’TPPERLEFT-EDGI
V O LU M E *f
rtb K V A K Y
-u - ,á s á ¡ É > ,
'■ b ■
NUM BER. 44
If? 6
-
ll5^^^^ûi!?PRo5uCTIQN?7MQ>HÏ3^HÏ8HCO^7ÎÎÔ,-50J~436~2flS
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse
P eter M atthiessen
L eonard Peltier
On June 26. 1975, in the late morning, two FBI
agents drove on to Indian lands near Oglala, South
Dakota, a small village on the Pine Ridge
Reservation. Here a shoot-out occurred in which
both agents and an Indian man were killed.
Although large numbers of FBI agents, Bureau of
Indian Affairs (BIA) police, state troopers, sheriff’s
deputies, and vigilantes surrounded the property
within an hour of the first shots, the numerous
Indians involved in the shoot-out escaped into the
hills.
The death of the agents inspired the biggest
manhunt in FBI history. Of the four men eventually
indicted for the killings, one was later released
because the evidence was “weak”, and two others
were acquitted in July 1976 when a jury concluded
that although they had fired at the agents they had
done so in self-defense. The fourth man, Leonard
Peltier, indicted on the same charges as his
companions but not tried until the following year,
after extradition from Canada, was convicted on two
counts of murder in the first degree, and was
sentenced to consecutive life terms in prison,
although even his prosecutors would dismiss as
worthless the testimony of the only person ever to
claim to have witnessed his participation in the
killings. This testimony was also repudiated by the
witness, who claimed to have signed her damning
affidavits under duress, as part of w hat one court of
appeals judge would refer to as a, “clear abuse of the
investigative process by the FBI.”
Thus, Peter Matthiessen began the introduction to
his book, “In the Spirit of Crazy Horse” written in
1980/81. The first paperback didn’t come out until
1991, and by then the first edition hardback was
worth $300. There was, you see, an organized effort
by FBI personnel, who called book stores and book
sellers and threatened them. They were joined by
the former, twice-elected Governor of South Dakota,
who felt he was ported as, “morally decadent, a
drunkard, a racist, and bigot,” and “an antagonist of
the environment.”
Needless to say, it’s a great book, it is in Viking
paperback for less than S20. We recommend you
buy it, borrow it, read it in the library . You should
rent the video “Incident at Oglala”. And, if you
want, you can get the FBI reports and the court
records under the Freedom of Information Act; now
that’s entertainment.
So why it is important that we at the Edge tell you
this history ? Twenty years have passed and Leonard
Peltier is still in prison, and the FBI is still
shooting people from Pine Ridge to Ruby Ridge, the
latest example.
It would be, we think, a grand gesture, if at the
Olympic Opening Ceremony, President Clinton spoke
a few words about the importance of people of all
nations to respect what we call “Human Rights”.
And then signed a pardon for Leonard Peltier and
invited him to watch the games, outside in the sun
with the spirit of Crazy Horse.
The world would think better of us, and we can’t
help hut think the spirit of Jim Thorpe, that old
professional baseball player who has always haunted
our Olympic history , might just finally smile and go
hunting, at last.
So, call whoever you can call, write to folks y ou
know can help. The President is a good place to
start, his number is (202) 456-1 111. ( Those 800
numbers are only for elections.) Congress people
are always fun, and some do have 800 numbers all
the time. While we sit around the bookstore in the
slow winter rains we often cheer ourselves up just
keeping our government up on our attitudes and
opinions. 1 he real people who do the work are
usually very nice, and probably just as concerned as
we aré. You can also call the Leonard Peltier
Defense Committee at (913) 842-5774 or write them
at Box 583, Lawrence KS 66044 for more
information; or contact our local
Oregon Coast Support Group.
Cuento en español adentro, P. 8
C0W7ECTEG Eon PACIFIC BEAC*- TOEs
F ebruary - High Tides
\' . ' ,A. ■ 1' IS ! W I, ' V,1 ■ ■
•*-■
_______X
. ' >
--' ' I T
_______
F.O. »OX , 0
C A N N O N BIA CH
O R I6 O N 9T11O
J O S -4 J 6 -1 4 1 0
JOB • 4J4 • OS17
F ebruary - Low
Tides
Ir I
PATE
1 Thu
2 Fri
3 Sc*
4 Sjr
4 •
5 Mo**
6 lee
7 WeC
8 Tnu
9 F*i
10 So:
11 Sun
12 Mon
,3 lue
¡4 Wea
15 Thu
16 Fn
17 Sot
18 Sun i
19 Mon
20 Tue
21 Wed
22 Thu
23 Fn
24 Sat
25 Sun
26 Mon
27 Tue
28 wee
29 Thu
AM
lim e
ft
956
10 39
11 20
0 35
11 59
1 08
1 38
206
2 35
305
3 39
4 22
5 14
6 18
7 29
8 39
943
1042
11 37
0 38
1 ,9
’ 59
2 37
3 15
3 55
4 38
5 28
6 28
7 33
8 35
86
8 7
8 8
7 9
8 8
8 1
82
84
85
8 7
88
88
8 7
8 7
8 8
90
93
96
96
8 9
9 1
93
92
9.0
6 7
83
80
7 7
76
7 7
I’ M
tim e
ft
11:21
11:59
7,4
7 7
A M
tim e
It
pah
1 Tnu
2 Fn
3 So:
4 S.
5 Mon
6 Tue
7 weo
8 T-IU
9 Fr
10 So
l l Sun
12 Mon :
12
13 ’ ue
14 Wed
15 Thu
16 Fn
,7 So:
18 Sun i
19 Mon
20 Tue
2 1 Weo
22 Thu
23 Fr
24 So*
25 Sun i
26 Mon
27 Tue
28 weo
29 Thu
©
,2:36
1 ,4
1:52
2:33
3.19
4 14
5:25
6:48
809
9 ,9
,0:18
11:09
11 55
8 7
86
8.3
80
7 5
7.0
6.5
6.2
6.4
6.8
74
7.9
8.5
,2:2#
1:18
2:07
2:56
3:48
445
550
7:01
8:12
9:13
10:04
95
92
8.8
8.2
7.5
6.9
6.4
62
62
65
6.9
401
450
5 34
6 15
6.53
7 30
8 Oo
8 44
9 25
10 13
11 ,2
3.2
3 1
2 8
26
24
22
20
1 8
1 6
1 5
1 5
1:17
2 36
3 45
4.46
5 42
6 34
7 23
8 11
8 59
9.48
10 40
1, 38
32
3 1
2 7
22
1 6
1 1
08
06
06
08
1 0
1 3
021
1 31
2 38
32
34
3.3
I- M
l im e
II
5 06
5 44
6 ,9
6:51
7 20
7 48
8 16
8 46
9 20
1001
11 52
12:25
,1 58
1 43
2 55
3 56
4 50
5 39
6 23
7:05
746
8 24
903
9 43
1027
1, 18
12 44
1:52
2 55
3 48
0.2
00
0.0
0 0
0.1
0 3
05
08
1 3
1 8
2.4
1.3
2.9
0.9
04
-0 2
-0.6
-0 9
-1.0
-0 8
-0 4
0 1
0.7
1.4
2 I
2 8
1.4
1.3
T.l
08
BASEBALL
The Oregon Coast Support Group; on behalf of the
Navaho Elders, Leonard Peltier, River People of Lyle
Point, Friends of Enola Hill, Western Shoshone
Nation, Rip Lone Wolf, Native American Inmate
Artists and the Indigenous People at lake Gustafson,
Canada; wish to thank the many generous
supporters who donated time, food, money, clothing,
furniture and transportation during 1995. We wish
you all Peace, Love and Harmony' during 1996.
Before we w ere Cubs fans, we w ere in our shallow' youth,
fans of the Damned Yankees Since the epiphany we have
dreamed of a Cub/Yankee game, for that would mean we had
reached the World Series. Now, perhaps, the game w ill take
place without the championship being on the line, and we will
watch and w onder, what has become of us? What has become ot
baseball? We will find out in spnng training, once again. Is
there a Commissioner of Baseball? Will th e re e ^ rb e a g a in ?
"20 YEARS OF INJUSTICE!"
TAKE IT TO THE F.B.I.
FEB. 6,1996
O „«y » »* • -V'
OSBORNE
W O R K IN G S T U D IO A
GALLERY
TRADITIONAL, CONTEMPORARY &
ORIGINAL FINE ART,
SMALL EDITION PRINTS,
GRAPHICS, COMMERCIAL ART,
ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS
& CUSTOM FRAMING
DOWNTOWN PORTLAND
SERVING YOUR
AESTHETIC NEEDS
SINCE *1882
International Protest Against
FBI Abuse and Terrorism
WINTER HOURS:
BEST BY APPOINTMENT
Justice Rally for Leonard
Peltier
635 M a n z a n ita A v e n u e
P.O. Box 301
Mnnznnita, Oregon 97130
ORECON COAST
SUPPORTCROUP
CCRPECTtD rCF< PACIFIC beach TOE;
503 • 368 • 7518
8
12 PM at the Offices of the F.B.I.
1500 SW 1st
Downtown Portland
For Mor» Iniomttton Contact
MWLPSN P 0 Bo« 102*2
Olympia WA M5O2
20trM 3-«1M
UPPER. LEFT E&G.E FEBNlAW
LPM
MMwaukn OR
MV7BS-14S1
1
9
■** * *
» »