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U.S. | RaceLeonard Peltier: The Ongoing War on Native American Religious Practices
Saturday, June 9, 2007 :R eligious freedom is a fundamental right of all, including American Indians, yet the struggle to preserve and protect our religion has always been a difficult one. More so when incarcerated Native Americans are concerned who tend to be given second rate acknowledgement by prison officials and mainstream faiths. In 1984 Robert Wilson, (Standing Deer) Albert Garza and I fasted for 42 days to draw worldwide attention to the deplorable conditions at the USP Marion and to no longer allow the United States to continue denying Native American brothers and sisters the right to practice our religion.
For over 500 years our religion has been trampled on and disrespected by those who invaded our lands, and who have tried to take away our culture, our traditions, our language, our history, and our religion. When we fasted for 42 days we did not fast out of depression or despair, but with a joyful commitment of total love and dedication to our people. We were willing to fast until we were granted our constitutional right to practice our religion or until we returned to our Creator. In retaliation for our 42 day fast we were held in solitary isolation for 15 months with nothing in our "cages" (cell) except for a steel bunk and toilet. The door to the "cage" (cell) was never opened unless we were handcuffed behind our backs, and four guards with clubs were present to supervise our every move. After a year of confinement attorney Margaret Gold filed a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons that secured in having each one of us transferred to a separate maximum security prison where we were allowed to practice our religion. In 1985 I was transferred to USP Leavenworth; Alfred went to USP Lewisburg and Standing Deer to USP Lompoc. Read More
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Comments (Hide Comments)re: Leonard Peltier's "...Ongoing War on...Religious Practices."
Sunday Jun 10th, 2007 9:52 AM
I agree with Mr. Peltier 1000%! I also am angered by his unjust imprisonment. I am angry with AIM.....when Mr. Peltier was made a scapegoat by the WhiteMan's Government, AIM (I feel)adandoned Mr. Peltier! They ran like rabbits! Our many leaders over the centuries such as Crazy Horse and others must have turned (literally) in their eternal resting places when this occurred!
Many injustices face the indigenous peoples of the Americas.....the true Americans. Not only has the invading occupiers hijacked our languages, our customs, our lands and our religions, they also hijacked our identities as Americans! Today, the term "American" is hated the world over. We are the true Americans........as such, allow me to ask you, when have the Iroquois, the Seminole, the Lakotas, the Dineh, the Commanches, etc. ever set foot in Europe or Asia or Africa? When have our ancestors ever sailed across the Great Waters and taken the life of a foreigner? Never! Then why are "America" and "American" hated so much in the world? Why? Well, just thank the greedy WHiteMan! Our American leaders need to grow backbones and stand up for our American rights to our religious American freedoms - even if it means dying for these rights. These rights were given to us by the Great Spirit not by some blond, blue-eyed republican or democrat product-of-foreigners! Til we as a People...true Americans of this great but dying Western Hemisphere (thanks to the abuse by the Invaders)....decide to awaken our warrior spirits and fight, we will be nothing more than a footnote to history in another 500 years! Some people stood up with AIM in Wounded Knee but soon sat down and turned their backs in fear. Mr. Peltier, you are standing still. Fight on! |