Action alert-A message from Leonard Peltier

[ellie]

I received this e-mail from the Leonard Peltier Defense Commitee:

"No human being should ever have to fear for his own life because of
political or religious beliefs. We are all in this together, my
friends, the
rich, the poor, the red, white, black, brown and yellow. We share
responsibility for Mother Earth and those who live and breathe upon her
..never forget that."
Leonard Peltier



Please click here to join our Freedom of Religion for Native American
Inmates Petition:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/inipi/petition.html



Religious freedom is a fundamental right of all, including American Indians yet the struggle to preserve and protect our religion has always been a
difficult one. More so when incarcerated Native Americans are concerned who tend to be given second rate acknowledgement by prison officials and
mainstream faiths.

In 1984 Robert Wilson, (Standing Deer) Albert Garza and I fasted for 42 days to draw worldwide attention to the deplorable conditions at the USP Marion and to no longer allow the United States to continue denying Native American brothers and sisters the right to practice our religion. For over 500 years our religion has been trampled on and disrespected by those who invaded our lands, and who have tried to take away our culture, our traditions, our language, our history, and our religion. When we fasted for 42 days we did not fast out of depression
or despair, but with a joyful commitment of total love and dedication to our people. We were willing to fast until we were granted our constitutional right to practice our religion or until we returned to our Creator.

In retaliation for our 42 day fast we were held in solitary isolation for 15 months with nothing in our "cages" (cell) except for a steel bunk and
toilet. The door to the "cage" (cell) was never opened unless we were handcuffed behind our backs, and four guards with clubs were present to
supervise our every move. After a year of confinement attorney Margaret Gold filed a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons that secured in
having each one of us transferred to a separate maximum security prison where we were allowed to practice our religion.

In 1985 I was transferred to USP Leavenworth; Alfred went to USP Lewisburg and Standing Deer to USP Lompoc.

As of August 15, 2005 I have been at USP Lewisburg and since November 2006 I have not attended an inipi ceremony (sweat lodge). When I say I have
not attended an inipi ceremony, I must add I have refused to attend an inipi ceremony, as my way of refusing to participate in the ongoing
disrespect for our religion and sacred ceremonies by the USP prison system. I cannot allow the United States to continue denying Native American brothers and
sisters the right to practice our religion. The trend within the past several years throughout the United States prison system has been to restrict the
traditional spiritual practices of Native Americans.

Nationwide, the current trend of prison officials is to limit the amount of time Indian prisoners can participate in inipi ceremonies, talking circles and spiritual
gatherings. The new restrictions in U.S. prisons are racist and undermine the sacredness of our traditional ceremonies. Those restrictions
include time limits and the rationing of firewood for the inipi and an English-only mandate. Mandating the English-only requirement for the ceremony is
discrimination and racist, because the Native language is used and needed for the songs and prayers to be blessed by the Creator.

The new restrictions include a four-hour time limit on the Sweat lodge ceremony, which is unrealistic since the inipi includes the heating of the stones, which
takes two hours, and two hours for the actual ceremony. The stones need to be heated for at least two hours, otherwise they are cold and the ceremony
is neither complete nor beneficial to the healing and prayers. The rationing of firewood in U.S. prisons has deliberately undermined the heating of
the stones for ceremony. Rushing through an ancient ceremony is not proper, it is very sacred.

The deliberate attempt to shorten the hours and circumvent the ceremony is sacrilegious and undermining the seriousness and sacredness of the spiritual healing and blessings.
Traditional ceremonies are to be held in the ancient and sacred way and manner. Prison chaplains continue to oversee American Indian ceremonies. The supervision of our inipi by the
chaplain is not necessary, because it takes time away from other spiritual and cultural activities. These include talking circles, drumming sessions and Pipe ceremonies that also mandate the presence of the chaplain.

During the inipi Ceremony, tobacco, or kinnikinnick (a mixture of sage, cedar and sweet grass) is used for our sacred pipe or Canupa. Very limited amounts of tobacco are allowed for our sacred pipe ceremony. I am a pipe carrier and am not allowed to smoke my pipe with tobacco, kinnikinnick is also not available. I have asked to smoke my pipe in the sacred lodge area and
have been told that while the present Chaplain is working for the USP Lewisburg, I will not have access to my pipe.

A part of the ceremony is having a meal after the ceremony has been completed. The USP prison system is denying us the right, to eat this meal after our ceremony. The Native American brothers, are the only group that receives only two meals on the day we have our ceremony. This also changes the way our inipi ceremony has been taught to us by our ancestors.

I ask that those of you who can practice your religion freely do so and keep those of us who continue to fight for our religious freedom, preservation of our Culture, traditions, language, history and dignity in your thoughts and prayers.

Yours in the struggle,

Until freedom is won,

Leonard Peltier



Leonard Peltier Defense Committee

Website: www.leonardpeltier.net <http://www.leonardpeltier.net/>

Email: [e-mail]

Address:

LPDC

3800 N. Mesa

# A2

El Paso, Texas 79902

Action Alert: The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee kindly requests
that you
take a few minutes to read the information on the following petition
that
the LPDC will be sending to the Human Rights Council of the United
Nations
and to the Special Rapporteur on Religion of the United Nations Council
on
Human Rights. This will recognize the urgent need for international
oversight and further investigation of the serious ongoing human rights
violations, in order to insure that the freedom of religion for Native
Prisoners is protected.

Our goal is to submit the petition by September 12, 2007. We kindly ask
that
you help support this petition by sending it to your lists. Please
forward
this email in its entirety, do not modify, edit, remove or add to this
petition.

Together with your support and help, we can help to make a difference
for
Leonard Peltier and all of our brothers and sisters.

Respectfully,

Leonard Peltier Defense Committee



Please click here to join our Freedom of Religion for Native American
Inmates Petition:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/inipi/petition.html

[Vincardog]

1. Signed

[Waya]

2. Signed..........