This evening a story that Ed told me many years ago was much in my mind. It was the story about one day in the life of Brahma . The way I remember it is Brahma opened his eyes and a generation passes, he rises and a millennium turns. Recently we saw a book of photographs of stars taken from the Hubble telescope. A piece of the Milky Way filled the page with dots of light. Our little planet is so tiny. Humanity, and we as individuals, are infinitesimally small to the cosmos, merely one grain of sand. Yet if we choose, our lives can have some significance. Although I was aware of this, when the clocks turned 2000 I was fascinated, much like how I feel when the odometer turns over all those zeros. And as I thought about the new millennium one prayer came strongly to the fore. "May we do better next time." We really have a long way to go, Particularlyin regard to the power dynamic that oppresses people because of race, gender, class and so forth. Respect is essential. Without it we can not recognize what is happening around us.
It is like asthma, which become deadly because the condition worsens on an imperceptibly slow rate. You don´t notice that your breathing is deteriorating, in fact some days you feel better, but little by little you lung capacity lessens until the medicine no longer works and you suffocate. Likewise without respect we can not see the world similarly moving in a slow but steady decline until it can not support human life.
It is only through respect, deep respect for each other and all that inhabit this fragile planet with us that we can understand and effect a positive permanent solution. It is through respect that we can overcome our oppressive tendencies and see alternatives to a system of hierarchy and
privilege. Only with respect can we come together in love,
peace and harmony.
May we do better next time .
Oh thou, the Breath, the Light of All,
Let this Light create a heart-shrine within,
And Your Counsel rule 'til Oneness guides all.
Your One Desire then acts with ours,
as in all light, so in all forms.
Grant what we need, each day, in bread and insight.
Loose the cords of mistakes binding us, as we release the
strands we hold of other's faults.
Don't let surface things delude us,
But keep us from unripe acts.
To you belongs the ruling mind,
the life that can act and do,
the song that beautifies all,
from age to age it renews.
In faith, I will to be true.
(I find interesting the parallels to this prayer from the
jewish book
"Gates of Prayer":
"Eternal God, we face the morrow with hope made stronger by the vision of your deliverance, a world where poverty and war are banished, where injustice and hate are gone.Teach us more and more to respond to the pain of others to heed your call for justice, that we may bring nearer the day when all the world shall be One. On that day the age old dream shall come true.
On that day, oh God, you shall be One and Your name shall be One.")
And a song came strongly into my mind that evening,
written by Peter
Yarrow. (This continued to play over the entire period)
"Light one candle for the Macabee children giving thanks that their light didn't die
Light one candle for the pain they endured when their right to exist was denied
Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice that freedom and justice demands
And Light one candle for the wisdom to know that the peacemakers time is at handDon´t let the light go out its lasted for so many years
Don´t let the light go out let it shine through our love and our tears.(and slightly revised versions)
Light one candle for the Wampanoag children giving thanks that their light didn´t die
Light one candle for the pain they endured when their right to exist was denied
Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice that freedom and justice demands
And Light one candle for the wisdom to know that the peacemakers time is at handDon´t let the light go out its lasted for so many years
Don´t let the light go out let it shine through our joy and our fears.Light one candle for all Indian children giving thanks that their light didn´t die
Light one candle for the pain they endured when their right to exist was denied
Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice that freedom and justice demands
And Light one candle for the wisdom to know that the peacemakers time is at handDon´t let the light go out its lasted for so many years
Don´t let the light go out let it shine through our joy and our tears.Light one candle for all abused children giving thanks that their light didn´t die
Light one candle for the pain they endured when their right to exist was denied
Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice that freedom and justice demands
And Light one candle for the wisdom to know that the peacemakers time is at handDon´t let the light go out its lasted for so many years
Don´t let the light go out let it shine through our love and our fears.
Let´s follow Leonard´s example.
Through our love and fear, May our Light continue to
Shine,
Your Friend
Rachel
Mumia abu Jamal needs letters sent on his behalf. (He´s the black journalist who, in a highly questionable trial, was convicted of killing a police officer and in on death row). This a critical time to write Judge Yohn to grant Mumia a new trial. Mumia will have only one chance in the federal courts to obtain justice.
If you haven't yet, don't forget to write a letter on his behalf. You can do it in less than 2 minutes through the following web page: http://www1.minn.net/~meis/yohn.htm. (I focused on asking what was wrong with having a new trial, if he is guilty he probably will be convicted again).
Also I was invited to be a guest on a C3TV (local access) show. It was one hour long and the topic was "Living Simply so Others May Simply Live." People who saw it said I made it interesting. It will be repeated this Saturday afternoon at 1pm or let me know of your interest and I´ll try to get a copy to you.
And lastly, if you are interested in reading monthly
messages that you might have missed you can find them
at:
http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/rmm.html .
P.S. don´t forget to re-affirm your fasting
Thanks
R
In the last few months there has been a shift in my prayer life. It started when I realized that about 50% of the time I was asking for something. Even though most was for someone else like Leonard Peltier, I imagined myself a parent hearing my children constantly asking for things for their friends. I felt it would be nice to take a break and substitute gratitude so every time I´ve had the urge to ask for something I have instead said thank-you. This has had some subtle yet profound changes in my outlook for I am focusing on love rather then desire.
However, Nov 25th is my birthday and I think it will be okay to have a birthday wish. This wish is for Leonard Peltier to be free and get the necessary health care he so desperately needs. Perhaps as you consider the blessings in your life this holiday season you will also hold this very special person in the Light (an old Quaker expression which is hard to define but you probably know what it means).
Regarding Leonard, there have been several excellent pieces on the net recently. One by William F. Muldrow Former Director (Retired) Rocky Mountain Regional Office U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; “The U.S. Commission on civil rights as an independent, fact-finding agency of the Federal government, exercises its responsibility to collect and study information related to the denial of civil rights and make recommendations for corrective action. A history of mistrust of the FBI for the traditional Indian people was intensified during the period following the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 when over 500 indictments resulted in dismissal or acquittal due to spurious actions by the FBI.” You can read it at the end of this post.
Meanwhile, thank all of you who participated in Leonard Peltier Freedom Month Campaign with phone calls. I know it did a lot of good. The next time that the LPDC is planning a mobilization is December 10th. I intend to keep you posted. I also hope that those of you who aren´t already committed for a certain day/s of the Solidarity Fast for Peltier Peace and Justice will consider signing up to fast in December.
I still believe that this is an excellent opportunity to combine a spiritual exercise with outward action for justice. If our ultimate goal is to create a world of peace we must all say no to tyranny and violence wherever it is, especially when it is found in our own houses, communities or country. Furthermore, I believe we must encourage our elected officials to take steps to gain Leonard´s freedom. Each day, hour, minute, second that LP is in jail is an act of violence that the US government perpetrates against an innocent man and Indian people. WE, US citizens, are that government, at least on paper. Perhaps it is time to assert our right to a government that is honest and just.
We have a long way to go. We (people of European decent) have tried to exterminate the people who have the most understanding of our spiritual and physical relationship with this living earth. Their voices are silenced through disrespect and marginialization or graspy, greedy wanabeeism. We imprison their leaders like Leonard Peltier.
I believe that the “Eternal One” created the universe of stars and planets including our own precious earth. Humans built the cities and societies and incorporated into them their distresses. Which is more powerful, the city of Boston whose lights sometimes reflect on the clouds of a twilight sky or the Sun that projects a multi-colored light as it sets and the moon that rises with gentle illumination?
We treat this fragile earth as if it was encircled with concrete and glass but instead our protection is air. We wantonly squander of resources on vulgar and worthless activities such as that bonfire at Texas A&M. For while I am sorry for the loss of human life I am also horrified at the loss of all those trees for no tangible benefit, with no regard for the life force within their being.
We forget the power in the universe also resides in our earth at our great peril. We must prepare , take care and work in solidarity. We can live together or we will die alone. The choice is ours.
Rachel Carey-Harper
new moon till the full 11/24/99
_____________________________
Statement About FBI Involvements
P.O. Box 2462
Santa Fe, NM 87504
November 1, 1999
From: William F. Muldrow
Former Director (Retired)
Rocky Mountain Regional Office
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
I have been asked to make a statement with regard to F.B.I.
involvements on the Pine Ridge Reservation before and after
the shooting of two agents there in June 1975. The U.S.
Commission on civil rights as an independent, fact-finding
agency of the Federal government, exercises its
responsibility to collect and study information related to
the denial of civil rights and make recommendations for
corrective action.
A history of mistrust of the FBI for the traditional Indian people was intensified during the period following the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 when over 500 indictments resulted in dismissal or acquittal due to spurious actions by the FBI. An unprecedented climate of fear and terror gripped the Pine Ridge Reservation for the next three years, due in large part to tensions between the more traditional Indians and those who were more politically, or governmentally, oriented. These tensions were exacerbated during the regime of tribal president Dick Wilson and his vigilante, self-termed "goon squad." During this period there were over 60 unsolved murders on the reservation for which the investigatory responsibility lay with the FBI.
In one particular incident in Wanblee, a community on the reservation of more traditional Indian people, members of the goon squad arrived to shoot up the town, allegedly in retaliation for the community's resistance to Wilson's policies. One person was killed. FBI agents called to respond from their headquarters in Rapid City allowed the shooting to continue the entire night, stating that they were an investigatory, not an enforcement agency, thus heightening the perception on the reservation that the FBI had no sympathy for traditional Indian people.
It was in this climate of fear and tension in 1976 that the two FBI agents, in unmarked cars and clad in civilian clothes, were shot in a firefight. This occurred after they chased a pick-up truck into an isolated homestead that contained an Indian family with small children, and where there was a nearby encampment of American Indian Movement activists. Joe Stuntz, an Indian in the compound, was also killed during the shootout, but no charges or arrests were ever made in connection with his death.
Following the shooting, the reservation was turned upside down by the more than 300 combat-clad FBI agents, armored vehicles and helicopters that were sent in to find the perpetrators. The Commission on Civil Rights immediately began to receive calls from reservation residents regarding abuses by the FBI. As a Civil Rights Analyst for the Commission, I was sent up to observe and report on the happenings. Terror reigned. Roadblocks were set up and all vehicles were stopped and searched. There were reports of numerous incidents of isolated farmhouses being surrounded by military vehicles, with a helicopter overhead and the occupants ordered by megaphone to leave their homes. More first-hand accounts told of agents with automatic weapons breaking down doors to search houses without warrants.
In the period which followed Anna Mae Aquash, a Canadian citizen, who was seen as a key witness, and who was allegedly threatened and abused by the FBI, was found shot to death and her body dumped in a ravine. An FBI-ordered autopsy failed to reveal the large bullet wound in the back of her head, leading to more criticism of the FBI and their methods. At the request of members of the Canadian parliament, who were upset over the extradition of Leonard Peltier to the United States under a false affidavit, and the alleged mistreatment of one of its citizens, the Commission on Civil Rights sent me as their representative to Canada to review the alleged abuses by the FBI that I have described above.
In memoranda to the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights reported that the FBI was an extraneous force on the reservation whose agents often lacked any comprehensive understanding of Indian culture or traditions. It was noted that the FBI's actions and investigations were seen as biased, and were the source of much tension and controversy. The Commission recommended that the FBI be relieved of its responsibility to investigate felonies on the reservation. This recommendation was never implemented.
As you know the specific purpose of the fast is getting Leonard into the Mayo clinic. This can be approached from different directions. Sometimes I visualize Leonard as the tip that I focus on and see my prayer energy flowing through this point to eventually touch all deception and oppression with Truth and Justice. Sometimes I see a healing type energy of Love and Peace likewise focused on Leonard and embracing all who suffer for similar reasons. Sometimes I simply visualize holding everyone in the Light or contemplate the way of Love and Peace, Truth and Justice, Joy and Beauty and Respect and Dignity.
As I was considering whether or not to take up the fast for LP, a Friend suggested that I consider that there are many diffrent ways of fasting. This could be of value to people who mustn't fast for physical reasons. If you are accumstomed to drinking a few cups of coffee or tea and eating sugar or artificial sweetener, giving these up for a day might be part of your fast. Or perhaps you listen to music or TV most of the time, keeping silence around you instead could be a part.
Regardless of approach, I highly recommemnd that while fasting you make a special effort to write all the contacts, share information about this case with friends and family and suggest they participate in this hunger strike. Please consider sending copies to us so that we can put them on the web page.
Dear Friends,
Please take a minute to reaffirm or clarify your commitment
to the Solidarity Fast for Leonard Peltier and PLEASE HELP
us update our calender. Ed and I would greatly appreciate
it if you would go to
<http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/next.html> and see if
you are listed for the days you wish to take and equally
important *make sure you are not listed for days that you
don't want to fast*. I am afraid that we have gotten a bit
confused.
Leonard needs our help today as much as ever! This month is especially important as the LPDC has organised a month-long campaign in Washington. (see next post about important phoning you can do from home and the schedule for DC activities)
Meanwhile on Cape Cod we will also be busy. Harvey Arden is coming back to us for reading of Leonard's book My Life is My Sundance. I think that those of us who attended the previous reading in Wellfleet found it exceptionally informative and inspirational.
I am writing this post to you after experiencing a lengthy period of extreme ennui. Sometimes when clay is on the potter´s wheel it seems that almost no effort is required to get a pot to form. Other times however, it takes all my attention not to have the clay go wobbling off center. Such is how my life has been feeling the last month or two. Keeping myself centered has required considerable attention. This has meant that many of the things that are usually a bit of a struggle for me, such as organizing, have been left to slide. Fortunately enough off-Cape people signed onto the Solidarity Fast for Peltier Peace and Justice that not a lot has been required to keep it going. (Now in our 10th month of uninterrupted fasting committments!)
My decision-making abilities have also been disrupted and I had difficulty deciding whether or not to go to Washington. It came to me a few nights ago that what has really been bothering me is a feeling of a lack of direction. Sort of like a fog had descended upon the path. So much effort has seemed to be exerted for peace and justice yet it had appeared futile. The games that the politicals play with people´s lives continue. Most US citizens, particularly those of European decent, seem asleep to most of the serious crises that are looming, convinced that there will be a technological solution and behaving like pigs at the trough of the stock market and as ostriches in the sands of ruthless self-indulgence, oblivious to the war being waged against people of color.
As I meditated on the dilemma of being unable to break through to the unaware, frustrated that so much of my work seems to be directed to those who already know (many having a better understanding than myself), an option seemed to snap open and the fog has started to clear and it is possible that a way has opened.
It doesn´t matter who says the words that people need to hear if they can get people to listen. I am looking forward to opportunities where I can be useful to others, particularly people of color, when they are in positions to speak to the ignorant. My intention is to be an asset by giving support (both physical and emotional), giving enthusiastic encouragement and also upon occasion, with my physical presence maybe an element of safety. Having done many speaking engagements at Universities around the country on violence against women and the Clothesline Project, I have personal experience about what would and would not be helpful.
Beyond this, if it is possible and appropriate I could, if it comes up, provide a perspective on the question of what white people can do today to improve the situation. What I would hope to convey is specific positive things that they can do to make the world better and safer for us all. These includes educating themselves to what native people say about their own history and today´s reality, fundraising and advocacy (which would include getting to know the horrendous injustices that are going on today and urge them to write letters.
In closing I wish each of you a very happy All Saints´ Day. This day is for you! Each one on this journey has proven themselves to be an extremely virtuous person (which isn´t to say we are perfect) and over and over again has demonstrated how you are fully capable of interceding for people on earth.
Challenges are what makes us strong. The Chinese symbol for crisis is really two different characters. one is danger and the other is opportunity. If we follow the path that is wide, risk free and well marked we don´t really progress and grow. I hope we can meet each opportunity with joy and when necessary to give the light time to filter through. May each of us we be beacons for the LIght.
Please, keep up the struggle and take time to smell the flowers.
Yours in Love,
Rachel
P.S . If you or someone you know would like the help that I
have described above, please let me know. With
gratutude,
R
Dear Friends and Fellow Supporters/Fasters,
There are two pieces of business that I want to speak with you about. FIRST, the editor of Leonard Peltier's book; PRISON WRITINGS: MY LIFE IS MY SUN DANCE is coming to the Cape. From everything I hear about the book, it is phenominal. Jack Magee (the principal organizer of the Mashpee LP support group) said it was an easy read yet changed his life in a profound way.
"A deeply moving and very disturbing story of a gross
miscarriage of justice and an eloquent cri de coeur of
Native Americans for redress..."
-- Desmond M. Tutu, Archbishop
BOOK DESCRIPTION from amazon.com
"Whether writing about his childhood, his involvement with AIM, the events at Oglala, or the infamous trial that resulted, Peltier is remarkable philosophical, and even forgiving, his voice a blanket of mercy and compassion. Looking beyond himself, he places his experience in the context of the long history of America's betrayals of and injustices to its Indian peoples. Prison Writings is thus a major political memoir, and it echoes the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and, especially, Martin Luther King, Jr."The publisher is doing little to promote the book and so it is up to us. Jack and Harvey have been sending copies to newspaper book reviewers and convincing book stores to carry it.
SECOND, the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee has asked for our support, endorsement and collaboration regarding plans for a November 1999 -Leonard Peltier Freedom Month in Washington D.C. "This event should be representative of all that Leonard Peltier stands for and symbolizes. Therefore the event should be strong, largely spiritual, cultural, traditional, and respectful. The event should culminate all of the reasons why he should be freed. Leonard Peltier is a symbol of injustice and persecution of Indigenous Peoples and therefore we urge all who resist such injustice and persecution to come and represent Leonard at this time."
MEANWHILE, since March, when the energies for continuing the International Solidarity Fast/Hunger strike waned, we on Cape Cod have had people make committments to fast uninteruppted. Today our energies and commitment are somewhat subsiding and more and more people from maround the country want to join. SO THE QUESTION IS do we lay this down as a CAPE COD action and continue to organize as simply a Solidarity Fast? Do we continue as a Cape Cod Solidarity Fast; appreciating those who wish to join us from other parts of the country as being with us not in body but rather in Spirit? Or do you have any other suggestions? The need for this work is still most urgent. Not only does Leonard remain in jail but his health continues to deteriorate and he continues to be denied appropriate medical treatment. Along with our political work of letter writing and phone calls, I believe that the spiritual work we have done with this continuous fast has been and continues to be very important. I need to hear from you, about which direction you think we should take from here and about a response to November 1999 - Leonard Peltier Freedom Month.
FINALLY, Last week when signing up to fast a day that month, a Friend said "I like to be at the end of the month because I really hate doing it." A large part of me can totally relate! I also, intensely dislike the phyical demand, discomfort and discipline. It has been a very challenging time for me recently in all ways including physically, and it didn't help when on a fast day last Sunday, to smell my neighborscooking bacon for brunch and further down the road another making pancakes. Sometimes however it is important to focus on that which is beyond the physical to focus on that for which the boundaries of the flesh are simply an illusion. Here we can rest in the arms of pure love, understanding and acceptance.
I am grateful for all of things that I have found difficult for they have brought new landscapes into view and grateful for the interesting lessons being placed before to me. Perhaps I'll write to you about them soon.
In Love, Peace, Joy and Respect,
Rachel
Dear People in Solidarity,
First, Cape Cod people are comfortable if there is room to
include us on the birthday card to Leonard: "The Cape Cod
Solidarity Fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice; Katherine
B., Ramona P., Jack M., Mother Bear, Sarah M., Bob C.,
Sherman B., Jim P., Judith R., Edward H., Myna N., Tom A.,
Margaret E., Pamela H., Steve S., Bill J., Margaret E,
Dorna B., Jim O., Little Doe, Alta Mae , Andrea K., Alice
and Carol, Katherine S., Mary, Leona B., Dot R., Paul P.,
Buffy C., Eve C., Joyce and Charles J., Diane H., Barbara
and Mort S., Jim R., Andy R, Dale P., Quwahia, Patricia F.
and Rachel".
Second, after asking, most of those involved, Cape Cod people would like to invite anyone who wished, to join our organizing group. We will appreciate all those who wish to participate with us from other parts of the country for while not with us in body you will be with us in "spirit". People living off Cape will be printed on the calendar in a brown. It is located at http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/fast.html.
Also, one of my problems with organizing is getting the mailings out to people who are not on e-mail. I manage about 1/2 the time. Would it be possible for those of you who know some of these people to get it to them? Also, if you know any addresses that are missing or incorrect, please let me know. (My mail only allows 15 messages sent at a time which is why it's divided into four parts.)
In Love,
Rachel
There are a number of reason I care about this cause. One is exemplified by his real name Gwarth-ee-lass which means “he who leads the people”. Another is that, from his writings and stories about him, it is clear that he is an intensely spiritual man who cares deeply about truth, love and lasting peace and suffers because of his dedication and commitment to these principles. Another reason is because it is important to Indian peoples and therefore perhaps a good way to demonstrate that I am an ally. But, maybe the biggest reason is that I believe that I (and all people who benefit from white privilege) and our ancestors are the reason the system of oppression and injustice exists. I fast for Leonard because it is my duty and obligation. I fast simply because injustice is wrong and great injustice demands great effort.
I believe that many of us we have and continue to accumulate what could be described as a karmic debt. This must eventually be paid. In Judeo-Christian terms “the sins of the father are visited upon the children”. I suggest we be very careful not to add to this debt and maybe consider ways to decease the obligation. It´s time to clean our house and put things right.
All and all, it´s been a rather difficult time for me recently. I have been smelling death all around. Early last Friday evening it was most strong with no apparent cause. I´ve been feeling apprehensive which has led to a high degree of irritability.
I started my new moon walk this month with an overall feeling of disheartenment. I was disappointed at Clinton and those in power. In his visit to Pine Ridge they said not a word about Leonard Peltier. I felt disillusioned and discouraged at what I was perceiving to be a waning of energies on Cape Cod and elsewhere for Leonard´s freedom, made all the more critical as time goes by without the necessary treatment to keep him alive.
However through this haze it was clear to me that it was a beautiful night. As I walked with new mocassins through the woods, painted on the western quadrant was the most gorgeous pinks and peaches. I thought about an old Jewish Passover song about gratitude to God, “Dayenu” pronounced die-a-new (It would have been enough). It goes something like this:
“If you had brought us out of Egypt but didn´t give us manna it would have been enough. If you gave us manna but not the Torah it would have been enough, if you gave us the Torah but didn´t give us a home it would have been enough. But you gave us all these things. Day, day, enu; day, day, enu; day, day, enu; dayenu day-e-nu.”
I sat next to the frogs and fish with a rather odd drum coming from the hillside to my south. I danced in the twilight.
As I continued my meditations a deep sadness seemed to cover me as I considered how the air and water is filled with pollution, the earth with poison chemicals, much of the people around me filled with greed and self-centered fear. The image came of making wine. Old wine can turns sour with a lot of sediment and sludge. New wine can be so undrinkable that you don´t consider partaking for at least a year. Just so perhaps, at this time of human beings. Whether it is the picean age transitioning to the aquarian, the industrial to technology, or the many other ways this change can be described, it feels to me that we are in a that uncomfortable place of between. The old way maybe hard to deal with but the new isn´t ready yet. Our mission is to fill the world with love. Perhaps it is like being in the cocoon going from the catapiller to the butterfly.
I am trying to stay centered. Through my head and heart song lyrics bring me some comfort “don´t you know that I love you and it will be alright, know that I love you more then words can say”.
So the Cape Cod Solidarity fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice continues (now completing our 6th month of continuous committments). I would especially like to publicly thank Katherine Brown for her commitment of one day a week for a four month period. And Ramona Peters for two days every week for two months.
I also would like to thank Jack Magee, Mother Bear, Sarah Marter, Bob Charlebois, Sherman Burson, Jim Peters, Judith Randall, Edward Harper, Myrna Nuey, Tom Abrams, Margaret Eastman, Pamela Hughes, Steve Spear, Bill Jacobson , Margaret Pyle, Dorna Bewley, Jim O'Connell .
In addition, thanks to , Little Doe, Alta Mae Stevens, Andrea Kleinhenty, Alice and Carol, Katherine Stillman, Mary (from Chatham), Leona Bombaci , Dot Richards, Paul Peabody, Buffy Curtis, Eve Carey, Joyce and Charles Johnson, Diane Heart, Barbara and Mort Steinau, and Andy Reed.
PLEASE CONSIDER A DAY IN AUGUST.
AND MAIL BACK THE ENCLOSED POSTCARD.
THANK-YOU
“don´t you know that I love you and it will be
alright,
don´t you know that I love you more then words can
say”.
Dayenu,
Rachel
Yes, I (name) __________________
am willing to fast for one day (7pm til 7pm)
(if someone wishes to do more then one day
in a row that's great, let me know)
I am willing to do this (please check one)
_____ once
_____ once a month (specify) ____________
_____ once a week
_____ other (specify)__________
The best day(s) for me are
_________________________
------------
From: Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
PELTIER´S HEALTH CONDITION DETERIORATING
Prison Officials Deny Current x-rays and Refuse Outside Opinion
Political Prisoner Leonard Peltier, who is suffering from a severe medical condition which causes his jaw to be frozen open 13 millimeters, requested current x-rays from prison authorities on May 25, 1999. The x-rays would help Maxillofacial expert, Dr. Eugene Keller of the Mayo Clinic, to determine what can be done to treat Peltier. Because prison authorities are not allowing Peltier to be transferred to the Rochester Medical Facility for federal prisoners, a facility where Dr. Keller could examine and if warranted, treat Peltier, Pelitier´s defense team decided to attempt bringing Keller to Peltier instead. Keller is willing to examine Peltier at Leavenworth Penitentiary where Peltier is currently imprisoned, however, he must have current x-rays before making the trip.
Prison authorities have not x-rayed Peltier´s jaw since 1996. Despite this, prison authorities are not allowing Peltier to receive current x-rays. As of now, the LPDC has received two different responses from two different departments of the Bureau of Prisons regarding the request. The first response is from Phillip S. Wise, Assistant Director of the Health Services Division of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in Washington D.C. In this May 28, 1999 response letter to Senator Wellstone, Mr. Wise states that Dr. Keller is not authorized to receive x-rays of Peltier because he is not contracted with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He goes on to say that, “there is no clinical indication for a second opinion by Dr. Keller.”
To the contrary, Warden Booker says in his June 8, 1999 direct response to Peltier, “Please be advised that you are free to provide Dr. Keller with copies of records which are contained in your Bureau of Prison´s Medical file.” However, he completely neglects to address Peltier´s request which was for current x-rays. Amnesty International, France Libertes´, Physicians for Human Rights, several members of the European Parliament, and many more human rights groups and concerned individuals have written to Warden Booker in support of Peltier´s request for current x-rays of his jaw.
Up until March of this year, prison authorities were willing to transfer Peltier to the Springfield Medical Facility for a third surgery. Because Peltier had already undergone two unsuccessful surgeries that worsened his condition in 1996 at this same facility, he refused to go. Prison authorities are now confident that Peltier´s condition cannot be treated at all. Interestingly, prison authorities made this conclusion without the use of current x-rays.
Alarmingly, Phillip S. Wise of the Federal Bureau of Prisons also stated in his response letter that Peltier is suffering from, “diabetes, a cardiac condition, and hyperlipedemia.” The prison has not yet begun blending Peltier´s food, and because he cannot bite or chew his food, he must eat mostly soft, starchy foods making it difficult for him to control his diet. This may be a contribution to these conditions which prison authorities say he is suffering from. Leonard has had a stroke before and the above conditions are life threatening making his condition even more urgent.
Please include the above mentioned serious health conditions when writing and speaking to governmental officials about Leonard Peltier´s plight. Additionally, please continue to write and ask others to write Warden Booker and the BOP in support of Leonard´s request for x-rays. Attorney Eric Seitz is taking steps to ensure that Leonard receives the treatment he needs, but urges you to help. He also wants us to note that when speaking about Leonard´s medical, it is important we use only accurate information
In Solidarity,
The LPDCHEALTH
Ms. Kathleen Hawk
Director, Bureau of Prisons
320 First St. NW
Washington, DC 20534
Fax: (202) 514-6878
Phone: (202)307-3198Warden Booker
Leavenworth Federal Prison
Box 1000
Leavenworth, KS 66048Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
PO Box 583
Lawrence, KS 66044
785-842-5774
To subscribe, send a blank message to < lpdc-on@mail-list.com >Other mailing adddresses:
CLEMENCY:
* President Bill Clinton 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington DC
20500 202-456-1111; fax 202-456-2461
cc your clemency letters to:
* US Pardon Attorney Roger C Adams 500 First Street NW Suite 400 Ref:
Leonard Peltier #89637-132 Washington DC 20530 202-616-6070* Charles Ruff G1 725 17th St. NW Washington DC 20503
Congressional Investigation
Congressman John Conyers 2426 Rayburn House Office Building Washington
DC 20500Email: John.Conyers@mail.house.gov
Senate investigation
Senator Paul Wellstone 136 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C.
20510 senator@wellstone.senate.govBob Kerrey; Nebraska
URL: http://www.senate.gov/~kerrey/
Contact Senator Kerrey
URL: http://www.senate.gov/~kerrey/pages/webform.htmlSen John_Kerry@Kerry.senate.gov
421 Russell Senate Office Building US Senate Wash DC 02510-2702
**(Sen Kerry's aide whose been following Leonard's case)
Jim Shaer
1 Bowdoin Sq. 10th floor Boston 02114-8519Sen. Delahunt
William.Delahunt@mail.house.gov
1517 Longworth Building, Wash 02515Sen Edward Kennedy
315 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington SC 02510
<senator@kennedy.senate.gov>
Dear Friends,
It is time for everyone to decide whether or not in July you will be joining the C.C. Solidarity Fast For Peltier Peace and Justice. Your participation is vital. Tending our seeds of Light and overcoming the roots of ignorance is now especially critical.
At the last new moon I brought a bouquet of flowers;
Honesty, Sage, Columbine, forget-me-not, and bleeding
heart. As I meditated on the aspects of life that they
invoke, I saw that each Honesty contained four seeds; each
seed in a sense, a potential child of the Creator. In all
of us as well, not only is there that of God, but also
there are seeds of new and beautiful Spirit Life. Eden
probably produces perhaps millions of Honesty seed
clusters. 99% fail to thrive or are weeded out. Mourning
each that is lost is futile. Rather I am thankful for the
50+ plants that grow and bless us with their purple and
white beauty. Just so, learning to detach from those seeds
of the Light that are not planted in fertile ground is a
lesson I need to practice.
How do we recognize and nurture these seeds of Light in
ourselves and in other human beings? How do we discern and
let go those seeds that are not going to be productive in
service to the Creator?
Learning to see (or somehow know of their existance) is essential. Without this we have no chance to help the unfolding Light. But what is a "weed" and what is a "flower"? Not an easy question; sometimes dandelions that brighten the lawn share more joy than the thorny rose and each has it's place. How do we care for them, protect, fertilize and water?
A liberal mixture of love, encouragement, hope, affirmation and enthusism works pretty well. If a seed does not respond it is not useful to get discouraged or too self-critical. One of my personal challenges is the seemingly unending infestation of apathy, guilt, despair and negativity that sets in.
We need to look to our hearts and connect to the Oneness. Uplifting the roots of ignorance and nurturing the seeds of Light is up to you and me.
With these thoughts in mind I think we all deserve some congratulations! WE (along with everyove world-wide working for peace) HAVE SUCCEEDED! The bombing has come to and end (at least for now). Yes, I know that most of the problem of that war still simmers, perhaps even made worse, and it seems impossible to move the elite economic interests juggernaut. But maybe, just as a homeopathic remedy can make a big difference in a body, our prayers have (and will continue to) have and effect and impact the immediate situation in the Balkans and elsewhere.
HOWEVER Leonard is still in jail. He still is suffering. WOULD YOU PLEASE CONSIDER TAKING A FAST DAY IN JULY. The current situation is that no news has come from Kansas. On Cape Cod our fast continues to be uninterrupted. A letter was sent from Yarmouth Friends to 146 religious institutions the end of May. (A copy was sent in the "secular/sacred" post.) So far we have had ZERO responses. I abhor making phone calls but following up might be a good idea. Anyone care to take a dozen or so in your area? Also this month, the "My View" piece that I wrote early April was published minus the first paragraph. (A copy follows this message).
Sow, how does your garden grow?
In Peace and Serenity,
Rachel Carey-Harper
MY VIEW (unedited version)
Most of us are deeply concerned about the situation in Kosovo. "The Solidarity Fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice"; has a dual purpose this month; justice for Leonard Peltier and peace in Kosovo. Started on February 20th, we include a 92 year old Quaker woman and over 27 other people. This action began to get Native American Leader Leonard Peltier treatment at the Mayo clinic for a debilitating and life threatening condition that was intensified by treatment he recieved from the prison facilities. (Peltier is in jail for his alleged part in the tragic gunfight on the Pine Ridge Lakota reservation in South Dakota in 1975.) This month, along with prayers for Leonard's heath and freedom we are meditating on the situation overseas.There is a connection in the mentality and behavior of those in power in the Balkans and at home both in the past and today. During the "Trail of Tears" in the 1800's Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws and many other tribes were driven from their homes and forced to walk, often under armed escort, sometimes thousands of miles in the winter without blankets, shoes or winter clothing. "Murder is murder and somebody must answer...Somebody must explain the four thousand silent graves that mark the trail of the Cherokee' to their exile. I wish I could forget it all, but the picture of six hundred and forty five wagons lumbering over frozen ground with their Cargo of suffering humanity still lingers in my memory. Let the Historian of a future day tell the sad story with its sighs, its tears and dying groans." John G. Burnett, U.S. Army 1890. Lincoln, the day after he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, signed a second edict condemning thirty eight innocent Santee elders to hang. We all know that two wrongs don't make it right. But how would the US have reacted if foreign governments had bombed Washington or called Lincoln evil. Where is the historian telling the sad truth of our "ethnic cleansing"?
In an interview for CBS news Clinton regarding Kosovo, stated that he believed that the single most important issue facing the world was ethnic conflicts, based upon old hatreds, conflicts and racism. Yet today his (and his administrations) actions regarding Leonard and other ghastly treatment of Indigenous people and people of color such as Mumia Abu Jamal, demonstrate hypocrisy. Today, land theft is still going on. Elderly Dineh (Navaho) women on Big Mountain are being forced from their homes by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Sometimes its all too easy to see a problem with our neighbor, hard to look at ourselves.
From my experiences of the last 6 weeks I am surer then ever that individuals fasting and praying for those on either side caught in the ugliness, as well as prayers for the perpetrators will make a very important difference. Combining fasting with prayer seems to intensify the effect and another beautiful aspect is that it is a part of virtually every spiritual tradition. We might not see a definable result immediately, yet I know that this brings more Light into each of our hearts and it is being transmitted into the world. Since we are simply a small part of other positive actions and energy around the world, in the end I believe that beauty, truth, Love and Respect WILL prevail.
Along with prayer it is critical in my opinion that we back it up with concrete outward action. This is how leadings from the Spirit are made manifest. We must write letters, speak out, send contributions, learn and grow!
Meanwhile, alone at the Cape Cod bay beach recently, a single Canadian goose flew over my head and landed in the salt water between two large boulders. She/he was calling and calling as if either in mourning or communication. The sense that we are about to face a great change including difficult challenges and sorrows, was most strong. Yet I also have been having a feeling that it is going to be okay. And that for those of us who so choose, it can be a marvelous opportunity to connect with the Oneness in a new way. As the message that has been regular shared in Yarmouth and other Friends Meetings for Worship for maybe hundreds of years says "Love never faileth".
Dear Friends,
Sean Gonslaves wrote his column this week about Leonard P's
situation and the underlying factors in this culture. He
shared the following quote from John Steinbeck. "I have
named the destroyers of nations: comfort, plenty and
security - out of which grow a bored and slothful cynicism,
in which rebellion against the world as it is, and myself
as I am, are submerged in listless self-satisfaction." This
spoke clearly and strongly to me as exactly what we are
fighting against; our own "listless self-satisfaction" in a
society engorged with "comfort, plenty and security".
Are we capable of contradicting this for the briefest of time? The struggle for Leonard Peltier continues. The situation in Kosovo escalates, with NATO again and again hitting the (allegedly) wrong targets. The BOP sends Sen Kerry a letter saying that Leonard is in fine health and Dr. Keller never contacted them (LPDC responded with proof to the contrary). The Press and Mayor in Philadelphia urge people not to support the Black United Fund because they do the bookkeeping for contributions to black, award winning journalist and death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal's defense. Melvin Coomb's murder case is not taken seriously and dismissed. Ground troops are amassing on the Albanian border while US war planes bomb a prison potentially holding people opposed to Milosovic's regime. It all makes no sense.
Let's continue to do the best we can to bring light into the world. To add to some of the inward and outward work being done to turn this around, won't you please consider giving up a little comfort this month and take a 7-7 fast day?
Another development in this endearvor is that Yarmouth Friends has agreed to send out a letter to all Cape Cod religious leaders inviting them and their congregations to join the effort. If you know any clergy or other leaders personally, please let me know. (Following this letter is the draft. Please advise me as soon as possible if you have anything you strongly think should be changed.)
Martin Luther King wrote from jail April 16, 1963: "I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause, and with deep moral concern, serve as the channel through which our just grievances would get to the power structure. But again I have been disappointed... In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churches stand on the sideline and merely mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice... I have watched so many churches commit themselves to a completely other-worldly religion which made a strange distinction between body and soul, the sacred and the secular.
"So here we are moving toward the exit of the twentieth century with a religious community largely adjusted to the status quo, standing as a tail-light behind other community agencies rather than a headlight leading men to higher levels of justice."
In Quaker tradition I present you with the follow query: Who are we? In our lives and worship are we separatings the secular and the sacred? Are we head or tail lights? Are we people willing to take a concrete stand for justice and peace?
May we walk Together to a Better Tomorrow,
Rachel
Yarmouth Friends
58 North Main St. S. Yarmouth, MA 02664
398-3256
Dear Cape Cod Clergy,
I am writing you today to tell you about and invite you and your congregation to join and/or endorse, a locally organized prayer and fasting circle. This experience is being shared by people from different backgrounds and religious traditions. Started on Cape Cod on February 20th and ongoing uninterrupted since then, we include a 92 year old Quaker woman and over 32 other people.This action began as a spiritual experience with a human rights objective. It was part of an international hunger strike to get Native American Leader Leonard Peltier treatment at the Mayo clinic for a debilitating and life threatening condition. (For further information see attached article from the Toronto Sun).
In April, as concerns for the situation in Kosovo intensified, along with prayers for Leonard's heath and freedom we meditated on the situation in the Balkans. Many of us have come to believe that individuals fasting and praying for those on all sides caught in an ugliness will kindle the spark of compassion and responsiblity. Combining fasting with prayer seems to intensify the spiritual effect. One beautiful aspect of this exercise is that it is a part of virtually every spiritual tradition. We might not see a definable result immediately, yet this brings more Light into each of our hearts and world.
We have received several comments from those who have fasted stating that it was a moving, spiritual experience for them personally, and we hope that you will consider joining us. We also hope that this experience will contribute to a feeling of community among those of us who choose to break down the artificial separation between the Spirit and concern for others--a disconnect that appears to have grown with the increasing pressure to delegate responsibility in our culture.
The path we are on is arduous. But the alternative is contributing to a world that is aligned with hatred and violence, deception and injustice, ugliness and despair and ignorance and oppression. We have got to find each other and move together toward the opposite direction; the way of Love and Peace, Truth and Justice, Joy and Beauty and Respect and Dignity. We need to learn to find the harmony in our togetherness and the melody in our diversity, basically learn to dance together on thisweb of life.
If you or anyone from your congregation is interested in joining the “Cape Cod Solidarity Fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice" contact Rachel Carey-Harper at 385-5443 or rch@capecod.net. Further information can also be obtained from <http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/fast.html>
In Peace and Love,
Rachel Carey-Harper for Yarmouth Friends Meeting
I hope all is well with you and yours. As you know, in January I joined the International Hunger Strike/Fast in Solidarity with Leonard Peltier which had the explicit goal of participating in this action until Leonard recieved appropriate medical treatment. Since Leonard made it very clear that no one was to die on his behalf and since this has taken a lot longer then many of the organizers anticipated, the international organizing for the Fast fell apart (although individuals around the world do, somewhat sporadically, continue). It is possible that we here on Cape Cod our Solidarity Fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice is the only group to be able to keep it going on a continous basis.
For me, this has a symbolic meaning and speaks to a personal spiritual commitment I made at the beginning. We all have done remarkably well in this regard. Now, about 29 people have, at one time or another, joined this action.
In my experience, if a task is too hard it becomes discouraging rather then uplifting. Therefore, I am sharing some ideas that could make your participation in the fast a little easier.
Our lives in this beautiful and peaceful Cape Cod May are a stark contrast to what others are experiencing. Although no great progress has been made on Leonard's case, I think the pressure is building and building, especially with the recent visits to Peltier by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Former First lady of France, Danielle Mitterand plus Amnesty International's new press statement and the actions and prayer of people like you and me. It is similar to a balloon, if we keep it up, eventually it will break and Leonard will be free.
ALSO please consider fasting plans for June. We have a calender ready and it's not too early to start filling in the spaces. Hopefully it won't be necessary; Leonard will get treatment and peace will be in Kovovo but perhaps it is wise to be prepared just in case. If along our road we follow the Light of Love, Truth, Joy and Respect then we are parts of a whole. I believe that reality is that we are connected; sometimes like being in a family. Let's meet each other with open hearts and minds as the people we really are and lets walk together on a path of faith into a different world, a world of Peace, Justice, Beauty and Dignity. And lets not lose sight of the fact that each one of us is doing excellent and couragous work. We are all fantastic! Also if you find yourself fasting with this purpose but haven't let us know ahead of time we can and will still list you on the calendar just let us know.
With Love in my Heart for You and Yours, Rachel
Most of us are deeply concerned about the situation in Kosovo. "The Solidarity Fast for Peltier, Peace and Justice"; has a dual purpose this month; justice for Leonard Peltier and peace in Kosovo. Started on February 20th, we include a 92 year old Quaker woman and over 27 other people. This action began to get Native American Leader Leonard Peltier treatment at the Mayo clinic for a debilitating and life threatening condition that was intensified by treatment he recieved from the prison facilities. (Peltier is in jail for his alleged part in the tragic gunfight on the Pine Ridge Lakota reservation in South Dakota in 1975.) This month, along with prayers for Leonard's heath and freedom we are meditating on the situation overseas.There is a connection in the mentality and behavior of those in power in the Balkans and at home both in the past and today. During the "Trail of Tears" in the 1800's Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws and many other tribes were driven from their homes and forced to walk, often under armed escort, sometimes thousands of miles in the winter without blankets, shoes or winter clothing. "Murder is murder and somebody must answer...Somebody must explain the four thousand silent graves that mark the trail of the Cherokee' to their exile. I wish I could forget it all, but the picture of six hundred and forty five wagons lumbering over frozen ground with their Cargo of suffering humanity still lingers in my memory. Let the Historian of a future day tell the sad story with its sighs, its tears and dying groans." John G. Burnett, U.S. Army 1890. Lincoln, the day after he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, signed a second edict condemning thirty eight innocent Santee elders to hang. We all know that two wrongs don't make it right. But how would the US have reacted if foreign governments had bombed Washington or called Lincoln evil. Where is the historian telling the sad truth of our "ethnic cleansing"?
In an interview for CBS news Clinton regarding Kosovo, stated that he believed that the single most important issue facing the world was ethnic conflicts, based upon old hatreds, conflicts and racism. Yet today his (and his administrations) actions regarding Leonard and other ghastly treatment of Indigenous people and people of color such as Mumia Abu Jamal, demonstrate hypocrisy. Today, land theft is still going on. Elderly Dineh (Navaho) women on Big Mountain are being forced from their homes by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Sometimes its all too easy to see a problem with our neighbor, hard to look at ourselves.
From my experiences of the last 6 weeks I am surer then ever that individuals fasting and praying for those on either side caught in the ugliness, as well as prayers for the perpetrators will make a very important difference. Combining fasting with prayer seems to intensify the effect and another beautiful aspect is that it is a part of virtually every spiritual tradition. We might not see a definable result immediately, yet I know that this brings more Light into each of our hearts and it is being transmitted into the world. Since we are simply a small part of other positive actions and energy around the world, in the end I believe that beauty, truth, Love and Respect WILL prevail.
Along with prayer it is critical in my opinion that we back it up with concrete outward action. This is how leadings from the Spirit are made manifest. We must write letters, speak out, send contributions, learn and grow!
Meanwhile, alone at the Cape Cod bay beach recently, a single Canadian goose flew over my head and landed in the salt water between two large boulders. She/he was calling and calling as if either in mourning or communication. The sense that we are about to face a great change including difficult challenges and sorrows, was most strong. Yet I also have been having a feeling that it is going to be okay. And that for those of us who so choose, it can be a marvelous opportunity to connect with the Oneness in a new way. As the message that has been regular shared in Yarmouth and other Friends Meetings for Worship for maybe hundreds of years says "Love never faileth".
In Peace and Serenity,
Rachel
Rachel Carey-Harper wrote:
Dear Friends,
I am most grateful to all of you who participated in the
March Solidarity fast for Leonard Peltier. Thank-you. I
hope you will consider (if you haven't already) joining in
April. Regardless, we would appreciate it if you would fill
out and return the form at the end of this post. We now
have a total of 21 people who have or will participate.
Please let others know and invite them to join us!
I suspect that most of us are also deeply concerned about the situation in Kosovo. Perhaps we might consider having a dual purpose to this month's fast. Along with prayers for Leonard's heath and freedom we could meditate on this situation overseas. In no way is this to imply that I think we should forget about or minimize Leonard for the month. Quite the contrary. I think we can, with very little effort make connections in the mentality and behavior of those in power both in the Balkans and at home. In an interview for CBS news Pres. Clinton stated that he believed that the single most important issue facing the world was ethnic conflicts, based upon old hartreds, conflicts and racism. Yet his (and his administrations) actions regarding Leonard and other gastly treatment of Indigenous people and people of color demonstrate blatent hypocracy. I believe this needs to be challenged.
From my experiences of the last 6 weeks I am surer then ever that individuals fasting and praying for those on either side caught in the ugliness, as well as prayers for the perpetrators will make a very important difference. We might not see a definable result immediately, yet I know that this brings more Light into each of our hearts and it is being trasmitted into the world. In the end, because of us, beauty, truth, Love and Respect WILL prevail.
Along with prayer I think it is critcal that we back it up with concrete outward action. This is how leadings from the Spirit are made manifest. We must continue to write letters! (addresses including some new ones, follows) Another action that is currently being considered is small "banners" that can be attached to car antennas.
On this 2nd blue moon of the year I have been reflecting
on what the last 6 week has been for me personally. It has
been a very centering spiritual experience as I have
learned more about who I am and had glimpses of the person
I have potential to become. There have also been times that
were extremely frustrating and discouraging. One of the
more enjoyable moments for me was the poetry reading at the
Mashpee Tribal Council with Ofelia Zepeta (forgive the
spelling, I lost my info on this exceptional poet). After
this event, Jack Magee strongly urged me to write to
Leonard P.
The following excerpts will give you some idea about some
of my highs and lows.
19 Mar 1999
Dear Leonard Peltier,Last night Jack Magee (from Mashpee) strongly suggested I write you for he said that it is good for you to know directly that people hold you in their hearts and are working for your well being and liberation.
In thinking about what to write I decided to tell you about what today was like out here for me. It was one of the two days between the new moon and the equinox. I am on a four day fast. It was the kind of day where you know that winter is drawing to a close for another 8 months. It was well above freezing, the coltsfoot and crocus are blooming. Birds are singing their spring songs. I planted four varieties of peas, yellow pod, green pod, sugar snap and sweet.
I started my walk by going to the beach on Cape Cod bay. I had been in some distress over the situation with the (International) fast organizing. I was under the assumption that when I came to the end of my two weeks (Mar. 6th) I needed to find someone else to pick it up. So since I knew few people would be into long term fasting I decided to organize it as a series of one day fasts. It's worked remarkably well. We now have over 20 people participating and more join every day. Some people are doing it once a month but many have committed to a certain day each week and are willing to go on for as long as it takes.
I fully agree that you have every right to direct the work on your behalf and to insist that no one sacrifice their life or health on your account (I can imagine how I'd feel in that situation). Unfortunately calling an end to the official fast presents a dilemma. Keeping it going simply as a local action has major drawbacks. For one, as an Anglo I think it is imperative that I have Native People to whom I am accountable. I could ask my Wampanoag friends to guide me in this endeavor but, although they are joining me in the local group, they have other very pressing concerns. And besides it is you, through those you communicate with, to whom I need to be accountable for this particular action. Quite a dilemma. Looking way across the water to where the Cape ends I realized that I needed to put the issue in the Creator's hands so to speak.After the beach I walked a cedar lined dirt road into scrub pine woods. We recently had a windy snow storm and a 5" oak had fallen over the path in such a way as to create an opening and it came to me that sometimes when something breaks it can create a new beginning. Other parts of the path reminded me that death is necessary for life. Finally where I came to was a reminder that what has worked for me in past situations is to wait, not take hasty action either to end the local action or go barreling full steam ahead, but wait until the way seems clear, until I feel some direction, some clarity. Waiting on the Spirit is an essential part of Quaker worship but I am not always good at remembering to bring it into my political work as well.
My path home takes me by a tiny Lake. Over the water to the west-southwest (which using a ruler and atlas I found was the same direction as Kansas) shone Venus and Saturn and a moon that was 2 days past new. It's tiny crest came through the clouds and I could actually see the part that was in darkness. Like a dim sphere with one small bit illuminated.
Please know that your suffering weights heavily on me and all of us. I hold you in the Light (Quaker expression for prayer). Ed just got back from a Quaker potluck and said that one man (elderly, white, owning class) told him how recently he has been having troubles with three coyotes who have been dancing and singing (not very prettily) on his art studio roof. An interesting image, eh?
In Solidarity,
Rachel Carey-Harper
Mwanwhile, on this blue moon evening I took a similar path as describes in Leonard's letter. It was a most intense time. While alone at the Cape Cod bay beach a single Canadian goose flew over my head and landed in the salt water betwen two large boulders in front of me. She/he was calling and calling as if either in mourning or communication. The sense that we are about to face a great change including difficult challenges and sorrows, was most strong. Yet I also have been having a feeling that it is going to be okay. And that for those of us who so choose, it can be a marvelous opportunity to connect with the Onesness in a new way. So lets have courage my friends and when it seems too hard we can rely on faith and love. As the message that has been regular shared in Yarmouth Meeting for worship for maybe hundreds of years "Love never faileth".
In Peace and serenity,
Rachel
P.S. During the moments that I take to to compost my
thoughts for this letter I have been taking dried corn off
the cob. What s delightful anacronistic activity.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FAST FORM
(A calendar that orgaizes this action and comments can be
seen at
http://www.capecod.net/~spiral/fast.html )
Please fill out and e-mail the following or call me at
508-385-5443.
Yes, I (name) __________________ am willing to fast for one
day (7pm
til 7pm)
(if someone wishes to do more then one day in a row that's
great, let me
know)
For April I am willing to do this (please check one)
_____ once
_____ once a month
_____ once a week
_____ other (please specify)__________
The best day(s) for me are _________________________
I fasted in March and found the experience (please tell us
both the
negative and positive) _______________________________
_______________________________________________________
What would be helpful to me in participating in this work
would be
______________________________________________________
---------------------------------------------------------
ADDRESSES Leonard Peltier
*CLEMENCY: President Bill Clinton 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington
DC 20500 202-456-1111
- cc your clemency letters to: US Pardon Attorney Roger C
Adams 500
First Street NW Suite 400 Ref: Leonard Peltier #89637-132
Washington DC
20530 202-616-6070
- Also cc your clemency letters to: Charles Ruff G1 725
17th St. NW
Washington DC 20503
* HEALTH: Deputy Attorney General Mr. Eric Holder 950
Pennsylvania
Avenue NW Washington DC 20530 Phone (202) 514-2000 Fax
(202) 514-0467
- Ms. Kathleen Hawk Director, Bureau of Prisons 320 First
St. NW
Washington, DC 20534 Fax: (202) 514-6878 Phone:
(202)307-3198
- Warden Booker Leavenworth Federal Prison Box 1000
Leavenworth, KS
66048
* EXTRADITION REPORT: The Honorable Anne Mc Clellan, Member
of
Parliament Minister of Justice The House of Commons Ottawa,
Canada K1A
0A6 (613)992-4524 fax (613) 996-4516
* CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATIONS
- To reach your Congressperson or Senator by Phone Call
202-224-3121
Write the Congressperson from your district
HOUSE WEBPAGE for addresses and contact numbers
http://www.house.gov/ The Honorable (full name ) United
States House of
Representatives Washington DC 20515
- Write the Senators from your state
SENATE WEBPAGE for addresses and contact numbers
http://www.senate.gov/
The Honorable (full name ) United States Senate Washington,
D.C. 20510
* write to Leonard Peltier (he can receive US postal money
orders,
photos-not Polaroid, and paper back books)
USPL Leonard Peltier #89637-132 PO Box 1000 Leavenworth, KS
66048
-------------------------------
FINALLY
Ed and I plan to get a roll of these posters announcing a
conference. If
you wish one please let us know
From LPDC:
The beautiful, full color posters promoting the Leonard Peltier Organizing Conference have been printed.Send us $5 and your mailing address and we will send you a role of posters for you to put up in your community. Please post them as soon as possible in stores, cafes, bookstores, info shops, tribal offices, schools, bulletin boards and community centers. Any place where lots of people who might be interested in attending the conference will see them. They are 15 by 20 inch, full color glossy posters with a beautiful oil painting by Leonard Peltier of Sitting Bull and children of many races and creeds.
Red Sun Press in Boston donated much of the printing and we now have 3,000 copies to help us get the word out about the June 25 - 27, 1999 Organizing Conference, at the Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas.
CONFERENCE URL's:**Leonard Peltier Organizing Conference
"Conference Information & Registration form."
June 25-27, 1999 in Lawrence, Kansas - LPDC
http://www.YvwiiUsdinvnohii.net/LeonardPeltier/9906LPDCConferInfoRegs.htm**Plan to Attend the Leonard Peltier Organizing Conference
"June 25-27, 1999" Lawrence, Kansas
http://www.YvwiiUsdinvnohii.net/LeonardPeltier/LPDC990201confer.htm
Dear Friends,
If anyone you know needs confirmation on the situation with Leonard Peltier, I think the following article from the Toronto Sun, April 18, 1999 will help. It's sad that our press isn't as forthcoming. Meanwhile, please let us know your fasting plans for May! (We now include a 92-year-old Quaker woman and over 27 other people but many will only want to participate once). AND, do you think we should keep the dual purpose in May; justice for Leonard Peltier and peace in Kosovo?
Ed and I are very grateful to you all for being a part of this with us. I leave you with a rather simplistic grace that was writted by my Grandmother and is said by my family (especially on special occasions). It came to me in this slightly changed form.
"Spirit bless this World we Love
Earth around and Sky above
Help us make it Happy here
With Work and Play and Love and Cheer
Now and all the Days to come
Oh, Great Spirit bless our Home
Whether we are on the Red Road,
Muslim, Buddhist or Jew
We Thank-you, Thank-you,
Thank-you, Thank-you."
In Love,
Rachel
P.S. From: "LPDC" <lpdc@idir.net>
Please consider clicking on this webpage and adding your
name to this petition. Please email this link to your
freinds and co-workers.
http://www.e-thepeople.com/petition.cfm?PETID=127992
After 23 years in prison and the refusal of authorities to consider they may have made a mistake, Leonard Peltier, Sioux-Ojibwa Indian, qualifies as the Nelson Mandela of NorthAmerica. Just as journalists were thwarted in attempts to visit Mandela in his latter years of imprisonment in South Africa, so has an iron curtain or, rather, a wall of silence, descended around Peltier in the U.S. federal prison at Leavenworth, Kan. Peltier, now in his mid-50s, is serving a double life sentence for the shooting deaths of two FBI agents - Jack Coler and Ron Williams -during a range war at South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation near Wounded Knee in 1975. Several times in the 1980s I tried to visit Mandela in South Africa. He'd then been in prison for over 20 years. There was always an "official" reason why this was impossible. Pretoria's Afrikaner government wanted no publicity for Mandela who was becoming a symbol of the struggle against apartheid.It's similar with Peltier. He represents the aspirations and frustrations of North American Indians. I've twice visited him at Leavenworth but now, apparently, no one gets to see him. CNN's request for an interview was turned down, as was one from Britain's Guardian newspaper. A telephone interview was the best I could hope for, and that was unacceptable. I wanted to see Peltier. Is his health deteriorating, as hasbeen reported? Are harassments increasing? Is he persecuted - or neglected? Phone interviews and letters are monitored. I told Leavenworth authorities - - particularly Bob Bennett, executive assistant to Warden J.W. Booker -that I felt it important to have personal contact, like the last two times. He echoed the warden's theme: "A more suitable means forconducting this interview would be via the telephone." "Why the change of policy?" I asked. "It's the warden's decision. You can reapply if you want."
Leonard Peltier Defence Committees (LPDC) have sprung up around the world(Toronto's is at 416 439-1893). The LPDC headquarters at Lawrence, Kan., says only Peltier's lawyers, blood relatives and friends dating back five years before his incarceration are eligible to visit. Like many of his close supporters, I think Peltier is in considerable danger - that he may well die if he doesn't get proper medical attention. He avoids trouble, butis often punished for being who he is, and what he represents. Or so itseems.
His lawyer, Bob Ellison, says bluntly that he thinks authorities "hope" Peltier will die, thereby letting them, the U.S. justicedepartment and the FBI off the hook. It's become widely accepted thatPeltier's trial was a farce. Indians and others know who executed the two FBI agents, but the FBI doesn't care. They've got their man. The last time I saw Peltier, he could barely move his jaw. An untreated injury led to atrophication, fusing jaw bone and muscle - sort of permanent lockjaw. He's had two operations - both botched. One operation put him in a coma. He required a total blood transfusion. His recovery room was the hole. He now has only half-an-inch movement in his jaw. He eats by shoving food through the gap of a missing front tooth, and mashes food with his tongue before swallowing. Wires from his damaged jaw jut into his mouth and make eating excruciating. He has abscessed teeth that can't be treated, recurring headaches and lives in pain. Mayo Clinic doctors have offered to come to Peltier and operate for free. The prison says no. Peltier's sight is also deteriorating - inhibiting reading and his art work which the defence committee sells to raise money for the continuingcampaign to win his freedom.
Like Mandela, Peltier has become an international cause. On April 30, Danielle Mitterand, former first lady of France and president of the human rights organization France Libertes Assoc., hopes to visit Peltier. She has appealed for clemency.
CANADA MAY HOLD KEY
Ironically, Canada could hold a key to Peltier's freedom. When the two FBI agents were killed that turbulent summer of 1975, The American Indian Movement (AIM), reservation police, administrators, rival Indians, the FBI, etc., were all embroiled in feuds and shootings -some 300 people were shot during that time. Four Indians were originally charged in the deaths of the agents, but Peltier escaped to Canada. The others were acquitted. Had Peltier stood trial with them, he would in all probability have been acquitted as well. In 1976, Peltier was arrested in Canada and extradited 10 months later on the basis of an affidavit by one Myrtle Poor Bear who claimed to be his girlfriend and said she had seen him shoot the FBI agents. At the time, as editor of the Toronto Sun, I wrote editorials supporting the FBI and criticizing Amnesty International, which questioned the extradition.
It subsequently turned out Poor Bear was a mental patient and the FBI had written the affidavits for her, coached her, pressured her. She didn't even know Peltier, had never met him, was nowhere near Pine Ridge at the time of the shooting. But the phony affidavits got Peltier extradited. Peltier later told author Peter Matthiessen, as he told me: "I have no bad thoughts for Myrtle Poor Bear. She is a poor, sick woman.... a pawn for them to use as they've used so many Indian people." The Liberal government of Pierre Trudeau refused to protest the fraud perpetrated on our justice system. Neither did the Tory government of Brian Mulroney care. Mostly it was NDP MPs who protested on behalf of Peltier. Today, the Reform party seems willing to raise hell. We shall see.
Reform justice critic John Reynolds says his party will try to convince the government to protest Peltier's fraudulent extradition. He's written both President Bill Clinton and Justice Minister Anne McLellan, urging they act on the case.
ALLMAND OFFENDED
Warren Allmand was federal solicitor general when Peltier was arrested in Canada and Indian affairs minister when he was extradited. He was the lone Liberal who was offended at the abuse of justice. Over the years he's sought to right the wrong and have the Canadian government protest the extradition. A couple of years ago,before he quit politics to head the International Centre for Human Rightsand Democratic Development, Allmand was asked by then-justice minister Allan Rock to re-examine the Peltier extradition proceedings. Allmand'sreport has gathered dust. Although his oath of office prevents him frommaking his report public, Allmand has no hesitation saying that the "only"cause for extradition was Poor Bear's perjured affidavit: "Otherwise,there were no grounds for extradition."
Allmand even wrote Mandela, who, before he became president of South Africa, urged clemency for Peltier, asking him to renew his support. No response - a sad irony. If Canada were to react, Peltier'ssupporters feel it could give impetus to get him freed and encourage theU.S. government to do the right thing. Even assuming guilt, 23 years is enough. Pine Ridge was a mini-war, not a criminal act. The appeal courts in the U.S. over the years have been disappointing, even though it was proved (and admitted) that evidence was fabricated and misused. One appeal judge, Gerald Heaney, has since said that if Peltier's appeal had been better handled (by the late William Kunstler) he'd have freed Peltier. As it was, Heaney rebuked the FBI and filed an official complaint. He also wrote president George Bush, urging clemency. When I spoke to him, Heaney said he thought he knew who had shot the two agents.
Leonard Peltier is a good man, a proud man, almost serene. He relishes news of his kids, and grandkids, who he hears about but never sees. Peltier's letters are gentle, sad. I suspect he's dying. The spirit and flesh can take only so much. If Clinton won't exercise his prerogative of executive clemency or pardon - as he promised prior to being elected - America may soon have yet another martyr on its conscience. Evidence is overwhelming that Peltier did not kill those FBI agents. Even though he knows who did, it's a measure of the man that he won't tell. The sorrow is that the Indian who did the deed won't come forward. Maybe some day ... (Please help Leonard by sending e-mail messages to: Ms. Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, Director, Bureau Of Prisons at; swolfson@bop.gov and khawk@bop.gov. Those in the state of Washington please send messages asking for an inquiry to; Governor Gary Locke at; governor.locke@governor.wa.gov and Sen. Patty Murray at: senator_murray@murray.senate.gov)
There is a connection in the mentality and behavior of those in power in the Balkans and at home both in the past and today. During the "Trail of Tears" in the 1800's Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws and many other tribes were driven from their homes and forced to walk, often under armed escort, sometimes thousands of miles in the winter without blankets, shoes or winter clothing. "Murder is murder and somebody must answer...Somebody must explain the four thousand silent graves that mark the trail of the Cherokee' to their exile. I wish I could forget it all, but the picture of six hundred and forty five wagons lumbering over frozen ground with their Cargo of suffering humanity still lingers in my memory. Let the Historian of a future day tell the sad story with its sighs, its tears and dying groans." John G. Burnett, U.S. Army 1890. Lincoln, the day after he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, signed a second edict condemning thirty eight innocent Santee elders to hang. We all know that two wrongs don't make it right. But how would the US have reacted if foreign governments had bombed Washington or called Lincoln evil. Where is the historian telling the sad truth of our "ethnic cleansing"?
In an interview for CBS news Clinton regarding Kosovo, stated that he believed that the single most important issue facing the world was ethnic conflicts, based upon old hatreds, conflicts and racism. Yet today his (and his administrations) actions regarding Leonard and other ghastly treatment of Indigenous people and people of color such as Mumia Abu Jamal, demonstrate hypocrisy. Today, land theft is still going on. Elderly Dineh (Navaho) women on Big Mountain are being forced from their homes by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Sometimes its all too easy to see a problem with our neighbor, hard to look at ourselves.
From my experiences of the last 6 weeks I am surer then ever that individuals fasting and praying for those on either side caught in the ugliness, as well as prayers for the perpetrators will make a very important difference. Combining fasting with prayer seems to intensify the effect and another beautiful aspect is that it is a part of virtually every spiritual tradition. We might not see a definable result immediately, yet I know that this brings more Light into each of our hearts and it is being transmitted into the world. Since we are simply a small part of other positive actions and energy around the world, in the end I believe that beauty, truth, Love and Respect WILL prevail.
Along with prayer it is critical in my opinion that we back it up with concrete outward action. This is how leadings from the Spirit are made manifest. We must write letters, speak out, send contributions, learn and grow!
Meanwhile, alone at the Cape Cod bay beach recently, a single Canadian goose flew over my head and landed in the salt water between two large boulders. She/he was calling and calling as if either in mourning or communication. The sense that we are about to face a great change including difficult challenges and sorrows, was most strong. Yet I also have been having a feeling that it is going to be okay. And that for those of us who so choose, it can be a marvelous opportunity to connect with the Oneness in a new way. As the message that has been regular shared in Yarmouth and other Friends Meetings for Worship for maybe hundreds of years says "Love never faileth".
In Peace and Serenity,
Rachel Carey-Harper
Dear Ones,
Some of the folks who are part of this Cape Cod fasting
wheel have done quite a bit, for others fasting is very
new. Techniques can vary widely especially as we come for
various spiritual traditions. Speaking strictly for myself,
fasting is a wonderful way to maintain mindfullness; to
keep my Being focused on the Spirit; the Light. Whenever I
notice my hunger, my food craving, I turn my attention (as
best as I can) to prayer. I also prioritize daily prayer
walks and baths.
As you know the specific purpose of the fast is getting Leonard into the Mayo clinic. This can be approached from different directions. Sometimes I visualize Leonard as the tip that I focus on and see my prayer energy flowing through this point to eventually touch all deception and oppression with Truth and Justice. Sometimes I see a healing type energy of Love and Peace likewise focused on Leonard and embracing all who suffer for similar reasons. Sometimes I simply visualize holding everyone in the Light or contemplate the way of Love and Peace, Truth and Justice, Joy and Beauty and Respect and Dignity.
As I was considering whether or not to take up the fast for LP, a Friend suggested that I consider that there are many diffrent ways of fasting. This could be of value to people who mustn't fast for physical reasons. If you are accumstomed to drinking a few cups of coffee or tea and eating sugar or artificial sweetener, giving these up for a day might be part of your fast. Or perhaps you listen to music or TV most of the time, keeping silence around you instead could be a part.
Regardless of approach, I highly recommemnd that while fasting you make a special effort to write all the contacts and share information about this case with friends and family. Please consider sending copies to us so that we can put them on the web page. Also on the web page can be other writing. For example, I am posting a short piece on the last four hours of my 14 day fast.
Finally, here is a list of the people who are currently
part of this circle.
Charles Johnson
Joyce Johnson
Pamela Hughes
K Brown
Tom Abrams
Ramona Peters
Rachel Carey-Harper
Edward Harper
Buffy Curtis
Leona Bombaci
Steve Spear
Alta Mae Stevens
In Love and Light,
Rachel
Dear Friends,
Friday evening 3/5/99 I completed 14 days of fasting to try
to bring an end to the torture of Leonard Peltier and nudge
us toward a country that values truth and justice. One of
the factors that led me to put down the Fast for awhile was
the Bureau of Prison statement that they are denying
treatment to Leonard Peltier which means that there is a
very long road ahead, maybe not ending until clemancy is
reached.
However, one way this fast/hunger strike is organized is that when a person stops they find someone else to continue. My sense is that very few will want to take on the somewhat difficult task of long term fasting.
So, I have an idea! What if it was just a one day fast; from 7pm day one to 7pm day two? This means that you would only have to miss breakfast and lunch.
I think this could be a awesome show of strength from Cape Cod and a positive experience for all involved. One of the impediments for many of us working for justice and peace is feelings of isolation, being relegated to the "fringe" and dismissed. However the more of us there are on the "fringe" who connect with each other, the more likely we will be to move our vision to the mainstream. Also for those of us without American Indian heritage, this ongoing fast is a wonderful demonstration of solidarity.
A somewhat similar action is has been ongoing in Atlanta, Georgia since Feb. 9. If interested, please fill out and e-mail the following form .
Yes, I (name) __________________ am willing to fast for one
day (7pm til 7pm)
(if someone wishes to do more then one day in a row that's
great, let me know)
I am willing to do this (please check one)
_____ once
_____ once a month
_____ once a week
_____ other (please specify)__________
The best day(s) for me are _________________________
Once you return this form your name will be put on a calendar. If you wish to make a statement or write a letter of solidarity that too will be posted.
With enough people, we can keep this going indefinitely! Imagine what we will create.
May the tiny ripples we create spread outward.
May we Walk Together to a Better Tomorrow,
Rachel
P.S. At our web site (www.capecod.net/~spiral) is connections to the International Leonard Peltier Hunger Strike fasters statements, poetry and art.