Free Peltier in Paris -- Survival: Kathy Peltier, Jean Roach and Lona Knight

42ÈME JOURNÉE DE SOLIDARITÉ DU CSIA

INTERVENTIONS DE KATHY PELTIER, JEAN ROACH, LONA KNIGHT

Recorded and transcribed by Christine Prat in Paris

Censored News

Oct. 16, 2022

KATHY PELTIER, ABOUT LEONARD PELTIER

“I just introduced myself in my language. My name is Kathy Peltier, I am enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe, I am also Dakota and Anishinaabe. I am the youngest daughter of Leonard Peltier. I was two years old at Fargo, North Dakota, at the trial, when I got to see my dad. I don’t remember any of that but I do know that we have been keeping struggling, as his kids we’ve been struggling all our lives, trying to get a release for our dad. We, our generation, we need to let people know who he is, who is Leonard Peltier. You have to go to https://whoisleonardpeltier.info .

“At the moment, we are doing a Long Walk from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Washington D.C., November 11. It’s a Walk to Justice for Leonard Peltier, or Leonard Peltier Walk to Justice. So, the struggle has been started and we are still trying to meet senators of the US Congress, even trying to meet with President Biden. So, if you can go to our website, you can just follow them, or donate if you could, for the walkers. And I’ll be joining on October 28, in Pittsburg. Thank you.”

JEAN ROACH, LAKOTA MINICONJOU, ABOUT WOUNDED KNEE – 1890 AND 1973 – LEONARD PELTIER, STANDING ROCK

“I am Jean Roach, from the Lakota Miniconjou Tribe, and I came to talk to you about Leonard Peltier. What happens to Leonard Peltier is an example of what has been happening to our Indigenous Nations for generations. It started way back at first contact, when the non-Natives came over and decided to take our lands because we were not Christians.

“One of the things they do use against us is stereotypes. And a long time ago, in the 1800s, they used, not only the Doctrine of Discovery, but the stereotypes. When they massacred our people at Wounded Knee, they presented them in the media as less than human. One of the statements made by the Cavalry was that the reason for killing innocent women and children and elders, and babies – they were asked specifically ‘why did you murder babies or massacred’, and their answer was that ‘nits make lice’. So, they stereotyped us in the media as disposable. Our people were attacked because we were in prayer, and we were praying the Ghost Dance and dancing. Praying for the buffalo and all the good things like before the non-Natives came.

“When the American Indian Movement took over Wounded Knee, they used the same tactics because it was a revival of the genocide against our people where our ceremonies were all banned. Every time we pray, our people are attacked and it’s been shown all the time through the massacres. And it was the same with Wounded Knee, when the AIM was labeled as militant and guerillas, all kinds of names.

“The American government also used a program called COINTELPRO that was used against AIM and which targeted members or disposed of them.

“1975 would be called the reign of terror, on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Anybody that was related or connected to the American Indian Movement were targets of violence. When Peltier was on Oglala, he was asked by the elders and the community to come there for protection. Anybody that prayed in our Lakota way were targets. So, when the FBI came that day, they came in unmarked cars and not wearing uniforms, and we never knew who they were.

“Leonard Peltier’s co-defendants were charged with murder and went to court where they were acquitted on basis of self-defense. The only person who got charges was Leonard, and he was in Canada. United States went up there and broke international law to bring him back to the United States. And it’s part of a bigger plan, that colonization, and genocides on our people. And a lot of it will lead to men going to prison. Or children being taken. And we all know about the catholic church and the many graves that were found in Canada.

“Leonard Peltier had no choice, he was a scapegoat immediately, when the United States government made sure that he went to prison. It didn’t matter what the truth was.

“Indigenous people are being attacked because of our belief systems, which protect our Mother Earth. So, when Standing Rock happened, many people came to help up to North Dakota and they found out what it felt like to be on the front line and being attacked while in prayer.

“The COINTELPRO program exists today and they used it on the Standing Rock water protectors, through the Blackwater security company.

“Leonard Peltier was also a boarding school victim. It’s also part of the way Indigenous families have been attacked, and how we are trying to restore our roles. We feel that the reason the United States government doesn’t want to release Leonard Peltier, after 47 years, is because they don’t want to honor Indigenous people because of our belief system which is opposite to the way they want to rape our Mother Earth.

“Lona here is a survivor of the boarding schools so I’ll let her tell her story.”

LONA KNIGHT, LAKOTA MINICONJOU, ABOUT STANDING ROCK

“I would like to say something about Standing Rock. So many people came, so many nations, to support, and found out how hard it is to be on the frontline and take the punches that the police came to give. Our enemy comes down the same way every time.

"It was Wounded Knee, in 1890, when they took away everyone’s weapon and they took away awls that women use to make their moccasins, they took everything that could be a weapon. And then they brought their machine gun and shot the Lakota people. The militaries that were there, I think there were 8 congressional medals of honor given, at that time. And, there is a project that we want, we want those medals to be rescinded and taken away from those people because it was outright murder.

"At the time, the circle was broken, many of our wisdom keepers with knowledge of ceremony and songs went away, that day. And through the boarding schools and colonization, our people were forbidden to do our ceremonies for hundred years.

“So, through many people’s dreams, our songs come back and ceremonies come back to us.

“I was living in Hawaii, at the time of Standing Rock, and every morning I woke up really early, I got on Facebook and Myron Dewey – ‘Rest in Peace, Brother' – was there with his drones in the camp, and we could see what happened. In the camp, every morning he would do this with prayers and songs. It was very powerful for me to see it in that way and to be connected to it – a lot of my brothers and sisters were there, and I felt so connected to them.

“It really hurt me when I saw the police drag people out of the purification ceremony. I have seen them dragged out. I have seen them in the videos.

“So, I know the movement is strong, and I know it’s carrying on, people are there, there are still frontlines. But a lot of our people are suffering from PTSD.

“Because of time constraints, I am going to pass the mike. Thank you for hearing me, I love you all, stand strong, and I pray that Leonard Peltier will be released soon.”

Article copyright Christine Prat