Mohawks: Revolution begins with awakening
By Brenda Norrell
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
TUCSON, Arizona РMohawk Warriors joined in solidarity with Subcomandante Marcos and the Zapatistas at the Gathering of Indigenous Peoples of Am̩rica. They quickly learned that one factor is the same for Indigenous Peoples all over the world: Corporations intent on seizing the land, minerals and water have no regard for the lives or rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Rarahkwisere, Mohawk Warrior, said the Zapatistas’ encuentro made it clear to him that the same thing is happening to Indigenous Peoples all over Turtle Island. “All of our stories were the same, how we are being mistreated to this day,” said Rarahkwisere, among the Mohawks from the United States and Canada attending the encuentro.
Mohawks and other members of the Iroquois Confederacy (Six Nations) were among the 570 delegates from 67 Indigenous Peoples, coming from 12 american nations at the encuentro hosted by Yaquis in Vicam Pueblo, Sonora, Mexico, Oct. 11 – 14, 2007.
“It is all about the natural resources and the big money people,” he said. In northern Quebec, the invaders go hunting for diamonds and pollute the water. What follows is sickness and displacement, as Indian people have to their homelands and search for places to live.
Remembering the encuentro, he said, “There is a revolution, at least on Turtle Island!” Rarahkwisere said he had no problem crossing the border to attend the encuentro using his Haudenosaunee passport. However, his trip to Mexico revealed the dangers for Indians in the south, including the heavily armed soldiers at military checkpoints. He said it was scary at first, until he realized that many of these young soldiers’ also had Indian ancestry, and supported Indian efforts.
Rarahkwisere said the attacks on Indian people are formulated in the urban minds with corporations. In Mexico, and elsewhere in the south, he realized how often Indian people face death for the risk of speaking out. “You will get killed. The corporations hire paramilitary groups.”
Reflecting on the struggles for Indigenous Peoples, he said, “It is hard being Indian. But we are not going to ever, ever give up. We are just getting started.”
Rarahkwiswere said that Indigenous Peoples in South America face far greater dangers than the people in the north. He said a Colombian attorney told how two groups were called to play football. Instead of a football, the chief’s head was presented. The people were told if they did not play the game, the same thing would happen to them.
Rarahkwiswere, who spoke on the Haudenosaunee, Great Law of Peace and Wampum Belts, said it was good to meet with Subcomandante Marcos and the Zapatistas. “I want to thank them for hooking up with us. We all have to get together to fight colonialism. I hope to meet them again soon.”
The Haudenosaunee, the People of the Longhouse, live by the Great Law which was given to them by the Creator, said a Mohawk Warrior (unnamed here.)
“The Longhouse originally was all of Turtle Island, from where the sun rises to where the sun set. The sky is the roof and Mother Earth is the floor.”
“The Great Law is what the Creator gave us and what the Six Nations live by. The Great Law was made for all the Nations, not just the Iroquois Confederacy.
“When the Creator came to the people, he began with the worst of the worst. The Creator told them about uniting for peace and power and they accepted. This really formed the first union.”
The Creator held an arrow up and showed the people how easy it was to snap. Then, the Creator bound five arrows with deer hide and showed how these could not be broken, like the Five Nations bound together. However, not all of the people have lived by the Great Law.
“If they lived by the Great Law, they would not be polluting or killing each other. If they lived by the Great Law, then they would look for ways to better mankind, rather than destroy it.”
Originally, there were five Nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca. Later, the Tuscaroras asked for protection and became the Sixth Nation. The people had their own Constitution and form of government before the invaders arrived.
“The United States Constitution is derived from the Iroquois Confederacy. The invaders that came had no form of government. Benjamin Franklin studied the Iroquois Confederacy,” he said. However, the Europeans took the foundation of the Iroquois Confederacy out of context, the same way they do with the “black book.” They take it out of context and use it for fanaticism and to make rich a few people, he said.
The Iroquois Confederacy was comprised of 50 chiefs and 50 clan mothers. All decisions were reached through consensus, not through majority vote. “They had to agree because it had to reflect the decisions they made for Seven Generations.” Before making any decision, it was important to consider the impacts for Seven Generations. The United States knew this and began killing the chiefs and clan mothers. But what they did not know was that when this happens, the people have the power.
Wampum Belts held the peoples’ history. “It was our form of writing, our form of keeping records. Everything they did, they made a belt, so they could look back and see what happened.” Individuals were selected to memorize the belt so that they could tell the people what it said. “Those were our stories too.”
The Two Row Wampum Belt was white, with two dark lines running parallel. “That was the first agreement made with the Europeans.” “When the Europeans came here, we had the greatest power, we had a Constitution and this is what the Europeans violated.”
On the Two Row Wampum Belt, one line represents the Native people in their canoes and the other represents the Europeans. The Europeans were to keep whatever they brought with them, including their politics and religion, to themselves.
“The two lines on the Wampum Belt were never to cross, never to intersect.” The Creator said everyone had a choice, everyone had the power to reason right and wrong. Today, people have the ability to reason right from wrong. When Native people become members of the band councils, they step out of their canoes. When the Indian police are trained by the Canadian government, they become agents of the government.
“They became aligned with a foreign government. It is like accepting citizenship. It is impossible for a Native person to accept citizenship, because you have to give up your country to do that. How can a Native person do that?
“In 1924, citizenship was forced on Indian people in the United States and this violated the Constitution, because there was no Native Representation or consultation.”
Natives were forced to from band councils in Canada and elected governments in the United States. “All these are are ‘puppet governments’ for the United States and Canada.” In the same way, the United States is establishing a government in Iraq, one that the U.S. can control.
“They become agents of the government; they are not for the people.” When the Europeans came to Turtle Island, they emptied the prisons and insane asylums in Europe to populate this country. “That is why there are serial killers, it is genetic, hereditary.” “A lot of people from Europe didn’t really want to come here. They needed people, so they got all of this riff-raft and sent them here. They just brought them here and turned them loose. In the west, the women were either domestics or prostitutes.”
They emptied the orphanages and brought one million children to work the farms in this country. “They couldn’t force the Natives to be slaves. A Native had rather die than be a slave to the white man. Native people were not used to being treated like that. Native people would starve themselves to death or run away.” The people of Africa were kidnapped, sold, enslaved and sent to this country. Their own people helped sell them into slavery, he said. One-hundred million Indigenous Peoples were killed by Columbus and the Spaniards in what is now North and South America.
“When the treaties were written, they knew they were not going to honor them. If they are not going to keep the treaties and honor them, then they should get rid of them.” Nowhere has there been more atrocities than in the north and south of Turtle Island, known as the Americas. Still, the truth is not taught in schools.
“If you do not know your history, then you do not have a future,” he said. Europeans came here for exploitation and that is what continues today.
“It is all for exploitation. They even exploit their own people. My dad always said, ‘There’s going to be a worldwide revolution one of these days.’”
“The revolution is coming. It begins with this awakening.”
October 22, 2007
Driving into the San Diego fires
By Brenda Norrell
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
CAMPO, California -- A drive to the border to take photos on Sunday afternoon quickly turned into a near disaster. In early afternoon, there was just a puff of white smoke in the distance at Tecate, on the California/Mexico border. In sight from Campo, it looked more like a cloud than smoke on the border. (see photo)
After turning around at the roadblock on Highway 94, I headed back to San Diego. With hurricane-force winds, from 70 to 90 mph on the canyon mountain tops, motorcyclists were hovering in the rest area off Interstate 8.
A semi-truck was pulled off to the side, with the top of its solid metal trailer cut off as if by a can opener from the wind. The truck's metal roof was flapping like a tarp.
The wind was so strong it was difficult to walk outside the car. Then, it seemed like all of San Diego was suddenly on fire, grass was smoking everywhere, flames and plumes of smoke seemed to be shooting out every mountaintop by dusk. At dusk, I made a run for it. Heading out on Interstate 8, near Viejas, a gust of wind picked up my car on a high bridge over a canyon and tossed it around like a toothpick. I pulled over shaking for a while, like other people were doing, then drove on out of there. Suddenly, there were fires everywhere and very few firetrucks were responding. High profile RVs and semi trucks were being halted because of the winds.
By the time I reached the safety of El Centro, huge homes in southern California were burning to embers on television. Now, with fires all over, from Malibu to the border, and one-quarter of a million people evacuated, everything seems to be burning. The Interstates north of San Diego are clogged with cars according to the radio, but cars can still go east on I-8. However, the winds are hurricane strength and light cars will be knocked around, with mountain-top gusts up to 90 mph. Some people just came in the coffeehouse where I'm writing this, fleeing the fire, searching for open highways for their family members to evacuate. The winds are changing quickly and people are having trouble finding safe routes out. The announcements can not keep up with the changing winds.
The grass and trees are parched from drought in San Diego County and the Santa Ana winds are fueling a disaster. In the middle of all this, came a radio report today that a herd of horses were stranded and people were thinking of riding them out of the city. In another report, horses waiting transportation out of the fires were eating the shrubs in town. The radio reporter joked something like, "Tell them to eat fast, less to burn."
Monday, 5 p.m.
Tuesday night
Early Sunday afternoon, when there were only a few plumes of smoke that could be seen from near the California/Mexico border, it seemed that everyone was moving in slow motion. There were only a handful of fire trucks moving and a couple of ambulances, as sadly one man died in the fire near the border at Potrero.
There was an eerie stillness within the movement of people, even in the pace of emergency vehicles. Everyone that knew fires knew what was about to happen. With those hurricane-force winds and the parched grass and leaves, it was inevitable that all of San Diego County would soon be burning. With those conditions, there was little that could be done. At that time, just driving out through the winds on the canyon bridges, with gusts ranging from 70 to 100 mph, was terrifying.
Now, Tuesday night, nearly one million people have been evacuated and more than 1,000 homes burned.
CNN reported the winds peaked at 101 mph
Google Breaking news on California wildfires:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ncl=1122444127&scoring=n
http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/
CAMPO, California -- A drive to the border to take photos on Sunday afternoon quickly turned into a near disaster. In early afternoon, there was just a puff of white smoke in the distance at Tecate, on the California/Mexico border. In sight from Campo, it looked more like a cloud than smoke on the border. (see photo)
After turning around at the roadblock on Highway 94, I headed back to San Diego. With hurricane-force winds, from 70 to 90 mph on the canyon mountain tops, motorcyclists were hovering in the rest area off Interstate 8.
A semi-truck was pulled off to the side, with the top of its solid metal trailer cut off as if by a can opener from the wind. The truck's metal roof was flapping like a tarp.
The wind was so strong it was difficult to walk outside the car. Then, it seemed like all of San Diego was suddenly on fire, grass was smoking everywhere, flames and plumes of smoke seemed to be shooting out every mountaintop by dusk. At dusk, I made a run for it. Heading out on Interstate 8, near Viejas, a gust of wind picked up my car on a high bridge over a canyon and tossed it around like a toothpick. I pulled over shaking for a while, like other people were doing, then drove on out of there. Suddenly, there were fires everywhere and very few firetrucks were responding. High profile RVs and semi trucks were being halted because of the winds.
By the time I reached the safety of El Centro, huge homes in southern California were burning to embers on television. Now, with fires all over, from Malibu to the border, and one-quarter of a million people evacuated, everything seems to be burning. The Interstates north of San Diego are clogged with cars according to the radio, but cars can still go east on I-8. However, the winds are hurricane strength and light cars will be knocked around, with mountain-top gusts up to 90 mph. Some people just came in the coffeehouse where I'm writing this, fleeing the fire, searching for open highways for their family members to evacuate. The winds are changing quickly and people are having trouble finding safe routes out. The announcements can not keep up with the changing winds.
The grass and trees are parched from drought in San Diego County and the Santa Ana winds are fueling a disaster. In the middle of all this, came a radio report today that a herd of horses were stranded and people were thinking of riding them out of the city. In another report, horses waiting transportation out of the fires were eating the shrubs in town. The radio reporter joked something like, "Tell them to eat fast, less to burn."
Monday, 5 p.m.
Tuesday night
Early Sunday afternoon, when there were only a few plumes of smoke that could be seen from near the California/Mexico border, it seemed that everyone was moving in slow motion. There were only a handful of fire trucks moving and a couple of ambulances, as sadly one man died in the fire near the border at Potrero.
There was an eerie stillness within the movement of people, even in the pace of emergency vehicles. Everyone that knew fires knew what was about to happen. With those hurricane-force winds and the parched grass and leaves, it was inevitable that all of San Diego County would soon be burning. With those conditions, there was little that could be done. At that time, just driving out through the winds on the canyon bridges, with gusts ranging from 70 to 100 mph, was terrifying.
Now, Tuesday night, nearly one million people have been evacuated and more than 1,000 homes burned.
CNN reported the winds peaked at 101 mph
Google Breaking news on California wildfires:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ncl=1122444127&scoring=n
October 21, 2007
38th National Day of Mourning
38th National Day of Mourning
Thursday, November 22, 2007 @ 12 Noon
Cole's Hill
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Join us as we dedicate the 38th National Day of Mourning to our brother, Native prisoner of war Leonard Peltier.
Add your voice to the millions worldwide who demand his freedom. Help us struggle to create a true awareness of Indigenous people and demonstrate unity.
For bus tickets from NYC: 212-633-6646
History of the National Day of Mourning:
In 1970, United American Indians of New England declared US Thanksgiving Day a National Day of Mourning. This came about as a result of the suppression of the truth. Wamsutta, an Aquinnah Wampanoag man, had been asked to speak at a fancy Commonwealth of Massachusetts banquet celebrating the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. He agreed. The organizers of the dinner, using as a pretext the need to prepare a press release, asked for a copy of the speech he planned to deliver. He agreed. Within days Wamsutta was told by a representative of the Department of Commerce and Development that he would not be allowed to give the speech. The reason given was due to the fact that, "… the theme of the anniversary celebration is brotherhood and anything inflammatory would have been out of place." What they were really saying was that in this society, the truth is out of place.What was it about the speech that got those officials so upset? Wamsutta used as a basis for his remarks one of their own history books - a Pilgrim’s account of their first year on Indian land. The book tells of the opening of my ancestor’s graves, taking our wheat and bean supplies, and of the selling of my ancestors as slaves for 220 shillings each. Wamsutta was going to tell the truth, but the truth was out of place.Here is the truth: The reason they talk about the pilgrims and not an earlier English-speaking colony, Jamestown, is that in Jamestown the circumstances were way too ugly to hold up as an effective national myth.For example, the white settlers in Jamestown turned to cannibalism to survive. Not a very nice story to tell the kids in school. The pilgrims did not find an empty land any more than Columbus "discovered" anything. Every inch of this land is Indian land. The pilgrims (who did not even call themselves pilgrims) did not come here seeking religious freedom; they already had that in Holland. They came here as part of a commercial venture.They introduced sexism, racism, anti-lesbian and gay bigotry, jails, and the class system to these shores. One of the very first things they did when they arrived on Cape Cod - before they even made it to Plymouth - was to rob Wampanoag graves at Corn Hill and steal as much of the Indians’ winter provisions as they were able to carry. They were no better than any other group of Europeans when it came to their treatment of the Indigenous peoples here. And no, they did not even land at that sacred shrine down the hill called Plymouth Rock, a monument to racism and oppression which we are proud to say we buried in 1995.The first official "Day of Thanksgiving" was proclaimed in 1637 by Governor Winthrop. He did so to celebrate the safe return of men from Massachusetts who had gone to Mystic, Connecticut to participate in the massacre of over 700 Pequot women, children, and men.About the only true thing in the whole mythology is that these pitiful European strangers would not have survived their first several years in "New England" were it not for the aid of Wampanoag people. What Native people got in return for this help was genocide, theft of our lands, and never-ending repression.But back in 1970, the organizers of the fancy state dinner told Wamsutta he could not speak that truth. They would let him speak only if he agreed to deliver a speech that they would provide. Wamsutta refused to have words put into his mouth. Instead of speaking at the dinner, he and many hundreds of other Native people and our supporters from throughout the Americas gathered in Plymouth and observed the first National Day of Mourning. United American Indians of New England have returned to Plymouth every year since to demonstrate against the Pilgrim mythology.On that first Day of Mourning back in 1970, Plymouth Rock was buried not once, but twice. The Mayflower was boarded and the Union Jack was torn from the mast and replaced with the flag that had flown over liberated Alcatraz Island. The roots of National Day of Mourning have always been firmly embedded in the soil of militant protest.
–Free All Political Prisoners!email: nycjericho@riseup.net www.jerichony.org~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~+=+=+=+[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.]Due to (U.S.) Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email, post, blog or message without warning, warrant, or notice, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
=+=+=+=+=+=LPDC WEBSITE:www.leonardpeltier.net
Thursday, November 22, 2007 @ 12 Noon
Cole's Hill
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Join us as we dedicate the 38th National Day of Mourning to our brother, Native prisoner of war Leonard Peltier.
Add your voice to the millions worldwide who demand his freedom. Help us struggle to create a true awareness of Indigenous people and demonstrate unity.
For bus tickets from NYC: 212-633-6646
History of the National Day of Mourning:
In 1970, United American Indians of New England declared US Thanksgiving Day a National Day of Mourning. This came about as a result of the suppression of the truth. Wamsutta, an Aquinnah Wampanoag man, had been asked to speak at a fancy Commonwealth of Massachusetts banquet celebrating the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. He agreed. The organizers of the dinner, using as a pretext the need to prepare a press release, asked for a copy of the speech he planned to deliver. He agreed. Within days Wamsutta was told by a representative of the Department of Commerce and Development that he would not be allowed to give the speech. The reason given was due to the fact that, "… the theme of the anniversary celebration is brotherhood and anything inflammatory would have been out of place." What they were really saying was that in this society, the truth is out of place.What was it about the speech that got those officials so upset? Wamsutta used as a basis for his remarks one of their own history books - a Pilgrim’s account of their first year on Indian land. The book tells of the opening of my ancestor’s graves, taking our wheat and bean supplies, and of the selling of my ancestors as slaves for 220 shillings each. Wamsutta was going to tell the truth, but the truth was out of place.Here is the truth: The reason they talk about the pilgrims and not an earlier English-speaking colony, Jamestown, is that in Jamestown the circumstances were way too ugly to hold up as an effective national myth.For example, the white settlers in Jamestown turned to cannibalism to survive. Not a very nice story to tell the kids in school. The pilgrims did not find an empty land any more than Columbus "discovered" anything. Every inch of this land is Indian land. The pilgrims (who did not even call themselves pilgrims) did not come here seeking religious freedom; they already had that in Holland. They came here as part of a commercial venture.They introduced sexism, racism, anti-lesbian and gay bigotry, jails, and the class system to these shores. One of the very first things they did when they arrived on Cape Cod - before they even made it to Plymouth - was to rob Wampanoag graves at Corn Hill and steal as much of the Indians’ winter provisions as they were able to carry. They were no better than any other group of Europeans when it came to their treatment of the Indigenous peoples here. And no, they did not even land at that sacred shrine down the hill called Plymouth Rock, a monument to racism and oppression which we are proud to say we buried in 1995.The first official "Day of Thanksgiving" was proclaimed in 1637 by Governor Winthrop. He did so to celebrate the safe return of men from Massachusetts who had gone to Mystic, Connecticut to participate in the massacre of over 700 Pequot women, children, and men.About the only true thing in the whole mythology is that these pitiful European strangers would not have survived their first several years in "New England" were it not for the aid of Wampanoag people. What Native people got in return for this help was genocide, theft of our lands, and never-ending repression.But back in 1970, the organizers of the fancy state dinner told Wamsutta he could not speak that truth. They would let him speak only if he agreed to deliver a speech that they would provide. Wamsutta refused to have words put into his mouth. Instead of speaking at the dinner, he and many hundreds of other Native people and our supporters from throughout the Americas gathered in Plymouth and observed the first National Day of Mourning. United American Indians of New England have returned to Plymouth every year since to demonstrate against the Pilgrim mythology.On that first Day of Mourning back in 1970, Plymouth Rock was buried not once, but twice. The Mayflower was boarded and the Union Jack was torn from the mast and replaced with the flag that had flown over liberated Alcatraz Island. The roots of National Day of Mourning have always been firmly embedded in the soil of militant protest.
–Free All Political Prisoners!email: nycjericho@riseup.net www.jerichony.org~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~+=+=+=+[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.]Due to (U.S.) Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email, post, blog or message without warning, warrant, or notice, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
=+=+=+=+=+=LPDC WEBSITE:www.leonardpeltier.net
Priests protesting US torture in Florence prison
Dear friends,
On Saturday morning, October 20, we visited Steve and Louie. They are well, and send thanks for your prayers and support.
They are being held together at the Central Arizona Detention Center, a privately owned prison in Florence, Arizona. There is no telling if they will be there for a short time before being moved, or for the entire five months. They will remain in federal custody for the duration of their sentence.
Below is a revised message about what people can do to support them. And below that is a statement of the Franciscan Friars, Province of Saint Barbara in support of Louie. We'll also attach a wonderful photo taken by Lee Stanley before Steve and Louie went into court on the morning of October 17.
Peace,
Felice and Jack
(Photo credit: Lee Stanley)
SUPPORT FR. STEVE KELLY AND FR. LOUIE VITALE
On October 17, 2007, the first anniversary of the signing of the Military Commissions Act, Fr. Steve Kelly and Fr. Louie Vitale were sentenced to 5 months in prison for their nonviolent witness against torture at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona in November of 2006. They were taken into custody immediately. (More information at http://tortureontrial.org/)
Please support them -
* Write a note of support to:
Stephen Kelly #00816111
CCA
P. O. Box 6300
Florence, AZ 85232
Louis Vitale #25803048
CCA
P. O. Box 6300
Florence, AZ 85232
They were taken to a privately run detention center in Florence, Arizona the day of their sentencing. It is not known if, when or where they may be transferred. If the priests are moved, your letters addressed to Florence will be returned to you. You may then send letters to them c/o The Nuclear Resister, PO Box 43383, Tucson, AZ 85733 and their mail will be forwarded to them.
If you are mailing something to them at this prison, please know:
- All books and magazines must be sent by the publisher or directly from a book store.
- Non-copyrighted documents in manilla envelopes are fine, but to expedite it, print on the manilla envelope "paperwork enclosed".
* Fr. Kelly and Fr. Vitale ask that every woman and man of conscience do all that they can to protest the injustice of torture and to end U.S. policy that sanctions torture.
- They encourage people to participate in the protests at Ft. Benning, Georgia and Ft. Huachuca, Arizona on November 17 and 18, or consider having a protest in your community. For more information, visit http://www.soaw.org/ (protest at Ft. Benning) and http://southwestwitness.org/ (protest at Ft. Huachuca)
- Visit http://torturelaw.org/ and sign the petition to repeal the Military Commissions Act and use the handy form to customize a letter that will be emailed to your Senators.
* Their commissary needs are taken care of but contributions for prison support expenses are welcome. Checks can be made payable to the Nuclear Resister (please put Torture on Trial on the memo line) and mailed to the Nuclear Resister, PO Box 43383, Tucson, AZ 85733. Donations can also be made securely online at the Torture On Trial website at http://tortureontrial.org/donate.html
* Prison visits are being coordinated by Br. David Buer. Visiting hours at the detention center in Florence are limited, and occur very early in the morning. It is very important to contact David if you are interested in visiting either of the men, so he can make sure that no one travels all that way only to be turned away because there is already a visitor there. You can contact David at
xxxxxxxxxx
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Statement of the Franciscan Friars, Province of Saint Barbara
Regarding the sentencing of Father Louis Vitale, OFMFather Louis Vitale, OFM, is a member of the Province of Saint Barbara (western U.S.) of the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscan Friars).
Striving to be a true follower of Saint Francis of Assisi throughout his 48 years as a Franciscan friar, Father Louie has been dedicated to peace, justice and the well-being of creation. In a world that suffers from violence and war, Father Louie has often engaged in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience to promote these causes.
Father Louie's nonviolent actions are motivated by the deep spiritual conviction that peace, justice and mercy are mandates of Christ, and such actions have a long and respected history in Christianity and many other religious traditions.
On November 19, 2006, Father Louie was among others protesting military "interrogation training" at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. This was in conjunction with a larger protest at Fort Benning, Georgia, calling for the closure of the school there that has supported Latin American military regimes that committed heinous violence against their own citizens.It is our understanding that Father Louie was arrested at Fort Huachuca when he attempted to speak with enlisted personnel and deliver a letter to the commander denouncing the immoral teaching of torture there, and that he has now been sentenced for a total term of five months.Father Louie's religious superior, Father Melvin Jurisich, OFM, Provincial Minister of the Province of Saint Barbara, commented on the sentencing:"Father Louie's Franciscan brothers fully support his actions at Fort Huachuca because we know they are consistent with his life-long dedication to work for good and oppose evil. He does so in the spirit of prayer and nonviolence. He is doing what he believes Saint Francis of Assisi would do if he were at Fort Huachuca. We stand by Father Louie during his time of incarceration, and we know that even in jail he will continue to work and pray for peace."
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