indians.

In 1997, Ruiz was arrested as a college student during a protest of the Thanksgiving holiday in Plymouth, Massachusetts that was intended to highlight Native American roles in American history and misrepresentations of Indians in contemporary American society. The event got out of hand, police pepper sprayed him and others, and charges were eventually dropped. City leaders ended up paying $100,000 toward a Native American scholarship fund, and they erected a plaque commemorating the event and Indian heritage.

In Bono Mack’s new ads, a serious-sounding narrator, accompanied by ominous music, asserts that Ruiz is “attacking Thanksgiving and our American values.” In a recent debate, the congresswoman sharpened the attack, saying, “He led protests against the celebration of Thanksgiving , no joke … because he opposes what Thanksgiving stands for and what it represents.”

Bono Mack’s campaign has also claimed that Ruiz read a letter aloud at the protest expressing support for a pardon of Leonard Peltier, an American Indian Movement activist who was convicted of shooting two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975.

The Ruiz campaign says the candidate doesn’t remember expressing support for Peltier and that he didn’t support Peltier then or now. That’s in contrast to some Native Americans who believe Peltier was wrongfully convicted, and who call for his pardon to this day.

Still, Bono Mack campaign strategists, John Pezzullo and Marc Troast, have re-tweeted messages on Twitter indicating that Ruiz is a “radical liberal” for his participation in the Native-focused event, and they have re-tweeted messages claiming he supported Peltier. Their campaign also has released audio, which they say is Ruiz reading a statement in support of Peltier. The Ruiz campaign has not denied the authenticity of the audio, and says if Ruiz did read it, he was caught up in the moment and did not believe what he was reading.

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is part of a growing chorus of Indians who are concerned with the Bono Mack political strategy. The tribe has put out a statement calling her ads “an outrageous and unacceptable insult to all Native Americans.”

“We are not endorsing either candidate at this time,” said Tribal Council Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe. “However, we call on Rep. Bono Mack to unequivocally repudiate this attempt to portray standing up for Native Americans as somehow un-American.”Raul Ruiz 'regrets' reading Leonard Peltier support letter

Comment:  Bono Mack's comments are consistent with everything I've said about today's conservatives. They hate minorities in general and Indians in particular for reminding us of America's flaws.

The continued existence of people who suffer from past and present injustices is a stake through the heart of America's founding myth. You know, the belief that America is the land of opportunity where the playing field is level and everyone has an equal chance.

America was really founded on the Euro-Christian belief in the superiority of white civilization. This is embodied in the concepts of Manifest Destiny and American exceptionalism, which tell us Americans are meant to dominate the world.

Standing up for Indians, as Ruiz did, is "un-American" because it challenges the basis of white power and privilege. If the people who rule do so because they cheated, stole, and killed, they've forfeited the moral high ground. There's no reason to listen to liars and hypocrites, or keep them in power.

This conflict comes up again and again in our culture and in this blog. For more on the subject, see:

Gap removes "Manifest Destiny" t-shirt
Republicans:  White people own America
Custer-loving Republican resigns
Ethnic studies "undermine sovereignty"?
Fischer worships "God" of racism

Glover speaks for Peltier

Actor Danny Glover to Hold Press Conference for Leonard Peltier

By Levi RickertAward-winning actor Danny Glover will participate in a press conference at 12 noon at Occupy Oakland today to voice his belief that Leonard Peltier should be let free.

Glover will join long walkers from the Leonard Peltier Walk for Human Rights at the noon press conference.

Occupy Oakland is located at the Grant Ogawa Plaza, adjacent to the Oakland City Hall, at Broadway and 14th Street.

The walk was launched on Alcatraz Island on Sunday, December 18 by Dennis Banks. The walk led by Dorothy Ninham, Oneida, spent last week going to Sacramento and Manteca, California. The long walkers spent Christmas in Oakland.Danny Glover Commits to Meet Peltier Walkers in DC--May 18

By Levi RickertThe long walkers from the Leonard Peltier Walk for Human Rights on their way to Washington DC gained support in their efforts on Monday from award-winning actor Danny Glover, who participated in a press conference at Occupy Oakland.

"Let us mark this day, December 26, as a day of reconvening. Let us mark this day as the day of recommitting to join forces in our efforts to bring Leonard home," Glover told the 50 people assembled.

“We have to continue in our efforts for Brother Leonard.”And:"I plan on doing my part," Glover said when questioned about other Hollywood celebrities working on behalf of freeing Peltier. "I am really removed from Hollywood. I live in San Francisco, so I really don't hang with the Hollywood crowd. Marlon Brando is gone; I know he would have been here to help. Harry Belafonte is 85 years old and he probably cannot do much, but I know he has been supportive in the past."

"I plan on being in Washington on May 18," said Glover when asked about coming to Washington to greet the long walkers.

The Leonard Peltier Walk for Human Rights was launched on December 18 on Alcatraz Island by Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement. It will conclude in the nation's capitol on May 18, 2012.Comment:  For more on Leonard Peltier, see Peltier Wins Human Rights Prize and Peltier Calls Churchill a "Phony."

New Agers should help Indians

New Agers Need to Put Money Where Their Mouths Are to Free Leonard Peltier

By Corine FairbanksThe American Indian Movement has been fighting the New Age movement for over 30 years now. This business supports a billion dollar industry. For all of the rhetoric that these New Age predators use, such as: "love and light," and "be the change you want the world to be," they execute strategic marketing plans to profits from selling and desecrating our ceremonies, sacred objects, and medicines.

These New Agers are white collar pimps that prostitute our spirituality and culture to whoever has a buck. In doing so, they export it all over the world, yet never once take a moment to identify American Indians as real people with real needs and real life and death issues.

Then there are costume companies and clothing companies that capitalize on cheap imitations of American Indian regalia. You know the kind I am talking about, the "Native Poca-Hottie" Halloween costumes that non-Natives seemed determined to where. Even famous actresses wearing cheap mock war bonnets think it is chic and sexy.

Here again, how much of the profits go back to Native people?

All of the billions of dollars generated by both of the above business ventures and nothing comes back to our Native communities. None of their profits comes back to our food and Social Service programs, veteran programs, let alone to Leonard Peltier and his defense committee or legal fund. Our communities are in need of funding; whether they be in an urban setting struggling with poverty, or with our relatives still back in our homelands, some of them freezing to death because they cannot afford to heat their homes.

We need to pin these "pimps" to the wall! We need to make them accountable to the appropriation and exploitation of our culture and spirituality--and make them hurt where it can only hurt with these predators--through their wallet. At the end of the day, how many of them laugh at us while counting change from all the sales they have made?Comment:  Corine is a friend of mine.

For more on New Agers, see James Ray's Sacsayhuaman Video and Shaman in A Gifted Man.

Peltier wins human rights prize

Jailed Native American activist Leonard Peltier wins rights prize

By Agence France-PresseLeonard Peltier, an indigenous rights activist jailed in the United States for decades, has received the first Mario Benedetti Foundation international human rights prize, the group said Monday.

The group called Peltier, a Native American activist convicted in 1977 for the murder of two US FBI agents, the longest serving political prisoner in the Americas. The case stemmed from a shootout at a reservation in the US state of South Dakota.

"Leonard Peltier, who on September 12, 2011 will turn 67, has spent more than half his life in prison. He is a symbol of resistance to repressive state policies by the United States, where there are people in jail for ethnic, racial, ideological and religious reasons," a foundation statement said.

Ricardo Elena, a member of the foundation's honorary board, said Peltier's case "is one that is repeated over and over: violation (of rights); persecution, eviction, invasion and expropriation of the indigenous people from the time it was 'discovered' until now.Comment:  I'm not sure Peltier's case involves all those elements. And it's questionable to give someone an award as a "symbol" for others. I'd say give the award to indigenous people as a whole, or to someone who's done more than just passively represent the cause.

For more on Leonard Peltier, see Peltier Calls Churchill a "Phony" and Hip-Hop Album for Leonard Peltier.

Peltier calls Churchill a "phony"

Some little-known facts about the continuing controversy that is Ward Churchill:

Why is U of T Listening to Ward Churchill’s Nonsense?

By Peter WorthingtonBorn in 1947, in Urbana, Illinois, Churchill has claimed to have been drafted in 1966 and have taken parachute training before spending nearly a year in Vietnam on Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol in enemy territory. Supposedly, this combat experience radicalized him to work with the Weather Underground on return to civilian life, where he taught the art of bomb-making.

Impressive to some, perhaps, except that none of it is true.

Churchill might have been in army public information, and/or as a truck driver. Ranger regiments say there’s no record on him ever doing Long Range Patrols in Vietnam.

Ward Churchill also presents himself as having Indian blood--another of his wannabe traits. The leadership of the American Indian Movement (AIM) has denounced him--even suggested he was working undercover for the FBI--and the Cherokees have said there is no record of him having Indian blood. (Churchill has variously claimed one-sixteenth to three-sixteenth Cherokee blood, one-eighth Creek blood).

When I visited Leonard Peltier in Leavenworth prison (three times), on each occasion he had harsh things to say about Ward Churchill, and wanted no part of “this phony.”Comment:  For more on the subject, see Churchill Loses Firing Appeal and Tim Wise on Ward Churchill.

Hip-hop album for Leonard Peltier

Album review
New Hip-Hop Album Says Leonard Peltier Got a Bad Rap

By Gabriel San RomanPeltier has spent more than three decades imprisoned for the killing of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975. Believing it to be unjust, various hip-hop artists have come together in common cause for a new compilation album.

Released on Thanksgiving, Free Leonard Peltier: Hip Hop's Contribution to the Freedom Campaign enlists the services of heavyweight conscious rappers Talib Kweli, Dakaa from Dilated Peoples, Immortal Technique, M1 of Dead Prez, and 2Mex. A-Ron, executive producer of the album, says in its notes that the mission of the compilation "is to highlight a case that clearly is an abuse of the legal standards of American justice."

After an introduction by Chairman Fred Hamption Jr., Dakaa and 2Mex get right to business on the Free Leonard Peltier's stand out track "Right the Wrong." The Dilated Peoples MC sums up the spirit of the collective effort when he rhymes "Human rights organizations are trying to right this wrong / The least I could do is write this song" while a following chorus sampling Native American flutes echoes case related samples.Comment:  For more on the subject, see McLaren's Last Words:  Free Peltier and Art Show About FBI and Indians.

McLaren's last words: Free Peltier

Free Leonard Peltier!  Malcolm McLaren uses last words to call for release of American Indian killer

By Sara NathanEven at the end, the godfather of punk remained true to his anti-establishment roots. The last words of Malcolm McLaren were a plea for the release of a radical American Indian convicted of killing two FBI agents.

Moments before he died of a rare form of cancer at a clinic in Switzerland, the man who created the Sex Pistols turned to his family and said: ‘Free Leonard Peltier.’

Although an obscure cause to some, Peltier is known to supporters as a charismatic leader of the American Indians and has been at the centre of a global campaign for his freedom. The 65-year-old remains in prison in Pennsylvania with no chance of release until 2024.

McLaren’s former partner, the designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, has been a vocal member of the campaign and has produced T-shirts appealing for his freedom.

Speaking for the first time since McLaren’s death on Thursday, his son Joe Corre revealed the final message could have been inspired by a T-shirt worn to the hospital by the music manager’s stepson, Ben.

Joe said: ‘His last words were “Free Leonard Peltier.” Ben had a T-shirt with the slogan on and my father saw this and admired it.Comment:  McLaren may have just repeated the slogan he saw on the t-shirt. It would've been a bit more impressive if he'd come up with the final sentiment on his own.

For more on the subject, see Art Show About FBI and Indians and Peltier:  Obama's Political Prisoner.

Below:  Malcolm McLaren and Young Kim.

Art show about FBI and Indians

Art and activism collide

‘Freedom of Information: The FBI, Indian Country, and Surveillance’

By Staci GolarThree poets and over 15 visual artists will explore the complex and often violent relationship between Native Americans and the Federal Bureau of Information in the art show, Freedom of Information: The FBI, Indian Country, and Surveillance. Their works will examine the volatile times of the 1960s and 1970s, when the FBI’s COINTELPRO program sought to crush Indian activism, up to the present where technology allows intrusion into our personal lives to a previously unimaginable degree.What it's about:This art show will explore the personal experiences of artists who have been incarcerated, threatened, attacked, or spied upon by the FBI, but also artists who have worked with the FBI as prosecutors and who have been helped by the FBI in investigations. Artists explore the effect of these experiences on their personal lives. We also examine how, due to technological advances, surveillance has become utterly ubiquitous and even accepted in today’s world. Now most photographs and videos are taken by machines, not human beings. What does this lack of privacy mean to us individually and collectively? How does it change our behavior? And where ultimately will it lead us?Some of the participants include poets:

Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee), president of the Morning Star Institute in Washington, D.C., a founding trustee of the National Museum of the American Indian, and an award-winning writer.

John Trudell (Santee Dakota), poet, national recording artist, actor and activist. Trudell worked with the American Indian Movement (AIM) serving as Chairman of AIM from 1973 to 1979.

And artists:

Leonard Peltier (Turtle Mountain Chippewa/Lakota), lithograph prints. The most prominent political prisoner in the United States, Peltier is currently in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Comment:  For more on government oppression, see CIA Suppressed Sainte-Marie's Music. For more on Indian activism and AIM:

AIM's misdeeds too "complex" to cover?
Debate over Wounded Knee
Controversy in Wounded Knee

Negative Nellies at the tribal summit

Alas, not everyone who experienced Obama's tribal summit was upbeat:

Censored:  Reactions to Obama's meeting with Native American governments

By Brenda Norrell"A real yawner ..."

"We've heard this before ..."

"Sad to hear Native elected leaders whining for more money for jails and neglecting what is really important ..."

"I watched the last part, once again the white men were sitting on the stage, staring down at the Indians, or wait, who was who, everyone looked the same in their colonial suits ..."

"The little bits and pieces I heard was a lot of 'we need to do better.' Well NO sh-t !!! that's what we've been telling you for years." --Tim Wozny

"Disappointing--but not unexpected" --Tiffany Minurbizniz

"Money always money & Obama writes checks, evil money. Leonard Peltier's name wasn't heard inside." --Patsy Luebke

If Obama is serious, then free Peltier, relinquish control of the Black Hills, empower the traditional Hopi and Dine' to defend their lands, and remove the soldiers of the state from the border reservations. If that happens, then maybe I might take him a little more serious as an ally than as a threat to the Sovereignty of the First Nations....!" --Ben Carnes, ChoctawComment:  I'm not as skeptical as the critics above. I think Obama wants to and will try to make changes. As anyone who has ever worked in a government or corporate bureaucracy knows, changing policies is like changing directions on an aircraft carrier. It happens slowly if at all.

So you could spin this summit either way. Either "Obama promises to do great things" or "Obama has yet to fulfill his promises." Glass half empty or half full.

But I can't agree with Ben Carnes and the other AIMsters quoted above. Freeing Peltier and giving back the Black Hills are not the highest priorities in Indian country--not even close. Indians would be foolish to ask Obama to spend his political capital on these things, and Obama would be foolish to spend it.

What Obama won't do

Obama still may pardon Peltier at the end of his presidency. He isn't going to do it anytime soon. Nor will he be giving back the Black Hills, interfering with the Hopi and Navajo governments, or reducing our border security to allow more illegal immigration.

You might as well ask the tides to stop coming in. No president will take steps like these within our lifetimes, if ever. Putting these things at the center of your political agenda means you're not serious about change. You're not serious about engaging in the political process and finding compromises that will (partly) satisfy everybody.

Rather, it means you're rallying your people to a holier-than-thou level of righteousness. You're good and everybody else is bad--which is ironically how the European colonists felt when Indians surrounded them. You don't care how many Indians suffer or die as long as you achieve your symbolic victories.

For more on the subject, see Obama at the Tribal Summit and Pix of the Tribal Summit.

Below:  "Citizens of several tribal nations raised tipis on the Ellipse in front of President Barack Obama's residence in recognition of the historic White House Tribal Nations Conference." (Rob Capriccioso/Indian Country Today)

Circle for Clemency to plead for Peltier

Peltier supporters to seek clemency during White House meeting

By Gale Courey ToensingLeonard Peltier supporters will seek clemency for the imprisoned American Indian Movement activist during a historic meeting between President Barack Obama and hundreds of tribal leaders of federally recognized nations.

The Circle for Clemency for Leonard Peltier is organizing a peaceful and prayerful act of solidarity “to bring attention to Mr. Peltier’s continued unjust imprisonment as a Native American political prisoner,” according to Rob Fife, one of the organizers.

The event will take place in conjunction with the first-of-its-kind White House Tribal Nations Conference on Nov. 5 from 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. at the Interior Department building in Washington, D.C.Comment:  If I were organizing a protest outside the White House, I'd focus on a few well-defined agenda items. Same with the tribal leaders at the summit, for that matter. Maybe sign the UN declaration (more meaningful than a US apology), fully fund Indian healthcare, and reform the criminal justice system.

Sorry, but freeing Leonard wouldn't make the list. The probability that Obama will spend his political capital on pardoning Peltier in the midst of right-wing attacks on his presidency is approximately zero. Obama is likely to do the opposite of what protesters demand to prove he's not a "radical."

For more on the subject, see Peltier:  Obama's Political Prisoner and Peltier Denied Parole Again.

Peltier: Obama's political prisoner

The Denial of My Parole

I Am Barack Obama's Political Prisoner Now

By Leonard PeltierIn America, there can by definition be no political prisoners, only those duly judged guilty in a court of law. It is deemed too controversial to even publicly contemplate that the federal government might fabricate and suppress evidence to defeat those deemed political enemies. But it is a demonstrable fact at every stage of my case.

I am Barack Obama's political prisoner now, and I hope and pray that he will adhere to the ideals that impelled him to run for president. But as Obama himself would acknowledge, if we are expecting him to solve our problems, we missed the point of his campaign. Only by organizing in our own communities and pressuring our supposed leaders can we bring about the changes that we all so desperately need. Please support the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee in our effort to hold the United States government to its own words.Comment:  For more on Leonard Peltier, see Assassins Paroled But Not Peltier and Peltier Denied Parole Again.

Would people oppose Peltier movie?

Another Facebook discussion on my Why No Peltier Movie? posting:Lisa Savy James:  First of all, the FBI does not care about conspiracy movies as much as we (the public) would like to think. Movies are not considered evidence, they are considered fiction. Even movies based on true events. Secondly, even if the FBI/CIA/NSA whatever had the interest in monitoring the Hollywood development loop, it would be take a lot of money, time, and resources to keep track of every single independent filmmaker. I could make a movie about a fake moon landing in my back yard next week and have it streaming online next month.

Regarding the Peltier story. Even with an A-list actor, it would be a hard sell to big studios. Look at your summer blockbusters--that's what sells. However, it sounds like it would be a good project for an indie filmmaker to make for the film festival circuit because it is an important story that needs to be told. Rob would be a good candidate to write this script, and it seems to me that he should be able to find Native American funding.

Rob Schmidt:  The FBI might not interfere with a Peltier movie, but there are a lot of retired agents, law enforcement officials, and politicians who would oppose it. I doubt a studio would proceed in the face of this opposition.

I agree that an indie filmmaker would have the best chance of making this movie. I don't know enough about the Peltier story to write a good script. But I'd be a great choice to critique and rewrite it.

Tribes have yet to get behind moviemaking in a big way. And I doubt they'd consider a Peltier project a winning idea. If I were them, I'd bankroll popcorn comedies, romances, and thrillers first and serious political movies last.

Lisa Savy James:  "Oppose it" ... how? Write nasty letters? Sabotage the production? C'mon Rob, this is not the McCarthy era. Are studios really intimidated by such people? If all the other factors were in place ... funding, A-list actors, potential blockbuster status, would they give a squat about retired agents, law enforcement officials, and politicians? Just the idea of a studio head cowtowing to any kind officious nonsense would be an entertaining movie in itself...

"Sorry to interrupt you, Mr. Stone, but I have a retired Officer Pusser on the phone from Pine Ridge? He says he has some smoke bombs and knows how to use them? Do you want to take this call?"

Rob Schmidt:  They'd sabotage the movie the same way they've sabotaged every attempt by Peltier to get a fair parole hearing. Think of a typical PR campaign: pressure via meetings, phone calls, letters, e-mails, editorials, TV appearances, etc.

They'd presumably start this campaign before the funding and talent were in place. In fact, telling potential investors about the protests and boycotts they'd launch if the movie were made probably would be an effective technique.

A typical example of how this pressure works is the Reagan movie CBS pulled after conservatives protested it. If you weren't aware of this case and didn't think it was possible, now you know.

CBS Dumps Reagan TV Miniseries

After complaints from the chairman of the Republican Party and conservative groups about how the former president is portrayed in the film, CBS has decided to broadcast it instead on the cable network Showtime, which has a much smaller audience.
Lisa Savy James:  Again, if I wanted to, I could make this movie in my backyard in a week and have the final edited version online before they even looked up my address on google maps. Whether I would find a distributor and/or make money off of it is another story ... but as someone else pointed out, this is not blockbuster material.

And hey--any PR is PR.

Yeah, CBS, which depends on advertiser's money, is not going to show anything that makes people tremble, think, or feel guilty. What halfway intelligent filmmaker would try to market this as a TV movie??

You don't think there are other controversial conspiracy type movies that have been made?

Rob Schmidt:  Okay, Lisa...if you made a Peltier movie in secret with no investors or studio involvement or A-list talent, you could do it without outside interference. But that isn't what we were talking about, is it? Look at the original posting. The question was: "Why hasn't Hollywood made any movies about Leonard Peltier and his case?"

Lisa Savy James:  Well you already answered that question, didn't you? Because it's not blockbuster material in an economy in which even studios must invest wisely. We've also established that if someone DID make the film, it would not be Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions.
You didn't answer my question... You don't think there are other controversial conspiracy type movies that have been made?

Rob Schmidt:  Yes, Hollywood sometimes make controversial conspiracy movies. But these movies generally impugn historical figures (JFK) or fictional corporations or governments. They generally don't impugn living FBI agents, law enforcement officials, and politicians by name. Which is what a Peltier biopic would do.

Rob Schmidt:  Another example of political pressure affecting Hollywood:

The Disneyfication of Marvel

ABC canceled a reality show about prejudices that was won by a gay couple. Disney executives did not provide an explanation. The show ("Welcome to the Neighborhood") was being boycotted by fundamentalist groups. Low ratings weren't even used as an excuse, and a lawyer explained that giving away a house based on minority status was not illegal in this case. On "Grey's Anatomy," a story about a lesbian relationship was cut off abruptly.For more on the subject, see Peltier Denied Parole Again and The Best Indian Movies.

Steven Seagal as Leonard Peltier?!

A Facebook discussion on my Why No Peltier Movie? posting:Trace A. DeMeyer:  I interviewed Peltier and he said there was discussion in 1998 about Steven Seagal playing him. As a matter of fact, since Peltier was talking to him on the phone so much and a call was transferred from an asst. to him, the prison cut off his phone privileges--this was quite awhile ago at Leavenworth. Would make a great action movie but better if it was truth and not fiction! Some day the truth will come...there was a war going on and AIM had soldiers.

Patrick G. Barkman:  Thank G*D it wasn't done with Steven Seagal!

Trace A. DeMeyer:  It was Seagal's idea, I understand. But it went nowhere. Who should play Peltier?

Rob Schmidt:  Hmm. Seagal looks a bit like Peltier, at least. But the role should go to an Indian, of course.

Rob Schmidt:  Yeah, I could see this as an action movie starring someone like Seagal. Unfairly convicted, Peltier kicks and chops his way out of prison. As a nationwide manhunt tries to corral him, he tracks down Mister X, the mysterious culprit who really killed the FBI agents.

Rob Schmidt:  The SCALPED comic-book series tells a highly fictionalized version of the Peltier story. So does the Thunderheart movie. I think a new movie would have to be highly fictionalized too. The actual story--32-plus years in prison with no parole or pardon in sight--is totally unsatisfying.

Rob Schmidt:  As for who to play Peltier, you'd have to get a Native actor who could age from his 30s to his 60s. That suggests someone who's 30 to 40 now.Comment:  For more on Seagal, see Stereotypes in On Deadly Ground.

Why no Peltier movie?

Correspondent Morten Krogh asked me about a Peltier movie via Facebook's instant messaging system. The following exchange ensued:Hi Rob. Just wonder. Why hasn't Hollywood made any movies about Leonard Peltier and his case? Do the FEDS have toooooo MUCH power? Remember the International Day of Solidarity for Leonard Peltier on Saturday, Sept. 12.There was the Incident at Oglala documentary.

I suspect no one thinks it would be marketable or successful. I wouldn't bet my money on such a movie. <g>I know. (I have that one in my collection.) But that's the only one.I'm impressed that Bury My Heart and the Wounded Knee episode of We Shall Remain got made.It's not for the money. :-) :-) It's for getting the true story out. And if the whole world knows how the FBI works, they [the world's people] will pressure the White House and so on. The sad thing is that no one will write about it in the media.

They re too scared. Maybe.If some Hollywood filmmakers wanted to do a Peltier movie, you're probably right. The FBI and other powers that be would pressure them to stop.Maybe you should write about that. ?????Write about why no one is making a Peltier movie? I doubt I'd get more than the obvious answers from people. E.g., "No one in middle America would go to see this movie."

Besides, it doesn't have a real ending. Decades of unchanging imprisonment don't make for good drama. If and when he gets out, then maybe someone will deem the subject worthy.I really hope so.Comment:  Here you go, Morten. Now we've discussed the issue in the (online) media. Let's see if the FBI and company try to stop the Peltier pardon and movie now!

For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.

P.S. I've made minor changes to Krogh's messages to make them more readable.