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<font size=4><b>Buffy Sainte Marie: Uranium, an interview and a
photograph <br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>by Brenda Norrell<br>
</font><font size=1>
<a href="http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/11369-buffy-sainte-marie-uranium-an-interview-and-a-photograph-.html" eudora="autourl">
http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/11369-buffy-sainte-marie-uranium-an-interview-and-a-photograph-.html<br>
<br>
</a></font><font size=3>It is amazing what can happen when one finds and
publishes a photograph from years ago. The photograph is of Buffy Sainte
Marie singing at Dine' College. It was taken the day I interviewed Buffy
in 1999. She told me about being censored out of the music business by
Lyndon Johnson because of her song "Universal Soldier" during
the Vietnam War. She spoke of the personal hardship it brought, but also
of what happened to others, including Anna Mae Aquash.<br><br>
Buffy spoke of the occupation of Wounded Knee and the shoot-out with FBI
agents at the Jumping Bull residence at Pine Ridge June 26,
1975.<br><br>
"That is where Leonard Peltier's troubles began," Buffy said.
Buffy said that few people recount the true history of what happened on
that day in history.<br><br>
"Who recalls that on that day one-eighth of the reservation was
transferred in secret -- on that day. It was the part containing uranium.
That is what never seems to be remembered," Buffy said.<br><br>
The interview remained censored for seven years by Indian Country Today,
where I served as a staff reporter for the majority of those years. When
Buffy's interview was finally published by ICT, one portion still
remained censored.<br><br>
It was the portion about Anna Mae Aquash's death in relation to the fact
that Pine Ridge was targeted for uranium mining at that time.<br><br>
Tonight, I received an e-mail message pointing out that on June 26, 1975
Oglala Sioux Chairman and GOON squad leader Dickie Wilson was in
Washington signing away one-eighth of Lakota land for uranium
mining.<br><br>
It was the same day that two young FBI agents were sent into the Jumping
Bull camp. It is the reason that Leonard Peltier has spent his life in
prison. <br><br>
<br>
So, tonight I searched for more about the uranium mining that Pine Ridge
was targeted for. The e-mail came from Jack Cohen-Joppa at Nuclear
Resister. "Thanks for posting your interview with Buffy Sainte
Marie. I was taken by this comment of hers, particularly: 'Who recalls
that on that day one-eighth of the reservation was transferred in secret
-- on that day. It was the part containing uranium. That is what never
seems to be remembered.' It is my recollection of this fact (learned from
reading Akwesasne Notes and Rex Weyler's writing about Peltier, I think)
that led us to include Leonard Peltier on the Nuclear Resister's 'Inside
& Out' list for nearly the entire time we've been publishing (since
issue #3, March 1981.) We wrote '... On that same day, June 26, 1975,
Pine Ridge Tribal Chairman Dickie Wilson was in Washington DC, illegally
signing away one-eighth of the reservation's lands to the Department of
Interior. There is uranium on this land...'"
<a href="http://nuclearresister.org/">http://nuclearresister.org/</a><br>
<br>
On the web, the John Graham website states: " .. the US had an eye
on developing uranium mining on a portion of the sacred Black Hills, an
area known as Sheep Mountain. This area has proven to be one of the
richest in uranium deposits in the US. The FBI implemented their
counterintellegence operation in Pine Ridge, in order to weaken and
destroy the urban Indian movement, and to subjugate the traditional
Lakotas for once and for all."<br><br>
<a href="http://www.grahamdefense.org/200411investigatethefeds.htm">
http://www.grahamdefense.org/200411investigatethefeds.htm</a><br><br>
Posted on Russell Means' Lakotah Republic website: "In 1975, with
his control of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota secured by
force, Tribal President Wilson set about ceding uranium-rich areas of the
sacred Black Hills to the federal government. AIM assisted in protecting
Pine Ridge’s traditional families from the constant onslaught of
violence, which culminated in the AIM occupation and government siege of
Wounded Knee in the Spring of 1973. From 1973 to 1976, the people of Pine
Ridge lived under the 'Reign of Terror'more than 76 Natives, mainly
traditional Lakotah and AIM members, were murdered, primarily by Wilson’s
goons, a term coined by the elderly women who protested against them.
Later, in a perverse play on words, the goons called themselves,
'Guardians of the Oglala Nation' (GOONs)." Then, I remembered being
at Sheep Mountain. We climbed and watched for helicopters in the night,
as Lakotas protected the remains of the Ghost Dancers at the Stronghold
in 2002. In the dark night, the sky filled with lightning and thunder.
All Creation was there at that moment.<br><br>
Buffy's lyrics:<br><br>
<i>"My girlfriend Annie Mae talked about uranium<br><br>
Her head was filled with bullets and her body dumped<br><br>
The FBI cut off her hands and told us she'd died of Exposure…<br><br>
"Bury my heart at Wounded Knee<br><br>
Deep in the Earth<br><br>
Cover me with pretty lies<br><br>
bury my heart at Wounded Knee."<br><br>
<br><br>
</i>Finally, I do not know who killed Anna Mae Aquash. But I do know that
two separate groups of witnesses, all local Lakotas on Pine Ridge, said
they were there when it happened at Oglala. Many never came forward out
of fear. But they do identify the same person as the killer. That person
is not any of the men, including Arlo Looking Cloud now in prison for
this crime, who have been charged. <br><br>
Lakota lands and Indian country are once again targeted for uranium
mining. Buffy has just released a new CD, "Running for the
Drum."<br><br>
<b><i>The uncensored interview with Buffy Sainte Marie:<br><br>
</b><a href="http://bsnorrell.tripod.com/id99.html">
http://bsnorrell.tripod.com/id99.html</a></i> <b>WWII tests exposed
Lakotas in Badlands during genocidal studies using uranium</b> <b><i>In
situ leach uranium mining is the new form of genocide in Indian
country:</i></b>
<a href="http://www.rense.com/general84/occd.htm">
http://www.rense.com/general84/occd.htm</a> <br><br>
**********************************************************<br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4 color="#FF0000"><b><i>
UNCENSORED: The following interview with Buffy Sainte Marie, detailing
how she was censored and put out of business, was censored after it was
written in 1999.<br>
A portion of it was published in 2006, but much of it, including the
references to uranium, have never been published until now.<br>
</i></b></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=1> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4 color="#FF0000"><b><i>
BUFFY SAINTE MARIE: Anna Mae and uranium, Bury my heart at Wounded
Knee<br>
</i></b></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=1> <br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=5><i>Beyond images of
women and Indians: Straight-talk from<br>
a Cree icon<br><br>
</i></font><font face="Times New Roman, Times" size=4>By Brenda Norrell
(1999)<br><br>
TSAILE, Ariz. -- Seated behind the concert stage at<br>
Dine' College, Buffy Sainte-Marie is visionary and<br>
philosopher, folk star and educator, mother and<br>
confidant to truth-seekers. A voice of history and<br>
reason, the Cree poet and songwriter describes life on<br>
the rim, beyond the defined images of women and<br>
Indians.<br><br>
Relaxing after her performance onstage, Buffy says she<br>
always refused to be categorized as an <br>
aerobic-Indian-princess-Pocahontas. The result: She<br>
was blacklisted, and along with her Indian<br>
contemporaries, put out of business.<br><br>
"I found out ten years later, in the 1980s, that<br>
Lyndon Johnson had been writing letters on White House<br>
stationary praising radio stations for suppressing my<br>
music."<br><br>
Buffy, however, is focused on art, not bitterness, and<br>
explains that in Indian communities, there is no name<br>
for artists.<br><br>
"In my own language, there is no word for art."<br><br>
Instead, they say, "It shines through him." That, she<br>
says is the mystery -- the artist is a vehicle for the<br>
Creator. <br><br>
Backstage, Buffy takes chalk in hand, detailing how<br>
the 1960s and 1970s -- the student movement and<br>
American Indian Movement -- were the roots of change.<br><br>
In the 1960s in Minneapolis, "The guys were in the<br>
streets. The guys who would become AIM." In Boston,<br>
and elsewhere in the East there was no awareness of<br>
Indian people.<br><br>
"I grew up in Maine and Massachusetts, and I was told<br>
that I couldn't be Indian because all the Indians were<br>
gone," Buffy said.<br><br>
"So, in other words, the consciousness was Zero." But<br>
there were inklings in the white world, like in the<br>
National Indian Youth Council and the Upward Bound<br>
program recruiting Indian students for college, that<br>
there was a need for change.<br><br>
"In the Indian community, in Saskatchewan where I am<br>
from, the Indian people were real grass-rootsy and<br>
they had no clue of how they were being ripped off. In<br>
the grassroots in general, people were being worked<br>
over by the oil companies."<br><br>
The student movement and coffeehouses of Greenwich<br>
Village became her platform in the 1960s. In the<br>
multi-racial movement, students were talking and<br>
students were listening.<br><br>
"The student movement was extremely important. It's<br>
not happening right now, but it was then and it was a<br>
small window through which people like myself came<br>
into show business."<br><br>
"Coffee was the drug of choice." And the lyrics and<br>
the movement were serious.<br><br>
"It meant that people like myself could get on a bus,<br>
in sneakers and a trench coat with a guitar, and fill<br>
concert halls."<br><br>
In the late 1960s, coffeehouses were suddenly viewed<br>
as moneymakers. "In show business, whatever is making<br>
money is like honey -- and it attracted a lot of bugs<br>
-- a lot of sharks."<br><br>
The lyrics were watered down and coffeehouses that<br>
remained open had liquor licenses.<br><br>
"In the 1970s, not only was the protest movement put<br>
out of business, but the Native American movement was<br>
attacked."<br><br>
Meanwhile, Buffy cut a singular path. "I usually<br>
didn't do what other people did. You didn't find me at<br>
peace marches. I was out in Indian country."<br><br>
Then, came the occupation of Wounded Knee and the<br>
shoot-out with FBI agents at the Jumping Bull<br>
residence at Pine Ridge June 26, 1975. "That is where<br>
Leonard Peltier's troubles began" Buffy says.<br><br>
Buffy says that few people recount the true history of<br>
what happened on that day in history.<br><br>
"Who recalls that on that day one-eighth of the<br>
reservation was transferred in secret -- on that day.<br>
It was the part containing uranium. That is what never<br>
seems to be remembered."<br><br>
At the time, Buffy was selling more records than ever<br>
in Canada and Asia. But, in the United States, her<br>
records were disappearing. Thousands of people at<br>
concerts wanted records. Although the distributor said<br>
the records had been shipped, no one seemed to know<br>
where they were. One thing was for sure, they were not<br>
on record shelves.<br><br>
"I was put out of business in the United States."<br><br>
Later she discovered the censorship and pressure<br>
applied to radio stations by President Lyndon Johnson<br>
during the Vietnam era, particularly toward her<br>
"Universal Soldier" during the anti-war movement.<br><br>
Buffy says Indian people were put out of business, not<br>
just because they were succeeding in Indian country,<br>
but because they were succeeding in the broader<br>
community. She and others were a threat to the<br>
moneymakers of concert halls, uranium and oil.<br><br>
Then, fellow activist and poet John Trudell's wife and<br>
children were burned to death in a house fire shortly<br>
after he burned an American flag in Washington D.C.,<br>
February 11, 1979.<br><br>
"I was just one person put out of business. John<br>
Trudell is just another person whose life was put out<br>
of business. Anna Mae Aquash and Leonard Peltier were<br>
put out of the living business -- we were made<br>
ineffective."<br><br>
But she continued. Moving into electronic music, which<br>
she says Americans didn't want to hear, then into<br>
music scoring. In the 1980s, she began producing<br>
digital art on her Macintosh at home. Those<br>
brightly-colored large-scale paintings are now<br>
featured in museums. <br><br>
"Sixteen million colors are hard to resist," she says<br>
of the computer's palette.<br><br>
In the 1990s, she created the Cradleboard Teaching<br>
Project to link American Indian students with other<br>
students online around the world. Traveling now to<br>
Indian communities and colleges, the project debunks<br>
stereotypes and shares history and culture by way of<br>
CD-ROM.<br><br>
Sharing the concert stage at Dine' College with<br>
Trudell, Buffy says she and Trudell were "just<br>
puppies," during the takeover of Alcatraz in the<br>
1960s. Yet, they kept struggling; kept surviving.<br><br>
"We just kept chugging on. We kept coming to Indian<br>
country. We didn't worry about the fortune and fame<br>
because we went with our sincerity, our hearts, and<br>
with our friends."<br><br>
There was the pain of seeing people hurt, but the<br>
movers of the '60s and '70s survived, developed,<br>
taught, and shared with old friends the joys of<br>
watching children and Indian country grow.<br><br>
"It was hard -- seeing people hurt," she says. And<br>
there was the pain of seeing women and the elderly<br>
treated with lack of respect. But, people began to<br>
sobber up and change. Her "Starwalker" is a tribute.<br><br>
"Starwalker is for all generations past and yet to<br>
come. So many people have seen the reality of that in<br>
their lives," she says, adding that the song is one of<br>
her favorites.<br><br>
"Starwalker he's a friend of mine<br>
You've seen him looking fine he's a<br>
straight talker<br>
he's a Starwalker don't drink no wine<br>
ay way hey o heya<br><br>
Wolf Rider she's a friend of yours<br>
You've seen her opening doors<br>
She's a history turner<br>
she's a sweetgrass burner and a<br>
dog soldier<br>
ay hey way hey way heya"<br><br>
Although Buffy makes her home in Hawaii, much of her<br>
time is spent in Canada and on the road. Fame,<br>
however, has it drawbacks, making it impossible to<br>
simply attend a pow wow. "Sesame Street put an end to<br>
it."<br><br>
Buffy said Native people in Canada are doing well in<br>
all walks of life, the government, television and law.<br>
"It's not like it is in the United States."<br><br>
What has happened in Canada? Canada attracted a<br>
different type of European. "People didn't want to put<br>
up with the U.S. gobbily-greed."<br><br>
Then, she adds, "Native people were hipper. Things are<br>
still very pure, but very strong in Canada."<br><br>
Questioned about the media, Buffy says if you want to<br>
find out the motive behind a newspaper's coverage,<br>
look to see who owns the paper. She was asked by a<br>
Native photographer why only negative articles are<br>
published in a leading Arizona paper.<br><br>
"Find out who owns it," she says, explaining that this<br>
fact will reveal the motive.<br><br>
Then, she adds, "Don't let the bastards get you down."<br>
Buffy was born on the Piapot Cree Reserve in<br>
Saskatchewan in 1941. Later, while evolving as a revolutionary<br>
folk-singer, she received degrees in Oriental<br>
Philosophy and teaching, and a Ph.D. in Fine Art from<br>
the University of Massachusetts.<br><br>
A young Bob Dylan heard her sing in Greenwich Village<br>
and recommended she perform at the Gaslight, another<br>
hangout of the avant-garde. Janis Joplin and Elvis<br>
Presley were among those who recorded her lyrics.<br>
On the road, she traveled the world and received a <br>
medal from Queen Elizabeth II.<br><br>
Shifting gears as a mother, Buffy and her son Dakota<br>
Wolfchild Starblanket became stars of Sesame Street in<br>
1976 and dissolved myths about who Indians are. "Up<br>
Where We Belong," recorded for the film "An Officer<br>
and A Gentleman," won an Academy Award in 1982.<br><br>
After the release of her album "Coincidence and Likely<br>
Stories," in 1993, she helped establish a new Juno<br>
Awards category for Aboriginal Music in Canada. That<br>
same year, France named Buffy "Best International<br>
Artist of 1993."<br><br>
Defying definition, she has also written country<br>
music, including "He's an Indian Cowboy in the Rodeo."<br>
She served as an adjunct professor in Canada and New<br>
York, and as an artist in residence at the Institute<br>
of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.<br><br>
Onstage at the Native American Music Festival at Dine'<br>
College, a benefit concert for the Dine' Council of<br>
Arts and Humanities, Buffy sang selections from her<br>
1996 release, "Up Where We Belong."<br><br>
Festival organizer Ferlin Clark recalled driving Buffy<br>
through Apache country to share her Cradleboard<br>
Teaching Project, then convincing her to drive until<br>
dawn to reach the Navajo's Canyon de Chelly. Once at<br>
Spider Rock, Buffy reached for a pen and paper to<br>
write. Inspired, she knew she would return.<br><br>
In concert, Buffy dedicated "Bury My Heart At Wounded<br>
Knee," to Leonard Peltier.<br><br>
The lyrics tell the story of Native people of the<br>
1880s and later in the 1960s and 1970s, that fell to<br>
the hands of the "robber barons" driven by greed for<br>
oil, gold and precious metals. While manipulating the<br>
media and politicians, they added uranium to their<br>
agenda in the Twentieth Century.<br><br>
In the song, Buffy sings of a senator in Indian<br>
country, a "darling of the energy companies," and<br>
covert spies, liars, federal marshals and FBI.<br><br>
Buffy sings her safety rule: "Don't stand between the<br>
reservation and the corporate bank. They send in<br>
federal tanks…"<br><br>
The song is a also tribute to assassinated activist<br>
Anna Mae Aquash, whose murderers remain at large. The<br>
lyrics describe the act of the FBI in cutting off her<br>
decomposed hands under the guise of identification.<br><br>
"My girlfriend Annie Mae talked about uranium<br>
Her head was filled with bullets and her body dumped<br>
The FBI cut off her hands and told us she'd died of <br>
Exposure…"<br><br>
Bury my heart at Wounded Knee<br>
Deep in the Earth<br>
Cover me with pretty lies<br>
bury my heart at Wounded Knee."<br><br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=1> <br>
<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3 color="#000099">The Power of
Buffy's sound:<br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=1> <br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3 color="#000099">YOU TUBE
video: Buffy Sainte Marie singing "Universal Solider" the song
that resulted in the US censoring her and putting her out of
business</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=1> <br><br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpqfnIyV-yQ">You Tube link to
Buffy video</a></font><font size=3> <br><br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3 color="#FFFFFF">
brendanorrell@gmail.com<br><br>
<br><br>
</font><x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font size=3 color="#FF0000">Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#008000">415 863-9977<br><br>
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