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National Day of Mourning Statement, by Leonard Peltier November 22,
2007<br><br>
<br>
The Leonard Peltier Defense kindly requests that you please forward
this<br>
announcement in its entirety, please do not modify, edit, remove or add
to<br>
this announcement.<br>
Respectfully,<br>
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee<br><br>
Thank You United American Indians of New England ( LPSG )<br><br>
On behalf of Leonard Peltier and the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee,
we<br>
would like to thank the United American Indians of New England, LPSG
for<br>
their continued support and solidarity. This year's National Day of<br>
Mourning is dedicated to Leonard Peltier. Since 1970, hundreds of
other<br>
Native Americans from across the country and their non-Native allies
have<br>
been converging on Plymouth Harbor to let people know that Thanksgiving
is<br>
a "Day of Mourning" that marks the genocide of thousands of
Native<br>
Americans, the theft of Native Lands and the assault on Native
Cultures.<br><br>
Today, Thursday, November 22, 2007 hundreds of people will gather
and<br>
march on Plymouth Harbor and join in solidarity as various tribal
elders<br>
and members speak of the importance of Unity among all Indigenous
Peoples.<br>
Elder Bert Waters will read the following statement from Leonard
Peltier:<br><br>
</font><font size=4><b>National Day of Mourning Statement from Leonard
Peltier:<br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>November 22, 2007<br>
Greetings my Relations,<br><br>
As I sit here in my cell, thinking about you, and gathering my thoughts,
I<br>
can't help but appreciate you remembering me.<br><br>
I was told just the other day that people in Oklahoma protested
Oklahoma's<br>
100 year celebration of its statehood. They protested or demonstrated
and<br>
also celebrated their 100 years of survival of an adverse government
that<br>
has violated all treaties and has gained control of most of their land.
I<br>
support those Indian people. It also brings to mind those who-like
Columbus<br>
came and did the same, take our lands, and also what has happened to
all<br>
people all over the world-the Jews, the Palestians, as well as other<br>
indigenous countries and peoples. Yet I have to say that America
shares<br>
most of the responsibility to do the right thing.<br><br>
What happened to the teachings or commandments of:<br>
Thou shall not lie<br>
Thou shall not kill<br>
Thou shall not steal<br><br>
I can't remember all the commandments but what I do know is<br><br>
They have lied<br>
They have killed<br>
They have stolen<br>
They have mistreated our Mother-our Mother Earth, our rivers, our land,
the<br>
air we breathe and the water we drink.<br><br>
I consider global warming the wrong that has been done to our people.
Even<br>
the Mexican people state in their own way, "We did not cross the
border,<br>
the border crossed us". The Mexican people are Indian people. I have
no<br>
doubt the Indian people of South America, North America, Central
American<br>
will join in unison to make all the America's better.<br><br>
A circle of Life is what dictates that the earth shall renew itself
every<br>
spring. We have said this for generations. Go back and read our
Elders<br>
sayings as we have been trying to tell Europeans that came here-to
honor<br>
our traditional ways and to honor our Mother Earth and keep the Circle
of<br>
Life.<br><br>
Chief Seattle said:<br>
"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread
within it.<br>
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound<br>
together. All things connect."<br>
Chief Seattle, 1855<br><br>
This is just one of the many quotations from our ancestors.<br>
Now today we have global warming. We take no pride or solace in saying
"We<br>
told you so." But we do hope that the people of Europe and all
around the<br>
world will start looking at the Native way of life. Our Elders teach
us<br>
that when we take from this earth, we must give back.<br><br>
There is no greater resource on the face of this earth than our
children.<br>
America is leading in the wrongful influence of our youth. Wrong
medicine<br>
is being offered to our youth, commonly called alcohol and drugs. It is
up<br>
to each one of us, to get involved and make a difference in a
positive<br>
way. It is time to give back to our children. I encourage each of you
to<br>
take it upon yourself to stand up and find someway to help our youth.
The<br>
youth of the world are in jeopardy; let us not rob future generations
of<br>
their future.<br><br>
The greatest symbol of the Creator is the circle. I encourage each of
you<br>
to make the circle complete-the sacred cycle of the family, the cycle
of<br>
the seasons, your personal cycle of life make them as strong as
possible<br>
spiritually, mentally and physically. Stay strong and never, never give
up.<br>
I cannot say it enough or express my appreciation to each of you how much
I<br>
appreciate those of you who came here today to remember me and to listen
to<br>
what this prisoner has to say.<br>
Again I simply say,<br><br>
Thank you<br>
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,<br>
Leonard Peltier #89637-132<br>
USP Lewisburg PA<br>
PO BOX 1000<br>
Lewisburg ,PA 17837<br><br>
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee<br>
Toni Zeidan-Co-director LPDC<br><br>
Website:
<<a href="http://www.leonardpeltier.net/" eudora="autourl">
http://www.leonardpeltier.net/</a>><br><br>
<br>
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