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Home » Archiv » Leonard Peltier 
Important current issues: May 1999 -Leonard’s health-Attorney Eric Seitz has taken case -Effort to gain executive clemency -Canadian extradition report -Congressional hearings -Posters and news papers! Spread the word! -Amnesty International asks for the immediate and unconditional release of Peltier-contact your local chapter FOR YOUR INFORMATION -Results of the recent fact finding mission by Danielle Mitterand, former first lady of France -International support continues to build -New addition to defense team -Rigoberta Menchu will organize fact-finding mission with other Nobel Laureates -Desmond TuTu speaks in support UPCOMING EVENTS: -The book Prison Writings, My Life is my Sundance by Leonard Peltier-June 26, 1999 -Leonard Peltier Organizing Conference Friday, June 25th, Saturday, June 26th, and Sunday June 27th HEALTH Leonard Peltier is currently suffering from complications of a previous maxilla-facial surgery, which he underwent at the Springfield Medical facility in 1996. Because of this, he is in excruciating pain everyday as the pain in his jaw never subsides. As a child Leonard stepped on a nail and got tetanus. This caused him to get lockjaw and he has had problems with his jaw ever since. He also broke his jaw once and it never healed correctly. This is why he was transferred to Springfield for surgery in 1996. Dr. Collins, one of the prison doctors, had recommended that Leonard be treated at the Mayo clinic in Rochester where there is a medical facility that regularly treats federal prisoners and is better equipped and employs more qualified specialists. The prison ignored this advice. Leonard underwent two unsuccessful surgeries, and during the second one he almost died. He was in a coma for fourteen hours after the surgery and his jaw is now in much worse condition than before he was treated. Leonard cannot bite or chew his food because his jaw is frozen open 13 millimeters. He cannot completely close or open his mouth. He must eat by forcing food through a gap in his front teeth and then mashing it against his front teeth with his tongue. The prison will not blend his food. He suffers from excruciating headaches, watery eyes and jaw pain because of this condition. Leonard was put in "the hole" to recover, which is a cell that is six by eight feet long. It was infested with cockroaches and ants, he was only allowed a one inch pencil to write with, he had to write on the cement floor, and he was only allowed one phone call a month. He was not put in isolation because his behavior had warranted any type of disciplinary action. After one month it became apparent to Leonard that the surgery was a complete failure. He refused to go back to Springfield because of its inhumane conditions and medical maltreatment. It has been three years and he is still waiting for treatment from the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Keller, a specialist at the Mayo Clinic has agreed to do the surgery but the prison will not transfer him there. Leonard will not sign any transfer papers unless they specifically state that he is going to the Mayo Clinic for treatment for fear of being transferred back to Springfield. Meanwhile please help us pressure the BOP, Leavenworth prison, and Congress to allow him to be immediately transferred to the Mayo Clinic. Leonard has endured the Marion Control Unit, an attempted assassination, harassment, and physical brutality for twenty-three years despite the fact that the government says they do not know who is responsible for the deaths of the agents. It is important now more than ever that Leonard is released. NOTE: On March 16 Leonard met with medical staff of Leavenworth and Springfield. They told him that there was nothing Springfield could do to help him, and the doctor who originally did his surgeries said he is not willing to do any more. This is a step forward because they have now officially admitted that Springfield cannot help him, a 180 degree change in what they have been saying for the last three years. EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY In 1993 Attorney Ramsey Clark filed for executive clemency on Leonard’s case. Normally it takes six to nine months for a clemency petition to be reviewed. It has been over five years and we have heard nothing. The only response ever received from Clinton is a form letter of which we have hundreds, stating that it is still being reviewed by the department of justice. President Clinton has the authority to look into the status of the "review" and he has the authority to grant clemency whenever he chooses. The Clinton administration has ignored letters and resolutions from foreign governments, letters from many prestigious people, and millions of signatures and letters from the people of the U.S. The government admits that they do not know what involvement Leonard may have had in the agents’ deaths. It is an outrage that he is still in prison. Please continue to write Clinton and the Pardon Attorney, as well as your congressional representatives. Inform them on Leonard’s case and urge them to write to Clinton in support of Executive Clemency for Peltier. CANADIAN EXTRADITION REPORT In 1989 Leonard appealed his extradition to the Canadian Supreme Court. Though they denied the appeal on a technicality, they admitted that the affidavits were fraudulent and one of the court’s justices recommended that the Minister of Justice investigate the possibility that the extradition was illegally obtained. In 1994 Leonard’s final appeal was turned down. 55 MP’s from Canada’s Parliament filed an unprecedented Amicus brief before that court on Leonard’s behalf. As a result of the publicity, then Canadian Minister of Justice, Allen Rock initiated an internal review of Leonard’s extradition by his department officials. That process began in June of 1995. Approximately one year later, he asked MP Warren Allmand to submit a report to him after reviewing the files pertaining to Leonard’s extradition. Allmand submitted a report (which has never been made public) which stated that there was no evidence, other than the Poor Bear affidavits, that could have been used to extradite Peltier and that the Poor Bear affidavits were fraudulent. He also recommended that Minister Rock make a formal request for a new trial or clemency on Leonard’s case. Minister Rock promised Warren Allmand that the findings of the review would be made public before he was to leave office in 1997. He did not fulfill his promise leaving Leonard and his family, friends, and supporters hanging. Opposition MP, Peter Mancini has been pressuring the Canadian government to face the fact that Leonard should not have been extradited and to release the findings of the review ever since. So, where does that leave us today? We have been urging the current Minister of Justice, Anne McLellan to release the report on the internal review of Leonard’s extradition. Since that time the LPDC has received some confusing feed back regarding this request. Some say that there is no report despite the fact that "the report" has been referred to on numerous occasions by the justice department, the Commissioner herself, and the privacy commissioner of Canada (who cleared public release of the findings on June 8, 1998). Many have said that this "report" is Warren Allmand’s report, but his name is not indicated on it and therefore it confuses the justice department when we ask for it. MP, Peter Mancini filed an Access to Information Request regarding the review and got a response denying his request and stating that there are 47 related documents being withheld. Since Leonard has already spent twenty-three years in prison and since his suffering is coupled by his severe jaw condition, we really do not have time to play games with this issue. In a letter from the Canadian Department of Justice dated January 16, 1998, Anne McLellan’s Senior Policy Advisor, Michael Brown, stated, "the former Minister of Justice, the Honourable Allan Rock, asked that the Peltier case be reviewed by the Department of Justice. This departmental review has been completed, and Minister McLellan is now considering the results. I expect that the Minister will be in a position to respond to the issues raised in the review once she has had an opportunity to consider them carefully." THIS WAS OVER ONE YEAR AGO! Clearly the review was completed and the findings must constitute some form. Therefore we are now asking for THE FINDINGS of the internal review on his extradition to be released, whether this constitutes a report, 47 documents, or both. We want all documents related to the investigation to be released. We are asking for the Minister of Justice, Anne McLellan to make a formal request to Janet Reno for Leonard to be freed as Warren Allmand had recommended and as obligated by US/Canadian treaty laws and Diplomatic Protocols. We are asking for Warren Allmand’s report, specifically, to be released as well. You can help. At the end of this update is a sample letter which can be sent to Canadian Minister of Justice, Anne McLellan and to the Canadian embassy, its consulates and diplomatic missions in the US and to the US embassy, its consulates and diplomatic missions in Canada. GETTING CASE BACK INTO COURTS We are currently looking for ways to enter Leonard’s case back into court. We need research lawyers, law professors, and law students to try to find ways by which to do this. If you are interested in researching Leonard’s case you may want to purchase The Trial of Leonard Peltier, and the trial transcripts. We also have the appeal decisions on disc, but we still need to get other relevant briefs, evidentiary hearings, etc. on the computer–hopefully this will be done soon. If you find a possible strategy to get Leonard’s case back into court, we will have you discuss it with trial attorneys Tony Serra, Carl Nadler, and Eric Seitz. Anyone who is able to find a way to get the case back into court will receive international recognition in the legal community. Contact the LPDC for more information. CONGRESSIONAL HEARING INVESTIGATIONS We are urging the Senate and Congress to hold an investigation into the judicial improprieties in Leonard’s case. Ernie Stevens, vice president of the National Congress of American Indians has recently been in correspondence with Ben Nighthorse Campbell, who reported that he is urging the Judiciary Committee to hold the hearings. Write, call, and fax your local elected officials to encourage them to do the same. If they are on the Judiciary Committee it is especially important to urge them to hold the hearings. Also encourage Ben Nighthorse Campbell to continue with his efforts. ( ADDRESSES AND CONTACT INFORMATION BELOW ) POSTERS AND NEWS PAPERS! SPREAD THE WORD! We have a new 17"x22" beautiful color poster featuring a current image of Leonard, that says, "The Indian Wars Are Not Over-Free Leonard Peltier and all Political Prisoners." On the side they say "Remember those who didn’t survive 1973-1976." This is followed by a list of the people who were murdered during the "reign of terror." Please have them posted in classrooms, tribal offices, activist offices, cafés, etc. The posters can be bought for five dollars each or at a discount price in bulk. Shipping and handling is an additional five dollars for an order of one to ten posters. (for bulk orders contact or email the LPDC to negotiate cost) We publish a bi-monthly news paper featuring a statement from Leonard Peltier, photos of his art and articles on his case, current Indigenous issues, environmental issues, and prison issues. This is a great way to keep up to date with his case and other important issues. It is $12.00 per year for US residents, $7.00 for seniors, $22.00 for over seas, and free for prisoners. Send your check or money order to the LPDC and encourage others to do the same. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL The LPDC has been lobbying Amnesty International to take a stronger stance on Leonard’s case for many years. As a result our efforts have finally been successful. The following is a press release prepared by Amnesty International, International Secretariat. The International Secretariat is taking a stronger stance on Leonard’s case and by doing so allows Amnesty International Chapters to do much more than they were able to do before. Please network with your local AI chapter. You can ask them to include Leonard’s case in their letter writing campaigns, help do joint actions and benefits, and get statements of support from them to help you lobby local officials. USA Amnesty International Calls for the Release of Leonard Peltier MINNEAPOLIS, MN, (April 16, 1999) Today Amnesty International called for the immediate and unconditional release of Leonard Peltier, and Anishinabe-Lakota Indian and a leading member of the American Indian Movement (AIM). Peltier is serving two consecutive life sentences in Leavenworth Penitentiary for the murders of two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents who were killed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in 1975. Amnesty International had long expressed concerns about the fairness of Peltier’s trial in 1977 and subsequent appeals and evidentiary hearings: the FBI knowingly used perjured testimony to obtain Peltier’s extradition from Canada to the USA; Peltier’s attorneys were denied the right to call relevant defense witnesses; and prosecutors withheld vital evidence. Amnesty Inernational is concerned that Peltier’s political activities and beliefs may have influenced the circumstances of his arrest and subsequent trial. Leonard Peltier has now spent twenty-three years in prison. Amnesty International considers Peltier to be a political prisoner whose avenues to legal redress have long been exhausted. The US Government has repeatedly denied requests for a special executive review. Amnesty International recognizes that a retrial is no longer a feasible option and believes that Peltier should be immediately and unconditionally released. Source: Amnesty International, International Secretariat MITTERAND VISIT The former First Lady of France and the president of the NGO, France Libertes’, Danielle Mitterand, came to the U.S. on a fact finding mission on the behalf of Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu Jamal. After attending meetings on Mumia’s behalf in Philadelphia, she, along with Leonard’s granddaughter, Alex Peltier, LPDC international spokesperson, Bobby Castillo, LPSG France coordinator, Sylvain Duez-Alesandrini, and attorney Carl Nadler accompanied her to meetings with government officials and human rights NGOs. She also spoke at a press conference in D.C. sponsored by the LPDC and Amnesty International. Senator Daniel Inouye, the head of Amnesty International USA, William Shulz, Peltier’s granddaughter, Alex Peltier, Former Attorney General, Ramsey Clark, and attorney James Leonard also spoke at the press conference in support of freedom for Peltier. Mitterand then came to Kansas where she met with Leonard Peltier at USP Leavenworth and they discussed the history of First Nations Peoples in the U.S., Leonard’s case and his health. She expressed to him here commitment to seeking justice for him. She then spoke at another press conference outside of the prison. Jean Day, Oglala survivor, and Bobby Castillo also spoke. Later that evening she addressed the Lawrence community at Haskell Indian Nations University during a cultural event held on her behalf. The overall visit was a success and the LPDC is grateful to Danielle Mitterand and France Libertes’ for coming to the U.S. We are also grateful to the LPSG France, Bobby Castillo, and the Friends and Family of Mumia Abu Jamal for initiating the visit. The visit was covered by many media sources including the Associated Press, Indian Country Today, and CNN. Leonard was very moved by Mme. Mitterand’s visit, and he has said that meeting her has given him some hope that he will some day be free. France Libertes’ works in coalition with Amnesty International, the International Federation for Human Rights, and ADT Fourth World, all of whom will continue their efforts to gain freedom for Peltier. INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT Thanks to the hard work of the LPSG France, KWIA of Belgium, and international spokesperson, Bobby Castillo, a new resolution was passed in the European Parliament on February 11, 1999. This resolution, which insists that Peltier be freed, that investigations into Leonard’s case be held, that Peltier receive adequate medical attention, and that Peltier’s case be included on the agenda of the EP’s next delegation to the U.S., reiterates the European Parliament Resolution that was passed in December of 1994 in support of freedom for Leonard Peltier. Leonard was recently recognized as a Human Rights Defender at the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris. The LPDC was officially invited to and attended this monumental event. His name was included in a list of other Human Rights Defenders incarcerated for their actions and beliefs (African, Asian, Palestinian, Peruvian, Colombian, Tibetan, Kurds, etc). A call was made by representatives of various NGOs such as Danielle Mitterand, President of Amnesty International Pierre Sane and Rigoberta Menchu to others of the international community to intervene in Leonard Peltier’s case. Rigoberta Menchu made a particularly moving statement in support of Leonard Peltier. Leonard was officially and symbolically invited to this event by Amnesty International, France-Libertes, International Federation of Human Rights and ATD-Fourth World. Serle Chapman, the editor of the book, Of Earth and Elders, recently organized a demonstration in London, England. Their current goal is to encourage Prime Minister, Tony Blair, to urge President Clinton to grant clemency to Peltier. Through their lobbying and demonstrating efforts they have gained the support of MP Tony Benn who has agreed to initiate and put a motion before the British government and parliament in the House of Commons calling for all means of diplomatic pressure to support clemency, the release of the findings of the Canadian internal review, proper medical treatment, and the end to the ban of media access to Leonard Peltier. Leavenworth Prison officials also told reporters that Queen Elisabeth has written a letter of support on behalf of Leonard Peltier. This is great news considering that England is the closest ally to the U.S. Last October a written motion was introduced by MP, Laurence Dumont to the French Parliament asking for an official intervention in support of Executive Clemency and proper medical treatment for Leonard Peltier. Though the motion is still in process, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hubert Vedrine, recently stated in a April 19, 1999 letter, "at my personal demand, our Ambassador in Washington has recently called to the attention of his American counterpart at the State Department, the case of Leonard Peltier on humanitarian grounds." ADDITION TO DEFENSE TEAM Renowned human rights activist and lawyer, Jennifer Harbury, has joined Leonard’s defense team and will be helping to coordinate our efforts. With Jennifer’s extensive experience in lobbying, law, and organizing political campaigns, we are bound to make huge strides toward Leonard’s freedom this year. Eric Seitz, the lawyer who argued Leonard’s last appeal has rejoined the defense team and is overseeing medical issues and researching new legal strategies. RIGOBERTA MENCHU TUM During the 50th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the Human Rights Defenders Summit in Paris, France, Rigoberta Menchu Tum proposed to organize a joint fact finding mission of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates to visit Leonard Peltier in Leavenworth Penitentiary, Kansas. Rigoberta Menchu Tum is a Maya K’iche from Guatemala who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 and is the Good Will Ambassador of UNESCO for the International Decade for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Several Nobel Peace Prize Laureates have shown interest in attending. In a May 3, 1999 written statement of support to Leonard Peltier she confirmed her commitment for the delegation to come this year. "Your resistance is an example for all of us and I want you to know that from our Central American region you are always present in our prayers, our thoughts and our hearts." --Rigoberta Menchu Tum DESMOND TU TU Upon receiving news that Desmond Tutu would be speaking at Kansas University here in Lawrence, the LPDC arranged a religious phone call between Leonard Peltier and Tutu. Afterwards, during a press conference at Kansas University on April 18, 1999, Desmond Tu Tu stated the following: First Nations Student: Nelson Mandela
and other political prisoners played an important role in ending
apartheid. What role do you think political prisoners, like
Leonard Peltier, can play in ending racism in the U.S.? Tutu: I have been reading in [Peltier_s]
book and, about an hour ago, I spoke with him. He is a remarkable
person, in his writings, the depth of his spirituality is a
wonderful thing. And part of the awfulness of racism is how it
impoverishes those who exclude others. Because you realize, only
when you give someone the opportunity of speaking about the
ancient wisdom, as he does, of the Native American spirituality,
how it was one which was not seeking to be aggressive. It was one
seeking to accommodate everyone. And I would hope that the
campaign to have him freed will succeed. I certainly support it
very passionately and am willing to do whatever it is that might
be necessary to help. Because it is a blot on the judicial system
of this country that ought to be corrected as quickly as possible. Leonard Peltier’s first book, Prison Writings, My Life is My Sundance, edited by Harvey Arden will be released by St. Martin’s press June 26, 1999. It will be available at the Leonard Peltier Organizing Conference (June 25-27), however the LPDC is taking advance orders. We are selling the hard cover for $25.00 including shipping and handling, a portion of which goes directly to Leonard’s defense if purchased through the LPDC (hint hint). The book is bound to create waves of inspiration and dedication for those who read its humanly honest, emotional, and profound words. For the first time Leonard’s story is being told from the personal perspective that only he can give. If the book is a success it will have an outstanding affect on the movement to free him. Please HELP GET THE WORD OUT! Encourage people to make advance orders of the book and call the LPDC to set up book readings in your areas to help promote it. The rights to the book have been purchased by two major publishers in France and Germany. It will be released in France on February 6, 2000. We are hoping that many other countries will do the same in order to spread the word around the world in many different languages. LEONARD PELTIER ORGANIZING CONFERENCE June 25-27,1999 at Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, Kansas Plan to be in Kansas this summer for the Leonard Peltier Organizing Conference. The purpose of the conference is to build a stronger network to free Peltier and to develop concrete strategies to gain his release. ( See the details and registration form below ) SAMPLE LETTER TO ANNE MCLELLAN - EXTRADITION REVIEW: Dear Honorable Anne McLellan, I am writing you in concern of First Nation Lakota-Anishinabe U.S. federal prisoner, Leonard Peltier. Leonard Peltier was illegally extradited from Canada in 1976 with the use of fabricated affidavits that have been deemed by both the Canadian and the U.S. governments to have been fraudulent. It has been established by government officials that there was no other evidence against Peltier that would have been strong enough to extradite him, deeming his extradition from Canada illegal. This clearly demonstrates at what cost the US was willing to go in order to prosecute and convict Mr. Peltier of a crime which they now admit they do not know who is responsible for. Mr. Peltier has now spent twenty-three years in prison and his health is deteriorating. It is imperative that issues regarding human rights and justice not be restricted by reasoning of national sovereignty. Especially when one nation is deceived into unlawfully supporting the human rights violations of another as Canada has been regarding this case. Many major human rights violations, crimes and atrocities would not have been stopped if it was not for pressure and action taken by the international community; the case of Nelson Mandela being one example which closely mirrors the case of Mr. Peltier’s. Therefore, it is now up to you to help right a wrong that the Canadian government originally fell victim to but today has become part of prolonging. We are asking that you release the findings of Minister Rock’s internal review of Mr. Peltier’s extradition which he had promised to release before leaving office. We ask that you release Warren Allmand’s report on Mr. Peltier’s extradition and we ask that you release all documents pertaining to the review. We cannot fathom any justifiable reason as to why this information should not be released. Under U.S./Canadian Treaty law, deemed to be the "supreme law of the land," the Canadian government is obligated to make a formal request to U.S. Attorney General, Janet Reno and President Clinton insisting that Mr. Peltier be granted a new trial or be granted Executive Clemency. I am urging you to take immediate action by doing exactly this. As Judge Ross, who heard Mr. Peltier’s first appeal stated, "it gives some credence to the claim of the Indian people that the United States is willing to resort to any tactic in order to bring somebody back to the United States from Canada. And if they are willing to do that, they must be willing to fabricate other evidence and it’s no wonder that they are unhappy and disbelieve the things that happened in our courts when things like this happen." Please do not allow this injustice to continue. Thank you for your time. To receive more information and documentation regarding this case, please contact the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee: PO Box 583 Lawrence, KS 66044 (785) 842-5774 fax: (785) 842-5796. Sincerely, CLEMENCY: President Bill Clinton 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington DC 20500 202-456-1111 cc your clemency letters to: US Pardon Attorney Roger C Adams 500 First Street NW Suite 400 Ref: Leonard Peltier #89637-132 Washington DC 20530 202-616-6070 Charles Ruff G1 725 17th St. NW Washington DC 20503 HEALTH Deputy Attorney General Mr. Eric Holder 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington DC 20530 Phone (202) 514-2000 Fax (202) 514-0467 Ms. Kathleen Hawk Director, Bureau of Prisons 320 First St. NW Washington, DC 20534 Fax: (202) 514-6878 Phone: (202)307-3198 Warden Booker Leavenworth Federal Prison Box 1000 Leavenworth, KS 66048 EXTRADITION REVIEW The Honorable Anne Mc Clellan, Member of Parliament Minister of Justice The House of Commons Room 707 Confederation Building Ottawa, Canada K1A 0A6 (613) 992-4524 Fax (613) 996-4516 CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS To reach your Congressperson or Senator by Phone Call 202-224-3121 Write the Congressperson from your district HOUSE WEBPAGE for addresses and contact numbers The Honorable (full name ) United States House of Representatives Washington DC 20515 Write the Senators from your state SENATE WEBPAGE for addresses and contact numbers The Honorable (full name ) United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Write to Leonard Peltier (he can receive US postal money orders, photos-not Polaroid, and paper back books) USPL Leonard Peltier #89637-132 PO Box 1000 Leavenworth, KS 66048 Leonard Peltier Organizing Conference June 25-27,1999 at Haskell Indian Nations University, Lawrence, Kansas June 26th, 1999 will be the twenty-fourth anniversary of the shoot out on the Pine Ridge Reservation which lead up to the illegal incarceration of Leonard Peltier. Leonard Peltier has been in prison now for twenty-three years and as he gets older, prison policies become more and more abusive making the time more difficult for him to do. His health is deteriorating and it is important now more than ever that we pull our forces together in unity and focus all of the support and love that exists for him into a massive collective effort to gain his freedom. The LPDC will be sponsoring the Leonard Peltier Organizing Conference on June 25, 26, and 27 at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas in an effort to make this happen. The goal of the conference is to build a more effective support group network. With all of the people who have agreed to participate in panels, run work shops, and attend the conference putting their heads together to develop concrete strategies to gain freedom for Leonard Peltier, we are bound to develop a strong, successful campaign. The conference will open with traditional Lakota, David Chief and Oglala fire fight survivors, Jean Day, Jean Bordeaux Roach, and Edgar Bear Runner welcoming everyone to the conference. Panel discussion topics will include presentations on the legal status of Peltier’s case, the international campaign to free Peltier, and prison issues in general. Leonard’s lawyers, Eric Seitz, Carl Nadler, Jennifer Harbury, and Ramsey Clark (invited) will be giving the presentation on the legal case which will be followed by a question and answer period. Sylvain Duez-Alesandrini, the European Peltier Support Group coordinator (confirmed), Bobby Castillo, international spokesperson for Peltier, Noal Kleinman of Amnesty International (invited), and Lennox Hinds, human rights activist and lawyer for Nelson Mandela (confirmed) will be giving the presentation on the status of the international campaign to free Peltier and its importance. A panel discussion on prison issues will happen in order to sensitize people to what Leonard and other prisoners are going through on a daily basis to create the sense of urgency needed to free Peltier. Ida Robinson, former political prisoner and advocate for prisoners with children, Helen Felix Baca, former Lakota prisoner and Peltier supporter, and Bobby Castillo, former Marion Control Unit prisoner who met Leonard in prison, will be giving this presentation. Jennifer Harbury, lawyer and renowned Latin American human rights activist, Ernie Stevens,Jr., vice president of the National Congress of American Indians, and Keith Jennings, president of the African American Human Rights Foundation, will be leading a workshop on lobbying for Leonard Peltier. They will speak on how to best lobby elected officials, NGO’s, and tribal councils. There will also be a work shop on grass roots organizing that will be conducted by David Dellinger, co-defendant of the Chicago Eight and life long activist, CT Butler, co-founder of Food Not Bombs, Dr. Michael Yellow Bird, Professor of Social Welfare and First Nations activist, Debra Peebles, radio broadcaster and Native prisoner advocate, Arthur Miller, North West Leonard Peltier regional support group coordinator, and others. Finally, there will be a workshop on strengthening the movement to free all political prisoners which will be lead by Sufiaya Bukari, Jericho spokesperson, Geronimo Ji Jaga, recently released Black Panther political prisoner (confirmed), Pam Africa, Friends and Family of Mumia Abu Jamal and MOVE member, Marcos Vilar, Defense Committee for Puerto Rican The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee is in dire need of funds. Please consider making a donation to help free this innocent man. No amount is too small. Please send checks or money orders to LPDC, PO Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044. Thank you!
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