Leonard Peltier Remembers Bob Robideau

From:    contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info
Sun, February 22, 2009

Greetings my relatives!

It is with a real deep sense of loss that I write this.  The loss of my
brother in the struggle for Indigenous rights who was also my blood cousin
and also a defendant in the Oglala shoot-out trials.  I am speaking of
Robert Robideau, who we called Bob most of the time.  Bob was a tireless
campaigner for my freedom and Indigenous rights all over the world.  I
cant express enough how greatly his leaving this level of existence
will be missed.

Bob and I grew up together.  We were involved in the 70s American
Indian Movement together.  We were shot at together.  We were on the run
together and over the 33 years of my imprisonment, Bob was a person I
could count on for a lot of reasons.  We laughed together, quarreled with
one another, praised one another and had strong disagreements at times.
Bob was the one person I could truly count on to tell me the straight of
it, whether I liked it or not.  I didnt talk to Bob in person that
often, as of late, but just the thought of knowing it will be a while
before I talk with him again, causes a sense of missing him like never
before.  He was sometimes my worst critic and sometimes my best support,
but he was always my brother and I loved him dearly.  I wouldnt doubt
that wherever he is at, hes organizing a support group of some sort.
If I thought there was anything that I
could say that would bring him back to us, this statement would go on for
as long as it took.  However, reality being what it is, I know Bob will
appreciate our concerns for the loved ones he left behind and want us to
go on and do the very best we can to make this a better and more free,
more just world we live in and he would surely remind us that we are the
guardians of the future and the keepers of today.

It is always difficult to address the loss of people you knew and cared
about, but every once in awhile, there is a loss that is deeper than all
the rest.  In this loss, there is often a loss of words.  It is a time
when the shock of the situation is so close that you just dont know
what to say.  One thing I can say for sure is that the loss of Bob
Robideau is a loss to all.  And to Bob, I dont know how long Ill be
here myself, but that doesnt matter.  I look forward to seeing you
again my brother, some other time, some other place.  May the Creator be
with you wherever you are and wherever you go.

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, Bob Robideau, Steve Robideau, Joe Stuntz,
Bobby Garcia, Roque Duenas, Nilak Butler, Anna Mae Aquash, , and all the
others who gave of themselves for our People.

Mitakuye oyasin

Leonard Peltier