Indigenous US activist Peltier wins rights prize

[cory777]

Source: AFP

MONTEVIDEO — Leonard Peltier, an indigenous rights activist jailed in the United States for decades, has received the first Mario Benedetti Foundation international human rights prize, the group said Monday.

The group called Peltier, a Native American activist convicted in 1977 for the murder of two US FBI agents, the longest serving political prisoner in the Americas. The case stemmed from a shootout at a reservation in the US state of South Dakota.

"Leonard Peltier, who on September 12, 2011 will turn 67, has spent more than half his life in prison. He is a symbol of resistance to repressive state policies by the United States, where there are people in jail for ethnic, racial, ideological and religious reasons," a foundation statement said.

Ricardo Elena, a member of the foundation's honorary board, said Peltier's case "is one that is repeated over and over: violation (of rights); persecution, eviction, invasion and expropriation of the indigenous people from the time it was 'discovered' until now.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5im3x9waaNp--GX8fb7wfLT4iQZcA?docId=CNG.2db02c9cd0555a1b4cc3a76310337a41.12d1

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[Odin2005]

1. K&R

[hlthe2b]

2. k&r....

Peltier's languishing in jail so many years beyond anyone else convicted of a similar crime is political imprisonment--no matter whether or not one believes in his original guilt. That Clinton did not pardon him when he could, continues to anger the hell out of me.

[catchnrelease]

3. I Agree 100%

[Zen Democrat]

20. Yes. I haven't gotten over that either. Clinton blew it badly to leave Peltier behind bars.

[DissedByBush]

4. His plight is known around the world

I first heard about him from a German.

I was embarrassed, not only that it happened, but that I didn't know about it and he did.

[UpInArms]

8. you might also want to know about Anna Mae Aquash

http://legendofpineridge.blogspot.com/2008/07/why-was-anna-mae-aquash-really-murdered.html

[msanthrope]

12. Her blood is on his hands. nt

[EFerrari]

14. You don't now a thing about this case, do you?

[msanthrope]

21. Yes. I do. Which is why I can say that her blood is on his hands, as opposed

to making a statement that he is legally responsible, BRD, for her murder.

He is legally responsible for two other executions. But Anna Mae Aquash's blood will always, always haunt him.

[DissedByBush]

22. That's rumor, never substantiated

The atrocious, illegal behavior of the FBI and prosecutors in railroading Peltier is proven.

[DissedByBush]

18. Not relevant to Peltier being in jail

Some FBI people should be in jail for their railroading of him.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

19. There are progressives and liberals on all sides of this

Most of the anti posts tonight are in the parallel thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1882573&mesg_id=1882573

IME most foreigners have only heard one side.

[Rabblevox]

5. k&r. Here's the Indigo Girls talking about exactly that. "Bury my Heart At Wounded Knee"...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX2BQM0D01M

The song was written by Buffy St. Marie, but it was the Indigo Girls that truly sold it.

And to Mr. Peltier and his allies... Some of us have not forgotten, and will not give up until he is free.

[annm4peace]

6. I hope he receives a pardon from the President now.

so many people have written letters, protested, marched, wrote songs.

We all know he deserves to be free.

[Bigmack]

7. GREAT decision

IF ONLY he could walk free tomorrow. Heaven only knows the gov't of the US has maimed, killed, and detained SO many innocents..... I don't condone ANY killing, but justice is justice, and god only knows he SHOULD BE FREE, LONG SINCE! Ms Bigmack

[ProgressiveProfessor]

9. Similar Thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1882573

[Zorra]

10. President Clinton should have pardoned him.

The Feds wouldn't have been happy about it, but it was, and still would be, the right thing for a Dem Prez to do.

Wouldn't it be awesome if President Obama pardoned him?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

11. As long as it is held that he killed Federal agents, that will never happen

knock some serious holes in that and then *maybe* at best.

The vast majority of pols are lawyers. To free him it would require deciding that many years of legal work including court decisions were all wrong. That is just not in many lawyers, including Obama IMO.

[EFerrari]

13. He's being held as revenge, not because he killed anyone.

And yes, many years of decisions have been wrong. That's all right. They can't take anything else away from him. And the world knows what they did.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. You need to convince the pols

Or he will die in jail

[Utopian Leftist]

17. He's being held as revenge

So true! And the US government even admitted as much. Read Peltier's excellent book, "Prison Writings, My Life is my Sun Dance," with its forward by Ramsey Clark, former Attorney General of the US. They said that "they did not know who committed the murders, but someone had to pay for the crime." So they locked up Peltier. Virtually all of the evidence in the case was fabricated by the FBI. It's a horrific injustice, and the longer we wait to rectify it, the worse the pain grows in all of us.

[mikekohr]

15. Before You Form An Opinion On This Subject, read this work. -regardless of your sympathies-

from the website "International Brotherhood Days"
http://www.brotherhooddays.com/index.html


Reccommended Reading:
http://www.brotherhooddays.com/reading.html
"THE UNQUIET GRAVE, The FBI and the struggle for the Soul of Indian Country By Steve Hendricks www.SteveHendricks.org
The Peter Mathiessen book and the Michael Apted video are the most common initial sources for people that become interested in the "rein of terror" on the Pine Ridge Reservation during the 1970's, which in my view, was book ended between the senseless murders of two innocents, Raymond Yellow Thunder, and Anna Mae Pictou Aquash.
This struggle has been compared to a war, and in war it is said, "Truth is the first casualty." Hendricks navigates this minefield of misinformation, diversion and deceit that cover and conceal the truth. Before you reach final judgment in these matters, read this book.. Neither side in this conflict is entirely pleased with Hendricks' work, which is often a sign that the truth has been reached. Regardless of your bias or sympathy in these matters you will find this work a riveting, albeit unsettling read.
As a Non-Native author, Hendricks surely did not enjoy full access to either side of this story. Yet in my opinion, I believe he has quite probably completed one of the most important works on these subjects. This work, along with the work of Paul DeMain, editor of the "News From Indian Country," an independent, Indian owned, reservation based newspaper. have been instrumental in shining light on a dark moment of American history. Highly recommended!
http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=10&id=29&Itemid=70

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