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From: <info@leonardpeltier.net><br>
Subject: 2006 Oglala Commemoration Statement from Leonard Peltier<br>
Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2006 17:25:40 -0500<br><br>
<br>
Greeting my relatives,<br><br>
And again I must say "my relatives" because we are all related
in one way or<br>
another by natural design of the Creator or our common concerns for
the<br>
Earth and freedom. I want to acknowledge another year gone by since my
last<br>
statement was read to you and I want to again thank all of you
supporters<br>
for your continued efforts to right the wrongs that have befallen both
my<br>
people and me.<br><br>
Being here in prison on its very best day is not good. The reason I say
this<br>
is, because I want to acknowledge that there is always someone in a
more<br>
difficult situation than your own. An example which I will share is one
day<br>
on entering the visiting room here, I saw a paraplegic in a wheelchair
who<br>
had dropped the wand type instrument that he holds in his mouth and uses
to<br>
maneuver the controls on his electric wheelchair. He asked me to pick it
up<br>
for him, which I did. It also happened to be a day when I was feeling
kind<br>
of down myself. After seeing this man, I felt somewhat ashamed and
counted<br>
my blessings. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you are free and
can<br>
chose your destination from one place to another, whether it be
physical,<br>
mental, spiritual or emotional, count your blessings. <br><br>
I was looking through some of my stuff the other day and I came across
a<br>
card that I had not finished writing in and had misplaced. It was a card
to<br>
a friend in which I had written "always remember the Creator is with
you<br>
even though you may not have noticed." And I would like to impart
that to<br>
you, my relatives. I truly believe the Creator loves us and continues
to<br>
provide for us but, we must also take responsibility upon ourselves to
be<br>
part of that providing for ourselves, our children, our children's
children,<br>
and all future generations.<br><br>
Thirty one years ago, the Lakota elders asked for help and protection
from<br>
the goon squad that was terrorizing the Lakota Nation. I along with
many<br>
others responded to that call. Every year since June 26, 1975 people
gather<br>
at Pine Ridge and various parts of the world to pay their respects for
the<br>
people who died during the Reign of Terror. I want to convey this message
to<br>
you my relatives; June 26, 1975 is not about me, Leonard Peltier. I
simply<br>
responded to a call to help others protect our lands, culture and<br>
traditions. Yes, I will admit that it makes me feel honored that people
do<br>
meet on June 26, and other days and remember me however I ask that you
never<br>
forget those that also helped and those that died during the Reign
of<br>
Terror. I ask that you not loose focus on the real issue that of
people<br>
suffering and experiencing hardships that need not be. Even today we
see<br>
children, women and elders being murdered all in the name of justice. We
see<br>
lands being taken, and cultures being robbed of their languages,
their<br>
tradition and their right to freedom of religion. I must share with you
that<br>
as the years have passed, and every day the cell door opening in the
morning<br>
and the cell door closing at night is one of the sounds that I hear<br>
routinely every day, I have not forgotton what I was asked to do and
that<br>
was to respond to the call that our Elders sent - A cry for help. I now
ask<br>
you, what are you doing to respond to the call by others who need help?
I<br>
leave you with this message, June 26, is not about me, Leonard Peltier
but<br>
about what are you going to do to protect our Mother Earth and to
help<br>
others.<br><br>
"Remember, our work will be unfinished until not one human being is
hungry,<br>
or battered, not one single person is forced to die in war, not one
innocent<br>
languishes imprisoned and no one is persecuted for his or her
beliefs."<br><br>
I look forward to hearing from you as to what you will be doing to
protect<br>
our Mother Earth. What are you going to do to help our brothers and
sisters?<br>
Will you respond to the call to help, or will you sit comfortably in
your<br>
homes, enjoying the news and feeling sad about events and hardships that
are<br>
occurring to our Mother Earth and our brothers and sisters. How are
you<br>
going to respond to the call of help from your brothers and sisters,
and<br>
from our Mother Earth? For those of you who are free remember you can
choose<br>
your destination, it is up to you the path you choose to take.<br><br>
We are all related,<br><br>
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse<br><br>
Leonard Peltier <br>
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