Valkyrie
12th December 2002, 00:22
Greetings Friends & Supporters:
Well here we are once again, at the end of my 26th year behind these prison
walls. As I reflect back on this past year I am amazed
to see all the legal motion that is now happening in my case. After Clinton
walked out on us in 2001, I almost felt that I didn't
have any avenues of redress left and I wasn't sure if the campaign for my
freedom could continue. I wasn't really sure that there
would be any more options to pursue. There was the office transition and a
lull in activity this past summer. But now, thanks to
my great legal team I see that there are still more battles to be fought and
if fought hard enough, won. And I hope you are all
ready to continue this work because I sure am ready for the next go round.
I know that the political climate, the impending war and the state of the
economy is going to make this work a lot more difficult
for all of us. However, we must remember that the people have always had to
struggle for every little gain that has been won and it
isn't going to be any different this time. We must continue our work to
expose the FBI's illegal conduct not only in my case, but
also for all the people who are unjustly incarcerated for their political
beliefs.
This past summer I put out a call for Native youth to come out and take on
some responsibility for the movement to free me and to
make sure Indigenous issues are kept alive. I am happy to report that a
number of students from Haskell Indian Nations University
took up the challenge. They have formed the Peltier Indigenous Justice
Alliance (PIJA). This endeavor by these students makes me
feel proud. I hope that others will join them to carry on the work of those
who have already worked so tirelessly all their lives
for justice. Remember it was a hand-full of students from the Bay Area who
helped organize the takeover of Alcatraz, which gave
spark to the movement, which led to many of the demonstrations that would
bring our issues before the public.
I also want to tell you how proud and happy to have my daughter Marquetta
working in the office coordinating my campaign and being
on the speakers' bureau. She has taken on a tremendous responsibility is
doing a fine job. Thanks to her this Christmas I will be
able to have more of my grandchildren with me. It hasn't been easy watching
my children and now my grandchildren grow up through
photos. Now I can actually have them with me and be able to spend some time
talking and playing with them for a few hours a week.
Believe me this is a welcome break from this daily oppressive life I live in
here.
Now that the holidays are once again upon us I would once again ask you to
support the Christmas Drive for the children of the Pine
Ridge Indian Reservation. So many children would have gone without a gift,
had it not been for your generosity these past years.
And last but far from least I want to thank each and every one of you for
hanging in there with me through the good and the hard
times. I am counting on all of you to be with me for this next campaign.
No effort can move forward without your continued
support. Together we can and will succeed. And in closing I want to wish
you and yours safe and happy holidays and a prosperous
New Year.
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Peltier
-----------
www.freepeltier.org
Well here we are once again, at the end of my 26th year behind these prison
walls. As I reflect back on this past year I am amazed
to see all the legal motion that is now happening in my case. After Clinton
walked out on us in 2001, I almost felt that I didn't
have any avenues of redress left and I wasn't sure if the campaign for my
freedom could continue. I wasn't really sure that there
would be any more options to pursue. There was the office transition and a
lull in activity this past summer. But now, thanks to
my great legal team I see that there are still more battles to be fought and
if fought hard enough, won. And I hope you are all
ready to continue this work because I sure am ready for the next go round.
I know that the political climate, the impending war and the state of the
economy is going to make this work a lot more difficult
for all of us. However, we must remember that the people have always had to
struggle for every little gain that has been won and it
isn't going to be any different this time. We must continue our work to
expose the FBI's illegal conduct not only in my case, but
also for all the people who are unjustly incarcerated for their political
beliefs.
This past summer I put out a call for Native youth to come out and take on
some responsibility for the movement to free me and to
make sure Indigenous issues are kept alive. I am happy to report that a
number of students from Haskell Indian Nations University
took up the challenge. They have formed the Peltier Indigenous Justice
Alliance (PIJA). This endeavor by these students makes me
feel proud. I hope that others will join them to carry on the work of those
who have already worked so tirelessly all their lives
for justice. Remember it was a hand-full of students from the Bay Area who
helped organize the takeover of Alcatraz, which gave
spark to the movement, which led to many of the demonstrations that would
bring our issues before the public.
I also want to tell you how proud and happy to have my daughter Marquetta
working in the office coordinating my campaign and being
on the speakers' bureau. She has taken on a tremendous responsibility is
doing a fine job. Thanks to her this Christmas I will be
able to have more of my grandchildren with me. It hasn't been easy watching
my children and now my grandchildren grow up through
photos. Now I can actually have them with me and be able to spend some time
talking and playing with them for a few hours a week.
Believe me this is a welcome break from this daily oppressive life I live in
here.
Now that the holidays are once again upon us I would once again ask you to
support the Christmas Drive for the children of the Pine
Ridge Indian Reservation. So many children would have gone without a gift,
had it not been for your generosity these past years.
And last but far from least I want to thank each and every one of you for
hanging in there with me through the good and the hard
times. I am counting on all of you to be with me for this next campaign.
No effort can move forward without your continued
support. Together we can and will succeed. And in closing I want to wish
you and yours safe and happy holidays and a prosperous
New Year.
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Peltier
-----------
www.freepeltier.org