Indigenous Alliance without Borders Gathering Aug. 29, 2009

ALIANAZA INDIGENA SIN FRONTERAS GATHERING

"REMEMBER! A GATHERING OF RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS"
- SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2009 -
SANTA ROSA LIBRARY - 1075 S. 10TH AVENUE
Tucson, AZ
10AM TO 5PM
Photo: Jose Matus at gathering of Indigenous Alliance without Borders. Photo Brenda Norrell
"May the Grandfather give you the Alianza Indigena's Board of Directors, volunteers, Student Interns, friend and supporters many blessing in this new Fiscal Year July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 as people of conscience. May you continue to be the dreamers of this life, continue to be the persons who imagine new possibilities, who long for what others cannot perceive, and say in your minds" why not!" May the Grandfather defend all of you from ridicule and harsh criticism, from self-doubt and lack of faith in your dreams, and give you a strong spirit to prevent you from giving up and put forth a determined effort to make improvements, and never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the World."
Agenda
1. Introduction & Welcome
Purpose of Gathering: Update members and attendees on Alianza Indigena Activities
Board Organizational Structure and Responsibilities
Don't Respond, Strategize
Goals: The Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras, board of director, relatives, friends and supporters come together in unity to support Indigenous Rights - Rights of mobility and passage to cross U.S./Mexico/Canadian nation state borders. To this end
Alianza Indigena Advocates the following rights of Indigenous Peoples.
"The Alianza Indigena's Position is to promote respect, protection and preservation for all Indigenous People's sovereignty, languages, lands, culture, resources and rights."

To this end the Alianza Indigena advocates the following rights of Indigenous Peoples:
Unimpeded right to cross the borders: For ceremonial and other spiritual practices, with cultural, educational, informational, diplomatic and political exchanges - with bodies of deceased relatives - for gatherings - with sacred items not subject to search and seizure - with arts, crafts and trade goods and lastly to provide assistance to and cooperation with people in need.

Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras opposes the militarization of nation-state borders and especially opposes the occupation of the Indigenous Southern Borderlands and First Nations territories.

2. Alianza Indigena Report
Project Activities
Project Funding Report & Proposals to potential funding sources
Communication Equipment Purchase
Alianza Indigena Brochure
Guadalupe Yaqui Community Group Request to join Alianza Indigena

3. Alianza Indigena Co-sponsor of Yaqui Language Classes at Loreto Matus Cultural Center – with Maria Molina as Instructor

4. Talking Circle - a time and space for sharing collaborative works &
dreaming up new ones.

ALIANZA INDIGENA GATHERING - SATURDAY, August 29, 2009 - TUCSON, AZ
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT - JOSE MATUS -520-979-2125
JOIN US! May Your Faith Move Any Mountains That Stand In Your Way And May Your Heart Be Awake And Open.

Indigenous Uranium Forum, Acoma Pueblo 2009

Anna Rondon, 7th Indigenous Uranium Forum Organizer, 505-726-9392
Nikke Alex, Registrar, 505-879-7461
Jihan Gearon, Indigenous Environmental Network, 218-760-1370
Indigenous Peoples Fight the Latest Uranium Boom in Indian Country
By Indigenous Uranium Forum
Albuquerque, NM – Indigenous Peoples from all over North America will converge at Acoma Pueblo this fall to actualize an inter-tribal campaign to end the latest uranium boom threatening communities throughout Indian Country. The 7th Indigenous Uranium Forum will take place October 22 – 24 2009 in Acoma Pueblo at Sky City Hotel, New Mexico.
The Forum started in 1987 with a series of conferences on the environmental and health impacts of uranium development in the grants mineral belt in New Mexico. Over the past 22 years, the Forum has grown into an important vehicle for strategy development and coordination of communities affected along the entire lifeline of nuclear power – from uranium mining in the grants mineral belt, to nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain.
“For the first time in sixty years, indigenous peoples in North America has the greatest opportunity to stop further uranium/nuclear development and to promote renewable energy”, stated Anna Rondon. The political climate is perfect for us to organize ourselves nationally. “We hope to leave the forum with clear actions as we continue the resistance of corporate/government invasion of nuclear developmental terrorism on our homelands.” The forum is spiritually based and will have private ceremonies.
Due to the United States’ recent energy policies, which emphasize nuclear power as a solution to climate change, uranium mining is going through a boom. Historically the negative health, economic, and social impacts of nuclear power has fallen on the back of Indigenous Peoples.
Although the forum will focus much needed attention on the uranium developments being proposed at Mount Taylor and throughout the grants mineral belt of New Mexico, it will also provide education on a variety of topics, from the health affects of uranium mining, to the implications of U.S. energy policy, to the opportunities provided by the emerging green economy. Most importantly, it will provide an opportunity for communities to network, organize, and strategize.
Find more information about the 7th Indigenous Uranium Forum by visiting the website at http://www.siuf.net/index.html.
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Anna Rondon
P.O. Box 5058
Gallup NM 87305
505-726-9392

Ben Carnes: Next First Step for Peltier

Next First Step. . Message from Ben Carnes LPDOC - Leonard Peltier
By Ben Carnes
LP-DOC Natl. Spokesperson
I wish to offer my personal thanks to everyone for your continuous work and dedication. I was at my computer Friday morning when my google alert brought me the first news of the denial, and then I received an email from Wanbli containing the same news. It was like the dam busted, I received several hundred within the first hour and a half from many of you expressing your sense of outrage at the injustice done to Leonard.
One of my friends wrote something to the effect that a new movement was born today. I really want to see this and so does Leonard, I know we can all agree the White House needs to feel it.
So what is it going to take? It is going to take everything we got - 101%! And trust me - this kind of commitment demands sacrifices and you will be challenged for your stand on this principle. When Leonard was convicted, the late Lew Gurwitz stated, "This is a case that is not going to go away!" Lew lived his words traveling and sleeping in his car to create the awareness of this case. When he passed on, his brother Shep took up the cause. There are many of us who have been here supporting Leonard for years.
Last year, we made a commitment to do what we can to bring Leonard home before his birthday next month. We have less than three weeks to really put our hearts into this, and some of us have personal responsibilities and burdens to overcome and it comes down to making some hard decisions. It isn't going to be easy. So as a National Branch Support Group Coordinator, I want to ask everyone if they would consider again forming a branch support group in your area. We have a lot of organizing and networking to do with the clock ticking.
We have to overcome the media turning a blind eye to Leonard’s plight. They are more than happy to spread detrimental news of his parole, as you have noticed recently. Let’s turn this into something positive for us, each of you can write letters to the editor in your local respective paper. Sit down and write a letter expressing your disgust and outrage.
As most everyone has heard, the White House phone lines were shut down today immediately after the news came out. The fact they shut down the lines is proof of how they were overwhelmed. You know that was brought to the presidents’ attention. I hope he leaned back in his chair and looked out the window of the Oval Office, and really thought that day about Leonard Peltier. And how much he obviously means to the people to shut down his hi-tech phone system.
And relatives, we only flinch! We’ve known the system has not treated Peltier fairly in the 33 years of his imprisonment. Imagined what would happened if we shouted? So yes, we need a revitalized and disciplined movement, not only for Peltier or other native prisoners, but also for all of us.
Once, we were a movement of people who traveled around the country to help put out fires of racism, greed and abuse. We have learned a lot from those days of protesting, civil disobedience or conducting roadblocks and occupations of government offices some valuable lessons. We also know that we are now in the day of hi-tech surveillance capabilities and out of control police powers. We don’t need more people going to jail. The government is doing a good job as it is, so be mindful of what you do and say, but always speak from the heart and act with your conscience. Don’t allow oppression to silence your voice of dissent – not now.
When there is a call to action, we can be more effective in organizing in our own communities, you know what resources are available to you there and it is going to take solidarity actions across this country, including developing media contacts, mainstream/alternative, in your locale. That is a good place to start because we will grow in numbers quickly, whereas, if we attempted to travel across country at great expense, then we may cut our participating numbers down dramatically.
Those of us who have been doing the work had to start alone or we might have had help, but we all started somewhere. We had to, just as we have to keep building this up. So for now, go to http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/ and fill out the application to form a Leonard Peltier Branch Support Group (city or state), and then Monday morning, your first action is to ring the phone off the hooks at the White House, and start recruiting your friends and other organizations to follow this course of action. Do this as often as possible throughout the day, everyday.
We’ve been saying that we wanted to start a prairie fire of outrage to the Oval Office of the White House for Peltier, and now we have cause. Leonard Peltier should not have to spend one more birthday in prison for something the government admits they cannot prove.
Offer your prayers to the Creator to give you guidance, then join this international movement for our brother and lets bring him home.
Email completed application:
bencarnes@eaglecouncil.com & wanbli@gvtc.com.
We've got some work to do now.
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse and Leonard Peltier,Ben Carnes

Amnesty International calls for Peltier's immediate release

www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/usa-denial-parole-leonard-peltier-after-more-32-years-prison-disappointi

USA: Denial of parole to Leonard Peltier after more than 32 years in prison, disappointing
21 August 2009
Amnesty International today regretted the US Parole Commission’s decision not to grant Leonard Peltier parole despite concerns about the fairness of his 1977 conviction for murder. The organization called for the immediate release on parole of the activist, who is serving two consecutive life sentences and has spent more than 32 years in prison.
A prominent member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), Leonard Peltier was convicted of the murders of two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, during a confrontation involving AIM members on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota on 26 June 1975. While Leonard Peltier admits having been present during the incident, he has always denied shooting the agents at point blank range as alleged by the prosecution at his trial.
Amnesty International recognizes the seriousness of the crime for which Leonard Peltier was convicted. However, having studied the case extensively over many years, the organization remains concerned about the fairness of the process leading to his conviction, including questions about evidence linking him to the point-blank shootings and coercion of an alleged eye-witness.
One of Amnesty International’s concerns is that Leonard Peltier’s extradition from Canada in 1976 -- where he had fled following the shootings -- was secured on the basis of the coerced testimony of an alleged eye-witness which the FBI knew to be false.
The witness, Myrtle Poor Bear, later retracted her testimony that she had seen Leonard Peltier shoot the agents but the trial judge did not allow her to be called as a defence witness at his trial.
Other concerns include the withholding by the prosecution of evidence, including potentially key ballistics evidence that might have assisted Leonard Peltier’s defence.
"The interest of justice would be best served by granting Leonard Peltier parole,” said Angela Wright, US Researcher at Amnesty International. “Given the concerns around his conviction, the fact that appeals before the courts have long been exhausted and that he has spent more than 32 years in prison, we urge the Parole Commission to reconsider its decision.”
The parole hearing, which took place over four hours on 28 July, was the first full parole hearing to be held in the case since 1993. In addition to the concerns about the fairness of his conviction, parole was sought by Peltier and his lawyer based on his good conduct record in prison and arrangements made by the Turtle Mountain tribe to receive him into their community on his release. Background InformationLeonard Peltier is an Anishinabe-Lakota Native American who was a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), an activist group involved in promoting the rights of “traditionalist” Indians during a period of intense conflict in the 1970s.
In the two years prior to the confrontation in which the agents were killed, more than 60 Indians on the Pine Ridge reservation had been killed, allegedly by paramilitary squads connected to the tribal government, without anyone being brought to justice for the crimes.
AIM members who had come to the reservation to assist “traditionalists” opposing the tribal government were also allegedly threatened. Relations between AIM and the FBI were also tense, with accusations that the authorities had not done enough to protect those at risk on the reservation.
The confrontation in which the two FBI agents were killed took place after the agents entered the reservation with an arrest warrant for four people and started following a van. A fire-fight ensued. Evidence was presented at trial to show that the agents received multiple shots and were quickly disabled before being shot dead at point-blank range.
Two other AIM leaders, Darelle Butler and Robert Robideau, were initially charged with the agents’ murders and were tried separately: no evidence was presented to link them to the point-blank shootings.
The jury acquitted them after hearing evidence about the atmosphere of violence and intimidation on the reservation and concluded that, arguably, they might have been acting in self-defense when they were involved in the exchange of gunfire. Following their acquittal, the FBI renewed its efforts to pursue Leonard Peltier, who had fled to Canada.
At his trial, the prosecution alleged that the rifle which killed the agents belonged to Peltier. During post-trial investigations, the defence team discovered a teletex message suggesting that the rifle in question contained a different firing pin from the one used to kill the agents; this was raised on appeal and an evidentiary hearing held at which the significance of the teletex was contested by the government.
On appeal, the government also argued that sufficient evidence had been presented to the jury at trial to show that Leonard Peltier had “aided and abetted” the killings even if he had not been the actual killer.
However, Amnesty International believes that the outcome may well have been different had Peltier been able to challenge the ballistics evidence linking him to the fatal shots more effectively.
____Amnesty International, International Secretariat
1 Easton Street
London WC1X 0DWU.K.