Letter from Leonard Peltier

Many thanks to Tony Castanha for forwarding this:

AUGUST 24, 2008

Greetings my friends and relatives,

First of all, I can't express to you, near as much as I'd like to. The sincere appreciation I have that you would gather together remembering all the political prisoners, hostages and myself the way you have.

Gatherings like this are extremely important because it reminds people of the sacrifices that are made daily through out the world for freedom, justice, and a clean and sane environment for our future generations. The powers that exploit our resources and people will always be there, generation after generation.

And the creator will always call upon people to stand against that exploitation. Even if the creator does not call. Any just man or woman, with any semblance of justice, be it spiritual, social or environmental, He will find cause to take issue with those enemies of humanity and nature.

One of the reasons I am so appreciative is because I want you to know, from where I stand the gatherings that you do mean so very very much to the other political prisoners, other hostages and myself. It is an extreme importance that political prisoners and hostages not be forgotten. Not necessarily for the sake of the prisoners and hostages themselves, but for the sake of future generations. To appreciate and protect and jealously guard the freedoms they possess; that was paid for with someone's life. I think the most difficult times for a political prisoner or hostage, is when people start to forget what their sacrifice was about, when people become complacent because of some economic level they have attained, and forget the sacrifices that were made and the danger of them losing those gains is imminent. And I know from personal experience, the joy I feel when I receive letters of appreciations or visitors and that is second to the joy I feel when I know that my efforts were not in vain. And there are young people taking up the cause and responsibility of regaining our lost freedoms and resources.

I dearly miss the touch of friends, I dearly miss walking through a forest or across a meadow or even through the traffic of a busy street, or feeling the wind blowing against my skin, directly, rather than a window or some chain link fence.

But with all this, I can't express to you how at a great loss I would feel if the reason and cause of the many political prisoners and hostages throughout the world was forgotten. Swept aside, because people become too comfortable with their status quo.

I have been here for 33 years that is more than half of my life. I would give almost anything to go home. But I won't give up,

I would give almost anything to be with my family. But I won't be quiet.

I would give almost anything to say goodbye to this place, but I won't say goodbye to my beliefs and our struggle.

I would give almost anything to walk out this door and never return. But I will never walk away from the love of my people.

When I think of the things that I hear and see in the media, about how many different special interest groups, speak of various subjects, like the right to live, or pro-life, I cant help but think, of the children around the world, who never get a chance to live because of the exploitation of their resources of their country and their people.

All of the destruction that is taking place here and abroad is a direct result of people, special interest groups, whose interest is primarily wealth and taking more than they need.

The religious people or should I say The spiritual people of America, and anywhere else for that matter, should seek to aggressively band together to stop the unjust wars that truly impact primarily the common man, the common man who in his village or farm, city or anywhere else is destroyed, by bombs, from the various governments. Governments; Who in the name of nationalism and patriotism seek to gain political power and control over someone else's resource and political system. They should actively band together and identify the things they have in common rather than dwelling on their differences. Perhaps I am rambling too much in my statement, after 33 years in prison and 63 years upon this earth, much of this time spent thinking, praying, analyzing, and mediating, on the information that I gather from various forms of writings, books and observations, I somehow feel I have a little bit of a right, to say what I think and feel.

I love you all and I am so honored that I would be invited to make a statement to you. And if I could hug each one of you individually, I guarantee you would damn well be hugged!

I have never given up in my struggle for freedom.

Freedom is a natural inclination of all living creatures up on the earth. Even a newborn will struggle when held too tightly.

I deeply regret being in prison I deeply regret losing family members while in here, I deeply regret all the wonderful things in life that I have missed, but I will never regret standing up for my people for as long as I can draw my breath. My heart is with them always, and my heart is with you today.

So long for now; I will remember you in my prayers and until next time.

Keep the faith.

Your relative always

In the spirit of crazy horse,

Leonard Peltier

HTTP://WWW.WHOISLEONARDPELTIER.INFO

Indigenous Resistance/ Indigenous Reality: from The Fire This Time

We are thankful for receiving announcements from our friends at THE FIRE THIS TIME (TFTT), familiar to visitors of the CAC when we previously featured news and work by TFTT on Black Indians in the Americas. As some might recall, TFTT cherishes the personal anonymity of its members, and this concern seems to extend to geographical location as well.

The announcements presented news of two new sites, one,
http://www.firethistime.com/en/Index.htm
presents TFTT's new music label, IR (Indigenous Reality).

The second site is at
http://www.dubdem.com.br/dubdem/recordz/projetos.html
and features some of the music, which can also be sampled on other sites, such as:
http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/2036421

In the words found on the first site:
"I.R. is a new music label launched in 2003 by TFTT that explores the twin themes of Indigenous Resistance/Indigenous Reality. Issues and examples of indigenous resistance and Indigenous reality that normally dont receive attention will be highlighted through our releases. I.R also refers to homegrown insurrection and the fight against injustice everywhere. I.R is intimately connected to the TFTT freedub project. Hence there will be opportunities to recive vinyl, books, posters free of charge. An autonomous venture, I.R releases comes together with a minimum of resources but with a maximum of cooperation and care from those involved in the project; a family of loosely affilated folks who believe in the spirit and deed of resistance. We all have the capacity to fight the beast. We all have a part we can play."

According to one site, where the words appear to be from TFTT itself (with minor edits below):

Indigenous Resistance was created in 2003 on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by black and indigenous activists where they initiated their "freedub" series-vinyl records, given free of charge to the public.

IR releases have focussed on issues of social injustice. IR1 was recorded on location in the Brazilian jungle with the Krikati indians who were fighting for land demarcation rights. IR3 featured members of the indigenous resistance movement for a free West Papua. IR4 was a project of healing among reconcilliation among indigenous peoples of the Solomon islands. IR11 marked ten years since the tragic murder of the Pataxo Indian Galdino who was set on fire by the children of Brazil's elite as a "joke". [This story was also reported in Jonathan Warren's book, Racial Revolutions.] When Galdinos killers were back on the streets after recieving light sentences and preferential treatment, IR created posters and t shirts that said "these bastards killed Galdino" and listed their names. The resulting publicity drew attention back to the case.

IR is a completely autonomous, independent, self-sufficient entity who create their work using the motto of "minimum resources, maximum cooperation." When the topics of recording were too controversial for the Brazilian media and records stores to touch, IR created their own alternative distribution system with used vinyl record seller Zumbi distributing IR recordings through his hand drawn cart in the streets of Rio de Janeiro. IR through sheer necessity has pioneered ways to create music using email and filesharing as their tools to faciltate their work with indigenous people in remote scenarios. IR recordings have involved scenarios where participants have taken boats from remote islands to reach an internet provider where they can upload files. IR focus is on cooperative projects and a further example of this was how in 2007 IR collobrated with the Brazilian soundsystem Dubdem to release 3 freedub seven inch vinyl and to create a Dubdem soundsytem website (www.dubdem.com.br )which was completely interactive with the IR website(http://www.dubreality.com/).

IR has evolved into a self-described "worldwide conspiracy" involving indigenous activists and artists in various parts of the globe linking via internet with subversive minded producers, engineers and producers like Adrian Sherwood, Mad Mike (UR), Dr Das, Bobby Marshall, Sun J (Asian Dub Foundation).

IR10 Indigenous Dublands reflects this confluence. Producers like Steven Stanley(Black Uhuru, B52s, Talking Heads) Soy Sos (Soma Mestizo, 3 generations walking) ramjac (Herbie Hancock, Mark Stewart) Downsound (Jamaica) Tapedave (Mt Dublab)enconter musicians Dr Das (ex-Asian Dub Foundation), Sly n Robie, Saevo (Solomon Islands) with vocalists Tohununo (providing traditional singing from the Solomon islands), Jimmy Dick (Swampy Cree traditional singing from Turtle Island and Christiane D (Soma Mestizo) IR10 was recorded & mixed in the Solomon islands, Jamaica, UK, Brazil and Turtle Island.

The result is a mixture of funk, dub, traditonal indigenous singing spoken word, tablas and never before recorded instruments from the solomon islands. More details on individual tracks can be found on the IR website http://www.dubreality.com/ and if you search for the compound word indigenousresistance on http://www.youtube.com/ you can also find IR videos and documentaries (like the one below).