Leonard Peltier Feb 6, 2009 Statement

From:    contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info
Date:    Thu, February 12, 2009

02/06/09
Greetings my relatives,
First of all, before anything else I want to thank all for the work that
youve been doing  because what you do for me, you do it for my people
and all those that come after us.
The enemy that we face has many faces; the FBI is only one of them.  The
greatest enemy that we face is the lack of knowledge that people have
about us as Indian people and themselves and the true history of this
nation.  Some people say we have too many rights, but they dont
understand the difference between obtained and retained rights.  In
educating our opposition we must also educate ourselves as to the laws and
policies that are considered to be the laws of the land at this time.  We
must be able to remind them of the law or policies that they themselves
have been guilty of violating and if need be we need to challenge the
validity of those laws and policies where they are detrimental to the
natural environment and overall well being of the people.
 We have the right to defend ourselves, defend our people and defend our
nation, our way of life and the way we worship.  These are not rights
that were given to us by anyone other than the creator himself.
 We will not give those rights up by anyone  We retain those rights
from the beginning of time and we will cherish and protect them until the
end of time.  We are a fair, loving, kind and respectful people.  We have
a right to be on this portion of mother earth.  We were told by our
elders that it is our duty to defend ourselves, our families from wild
beasts, by whatever measures necessary, even if that wild beast be in the
form of a man or men.  We have done this in the past and it is our
responsibility to do it in the future.  Sometimes the tools of defense
are harsh and sometimes it is merely the educating of an enemy.
 In the circles of spirituality being a warrior means defending things
that are right, by taking a proactive approach to opposition.
 As I have said sometimes in the past, we arent bothered very often
when we do everything that is right, but when we start righting what is
wrong, and then we become targets of those who would wrong others.
 Chief Leonard Crow Dog, who has served as a spiritual advisor for the
American Indian Movement and myself, has consented to serve as spiritual
advisor for this effort to bring about my freedom.
 The FBI has recently put out another letter trying to stop your efforts
and undermine the accomplishments that have taken place in the last few
months. We must be ever vigilant and responsive, to whatever action they
take. And we must never forget that what we do is not for ourselves but
for our people and those that come after us.
 Again, I want to thank you from the very bottom of my heart for
remembering me in your prayers and on this observance of my thirty-third
year of imprisonment.

Doksha,
In the spirit of Crazy Horse and all those who gave their lives trying to
right what was wrong.

Leonard Peltier