In Memory of Bob Robideau

In Memory of Bob Robideau

International Peltier Forum: "We were just notified that Robert Robideau passed away at his home in Barcelona, Spain on Tuesday, February 17th, 2009."

Remembering a warrior and brother at Big Mountain 

A tribute to Bob Robideau

This is one great brother to always remember. I am so privileged that I got to see Bob at Pueblo, Colorado, during the Longest Walk II --almost a year ago.

Brother, I will think of you as I stand my ground along with my elders at Big Mountain and knowing that you were a brave warrior when AIM was alive and strong! Spirit Brother, I will remember you when I look up to the Tree of Life, the Sun Dance Center Pole in that Sacred Hoop of our peoples, and knowing that you are now with our ancestors.

Aho. To All My Relations. Kat, Dineh of Big Mountain

Listen to Bob's final interview on justice for Leonard Peltier

Red Town Blog Talk Radio

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/RedTownRadio Robert Robideau 

Jan. 31, 2009

Robert Robideau: a member of the Turtle Mountain and White Earth Ojibwa tribes. He has been an active member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) since 1973. Robert Robideau will be talking about the Leonard Peltier and the Anna Mae case. He will be talking about how it can affect the freedom of Leonard Peltier. We will be taking questions relating to these cases.

Bio Robert Robideau, in his own words

I am a member of the Turtle Mountain and White Earth Ojibwa tribes. I have been an active member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) since 1973. A member of Northwest AIM, Dakota AIM in the 1970s, today I am a member of Autonomous AIM. I served as AIM spokesman for New Mexico from 1993-94. Darrell (Dino) Butler, and I were acquitted in the deaths of two FBI agents in 1976 on grounds of self-defense.

The charges arose after a shootout with the FBI on Pine Ridge reservation in June of 1975 that left two FBI agents and an Indian man dead. This period known as the reign of terror, in which 60 AIM members were killed and hundreds more assaulted in a government-sponsored action to destroy AIM. These killings and assaults came in the aftermath of the Wounded Knee takeover by AIM in 1973. I have served twice as National-International Director for the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (LPDC).

Leonard Peltier, is an internationally known political prisoner who has served more then 32 years in prison for the same alleged offense as I was charged and acquitted. I have appeared on 60 Minutes, West 57th Street, EDJ and in other major television documentary programs. I have also appeared in the documentary film, Incident at Oglala and other major documentaries relating to AIM, Anna Mae Aquash and Peltier. 

I have spoken extensively on AIM, Leonard Peltier and the Anna Mae Aquash cases both in the States and Europe. I have written extensively on the Peltier case and on Native American Indian issues. I am the founder and director of the American Indian Movement Museum in Barcelona, Spain, where much of the history of AIM and my art work remains on display. 

An Inventory of work with the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee and the American Indian Movement, from 1973-1994 is located at the University of New Mexico, Center for Southwest Research.My art can be found at the Bonnie Kahn Gallery.

In a recent e-mail, Bob said he planned to return to the states in March and make his home here, possibly in Santa Fe. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Slingshot Hip Hop Berkeley

Host: SNAG Magazine/PEP
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Pueblo Nuevo Galley
Street: 1828 San Pablo Ave. #1
City/Town: Berkeley, CA

Slingshot Hip Hop braids together the stories of young Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop and employ it as a tool to surmount divisions imposed by occupation and poverty. From internal checkpoints and Separation Walls to gender norms and generational differences, this is the story of young people crossing the borders that separate them.Come to the screening especially if you're interested in meeting and helping members of the Native delegation that will be going to Palestine in August!

TBS program mocks sacred pipe and culture

By Tamra Brennan

I was channel surfing this evening and came across this Program "10 items or less" on TBS, the episode was called, "Dances with Groceries."
They mocked Native heritage throughout this entire program, including disrespecting the sacred pipe.
In the program aired on Tuesday night 2/17/09 9:00 pm (mtn time) Character Leslie Pool, played by John Lehr discovers that he has "Shawnee" heritage. He then decides to start running his grocery store in the "Indian way" makes everything organic, puts up dream catchers, states he even has a birthmark on his butt in the shape of a tomahawk. Character, Mercy P. Jones, played by Kim Coles tells Pool to stop with the "Indian Heritage nonsense."
In a scene in Pool's office, he brings out a "peace pipe" and wants to smoke it with Mercy Jones. She grabs the pipe away from him and slams it down on the desk.
Pool, with his new found "heritage", goes to the Shawnee Tribal Council to complain about the local city gov't attempting to take his store under eminent domain. He brings Yolanda, played by Roberta Valderrama to this meeting as his "war council." He mentions a quote from Tecumseh, the council then beats him with clubs. Later in the program, this is described as their way to initiate him into the Tribe. He is then made a full fledged Tribal Member, talks about becoming a council member.
I would suspect the Shawnee Tribal Council wouldn't be to thrilled, or take this program lightly either.
At the end, Pool brings out the "peace pipe" again, this time he is in a steam room with several other men, he proceeds to start smoking it, talking about the ancient ritual. One of the men asks Pool what's in that pipe anyway, Pool responds, he was given some tobacco and other stuff, by one of the other characters (either Todd or Carl, didn't catch the name for sure). The man said, oh you should have known better than to accept anything from him. Then Pool begins to "hallucinate" after smoking this "peace pipe."
This mockery and disrespect needs to be brought to the attention of the producers of TBS. They need to be educated that this spoof mockery of our culture is not acceptable. They have disrespected the sacred pipe and our spiritual beliefs and ways, a immediate public apology is in order on their program and website http://www.tbs.com/shows/10itemsorless/.
These TV and radio programs, need to be held accountable for their disgraceful and disrespectful actions, on these programs. This is happening far to frequently.
You can file a complaint with TBS at:
TBS
Re: 10 Items or Less Program
404-885-0758
their online email form is located at:
http://support.tbs.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5475
Thank you for taking the time to make your voice be heard, regarding this issue!
In peace & solidarity,
Tamra Brennan
http://www.ndnnews.com/
http://www.protectsacredsites.org/
http://www.protectbearbutte.com/
PROTECT BEAR BUTTE!
"Providing news and information about Native American Issues & Causes"
"Helping to make a difference for our people in Indian Country, one day at a time. What will you do today to help make a difference?"

"Our sacred lands are all that remain keeping us connected to our place on Mother Earth, to our spirituality, our heritage and our lands; what’s left of them. If they take it all away, what will remain except a vague memory of a past so forgotten?" ......excerpt from One Nation, One Land, One People by Tamra Brennan, 2006

UN Action: Indigenous Peoples and Children in Prison

Greetings My Relations,

My name is Tony Gonzales, Director for AIM-WEST based in San Francisco, an affiliate of the American Indian Movement, North America. I am pleased to know the community of Berkeley voted recently to condemn Efren Paredes Jr.'s sentence as a human rights violation. This is a major development in the campaign to abolish juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences in the USA.

I am currently planning a round table discussion at the United Nations in NYC during the 8th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII-8), May 18-29, 2009 regarding Indigenous Peoples held in prisons throughout the world in an effort to bring these injustices before the appropriate bodies of the United Nations. I will cite certain cases such as Leonard Peltier, in prison for over 33 years, and other forms of injustices such as severe sentencing of minors in the USA, and of their failure to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

I would like to communicate with you and your family about how the American Indian community can also support Efren's release after twenty years of incarceration, and restore justice and hope to America. The passage of the Berkeley resolution will serve as a model to further coordinate with other municipalities across the nation and inspire them to choose promoting human rights over discarding the lives of children. Change is urgent, sign us up now!

Accordingly, I will impress upon our membership to learn more about the situation of Efren Paredes, international standards related to children's rights, and to consider developing local strategies to bring similar resolutions to the attention of elected officials in their districts, on Efren's behalf. Perhaps with the optimism of the Obama Administration, change is possible. There are many international laws and standards the USA have yet to sign. Together we can help take this to the table.

Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.

Tony Gonzales
AIM-WEST
eltonyg@earthlink.net
415-577-1492
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From Efren Paredes, Jr.

Dear Friends,

Yesterday, Tuesday, February 10, 2009, the Berkeley City Council in California voted to condemn my sentence as a human rights violation. This is a major development in the campaign to abolish juvenile life without parole (JLWOP) sentences in the USA.
In a letter that will be mailed to the Governor of the State of Michigan the Berkeley City Council states:
"The United States should be at the forefront of promotion and protection of human rights. For this country to be the lone holdout on the issue of JLWOP weakens our moral and legal standing in the international community. The Berkeley City Council supports the call for the United States to align itself with international law by ratifying banning JLWOP.
Given Paredes' history as an honor student with no prior criminal record, the questionable circumstances that led to his conviction, and his inspirational leadership as a positive, productive member of society despite his location, his release after 20 years of incarceration would demonstrate to U.S. citizens that the State of Michigan courageously took appropriate action to restore justice and hope to America.
Mr. Paredes' release should be a pivotal step toward ending JLWOP sentences in the United States."
The decision underscores the need to respect the inherent dignity in children and our commitment to the protection of children's rights. The resolution will serve as a model to other municipalities across the nation and inspire them to choose promoting human rights over discarding the lives of children.
Although children should be held accountable for their actions — including crimes they commit — the U.S. criminal justice system should never make them disposable. It is my hope that the decision of the Berkeley City Council will be a catalyst for change with regard to the treatment of its children in the current legal landscape.
The resolution is an acknowledgment that:
"[T]he treatment of juveniles in the criminal justice system is, at best, a noble failure and at worst, a great catastrophe. It is obvious that a change is urgent. Now is the time for the United States to leave the lonely island of juvenile injustice amidst a vast ocean of global concurrence. This shameful sentencing practice diminishes us as a society and it, not the children, must be sentenced to death." (Adepoju, Akin, Juvenile Death Sentence Lives On ... Even After Roper v. Simmons, 2 Trends and Issues in Constitutional Law 259 (2007))
I would like to extend a special thanks to Wendy Kenin, Commissioner, Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission, for spearheading this effort, and to the other members of the public who attended and/or spoke at the meeting in support of the resolution. Wendy worked closely with us to help advance this issue and devoted considerable time and energy to helping compose the language in the resolution.
I would like to also thank Jesse Arreguín, Council member, Berkeley City Council, for introducing the resolution. Jesse is the first Latino Berkeley City Council member and I am proud to have his support. I commend him for having the courage and vision to propose this resolution and garner support for it.
Wendy and Jesse made history with this resolution and their actions will be forever remembered for being leaders in the struggle for human rights and equality, and for helping end the deplorable sentencing of children to LWOP.
Thanks to everyone for your continued support. I look forward to working with you to help introduce similar resolutions in your respective cities as well. I am optimistic we can produce similar results across the nation as we collectively work to abolish JLWOP sentences in the USA. Please circulate the attached press release to any members of the press you know and ask others to do the same.
In Solidarity,
Efrén Paredes, Jr.

Arizona jury finds vigilante rancher liable for immigrant attack

ARIZONA JURY FINDS VIGILANTE RANCHER LIABLE FOR ATTACK ON IMMIGRANTS

MALDEF hails verdict as fair outcome for immigrant plaintiffs
By Derechos Humanos

TUCSON, AZ - A civil jury held today that a vigilante rancher operating along the Arizona-Mexico border is liable for assaulting and intentionally inflicting emotional distress on a group of immigrants he found on public land.

The plaintiffs were resting in a wash in Douglas, Arizona when they were accosted by defendant Roger Barnett who was armed with a gun and accompanied by a large dog. Roger Barnett held the group captive at gunpoint, threatening that his dog would attack and that he would shoot anyone who tried to leave. During the encounter, Barnett kicked a plaintiff as she was lying, unarmed, on the ground.

The jury found in favor of the women plaintiffs and awarded damages on their claims of assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Barnett must now pay $73,352 in damages to the victims.

This is not the first racial assault case filed against the Barnett family. The Morales family and Emma English, a family friend, are U.S. citizens who filed suit after Barnett confronted them on state land in November 2004, while they were on a family hunting trip. Armed with a semi-automatic military-style assault rifle, Barnett held the family at gunpoint, cursed and screamed racial slurs at them and threatened to kill them all. In September 2008, the Arizona Supreme Court rejected Barnett's appeal and allowed to stand a jury award to the family of close to $100,000 in damages.

"A jury of ordinary people found that Roger Barnett's conduct was extreme and outrageous and will not be tolerated," stated David H. Urias, counsel for the plaintiffs and an associate with the law firm of Freedman Boyd Hollander Goldberg & Ives P.A.

"We are very pleased with the jury's verdict. The plaintiffs in this case had the unique opportunity to testify about the horrifying actions of defendant Roger Barnett. This verdict in favor of the plaintiffs sends a strong message condemning vigilante violence against immigrants," stated MALDEF staff attorney Marisol Perez.

The law firms of Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP and Haralson, Miller, Pitt, Feldman & McAnally, P.L.C., participated as pro bono counsel on behalf of the plaintiffs.

Founded in 1968, MALDEF, the nation's leading Latino legal civil rights organization, promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through litigation, advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, and higher education scholarships. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: http://www.maldef.org/.