Back in 1996 Plazm published an
interview with Leonard Peltier, the imprisoned Native American activist. At that time Peltier had been in prison for twenty-one years. We included a postcard in the magazine so folks could ask then-President Clinton to grant a pardon. Peltier has passed another twelve years in prison since then. Peltier was recently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for a sixth consecutive year, and last fall, President Obama met with Native American leaders and indicated his willingness to consider clemency.
Tomorrow Leonard Crowdog, a spiritual advisor to the American Indian Movement (AIM), and player of a pivotal role at Wounded Knee during its 71-day siege in 1973 will be speaking at the Native American Student and Community Center at Portland State University. David Hill, official spokesperson for the
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, will also speak. Organizers of the teach-in hope to raise awareness as part of a nationwide effort to renew support for Peltier’s release.
Native American Student and Community Center
Portland State University (on the corner of SW Broadway and Jackson Streets)
7 PM
The event is free and open to the public.
From the introduction to the
Plazm interview with Mr. Peltier:
"Having tried the case of one of Leonard Peltier's co-defendants, twice argued Mr. Peltier's appeals from his convictions of the murders of the two FBI agents on Pine Ridge (SD) Indian Reservation, and presently handling his motions for a new trial, I can hardly be ranked as a disinterested witness. Accordingly, I must confess... not only do I BELIEVE he was UNJUSTLY TRIED, CONVICTED and SENTENCED, but that his TRAVAILS were the RESULT of FBI MISCONDUCT of SUCH MAGNITUDE that any FAIR MINDED society would have lost no time in CONDEMNING it OUT OF HAND."
—From Messerschmidt, THE TRIAL OF LEONARD PELTIER, 1983 (Emphasis added)
The film
Incident at Oglala by Michael Apted and the book
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen are both compelling tellings of the Pine Ridge incident.
Labels: action, AIM, American Indian Movement, Leonard Crowdog, Leonard Peltier
