Leonard Peltier Friends Digest Vol. 3, No. 14

Subject: [Friends of Peltier] Friends Digest Vol. 3, No. 14
From: info@FreePeltierNow.org
Date: Sat, October 31, 2009

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"I first interviewed Leonard Peltier in Marion Penitentiary in
1981, and... I inspected the Jumping Bull Ranch at Oglala where the
shoot-out had taken place. Later, after reading many if not most
of the pertinent documents... I returned to Oglala... Like the FBI,
I would hear all sorts of rumors... without learning [who] had fired
the fatal shots; however there seemed to me no doubt whatever that
Leonard Peltier had been railroaded into prison."--Peter Matthiessen
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* The Tragedy of Leonard Peltier vs. the US by Peter Matthiessen *

On July 27, 2009, I drove west from New York to the old riverside
town of Lewisburg in central Pennsylvania, the site of the federal
penitentiary where early the next morning I would make an appeal
to the parole board on behalf of the American Indian Movement
(AIM) activist Leonard Peltier in his first parole hearing in
fifteen years. On this soft summer evening, a quiet gathering of
Peltier supporters from all over the country [shared] a makeshift
picnic... [and] were optimistic about a favorable outcome. Surely
a new era of justice for minorities and poor people had begun with
the Obama administration, and anyway, wasn't Leonard's freedom all
but assured by the Parole Act of 2005, which mandated release for
inmates who had spent thirty or more years in prison?

Read More: .


* Circle for Clemency *

When: 05 November 2009; 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Where: Washington, DC

Supporters will gather in Lafayette Park on Pennsylvania Avenue
(across from the White House) at 6:00 a.m. From Lafayette Park,
supporters will walk to the Department of the Interior, 1849 C
Street, NW, where tribal leaders will assemble for their meeting
with President Obama. For information contact
clemencynow@gmail.com.

If you haven't already done so, please be sure to sign the online
clemency petition.




* Do You Know... *

... that prosecutorial misconduct is a major cause of wrongful
convictions? More than 25 percent of the first 240 DNA exonerees
in the United States cited prosecutorial misconduct in appeals
or civil lawsuits. In 38 percent of those cases, prosecutors were
alleged to have withheld evidence that could have proven innocence.

Prosecutorial and other official misconduct are key elements of
the Peltier case yet to be addressed by the government. Actively
support an Executive Review of the case by writing to Attorney
General Eric Holder, today:

Attorney General Eric Holder
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

Read more:



* Events *

19 Oct-30 Nov. San Francisco, CA: La Pena Cultural Center and
Polu Manu Productions proudly presents: The artwork of Native
American political prisoner Leonard Peltier. The exhibit can be
viewed either during show times (with admission ticket only) or by
appointment. Call 510-849-2568. Opening Reception Date on Friday,
13 November, 6:30 - 8:00 pm.

01 Nov. Philadelphia, PA: Native American Rights and
Spirituality--And the Case of Leonard Peltier. A Forum by Lenny
Foster, Navaho. 1:00-3:00 p.m., at the Arch Street Meetinghouse,
4th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia.


03 Nov. Washington, DC: National Congress of American Indians
(NCAI) Embassy of Tribal Nations Gala Open House at 2:00-8:00 pm,
1516 P Street, NW. This event is open to the public. Please RSVP
to Tonya Deal at tdeal@ncai.org.

04 Nov. Berkeley, CA: AIM-West will host a benefit in acknowledgement
of the 40th anniversary of the occupation at Alcatraz. Come to
honor and commemorate those warriors who sacrificed and gave of
their time and placed themselves in social turmoil to help re-claim
the destiny for all Indians of the Americas.


07 Nov. Washington, DC: Briefing on Indian Country for the UN Commission on
Human Rights Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Ms. Raquel
Rolnik. 4:00 - 8:00 pm, NCAI Embassy of Tribal Nations, 1516 P
Street, NW. For more information or to RSVP, contact April Hale at
202-454-0496 or ahale@naihc.net. Hosted by the National American
Indian Housing Council.

26 Nov. Coles Hill Plymouth, MA: 40th National Day of Mourning. 12:00
noon. Contact: United American Indians of New England, 284 Amory St.,
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, (617) 522-6626, info@uaine.org.


26 Nov. San Francisco, CA: Indigenous Peoples Annual Thanksgiving Sunrise
Gathering on Alcatraz Island. Fisherman's Wharf, Pier #33.



* New Services *

Facebook Page -- Last week we exceeded the maximum number of friends
(5,000) we could have on our Facebook profile. To accommodate the
demand, we've created a Facebook page. The page isn't a replacement
for the profile. We'll maintain both assets and keep all of our
Facebook family members informed. Enter Friends of Leonard Peltier
in your search text box on Facebook or go to:

.

You also may sign on to one of our other social network resources.



Blog Subscription -- Today, if you want to read/view/watch
syndicated online content, you typically have to go to where
the content is hosted or know how to subscribe to the feed and
consume the content within an aggregator or reader (e.g. MyYahoo!,
FeedDemon, iTunes, etc.) With email subscription capability, you
can now receive postings to our major news blog in your inbox,
similar to an e-newsletter.



Of course, you may continue to view our feed in the reader of
your choice.
See:

.


* Winter Storm *

Another storm hit South Dakota last week. Help provide warmth to
Indigenous families this winter. Donations are desperately needed
to prevent deaths from freezing in the night.


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"Never cease in the fight for peace, justice, and equality for all
people. Be persistent in all that you do and don't allow anyone to
sway you from your conscience."--Leonard Peltier
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Time to set him free... Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.

Friends of Peltier
http://www.FreePeltierNow.org