HOWLING WOLVES native american pround of it's blog: "Howling WolveS_·´)›"

>Leonard Peltier's first full parole hearing was held in 1993, at which time his case was continued for a 15-year reconsideration. He'll be eligible for another full parole hearing in December 2008. An application for parole will be filed at Mr. Peltier's discretion. The earliest that hearing is likely to occur is in January 2009 (according to the Parole Commission's schedule for in-person parole reviews to be held at USP-Lewisburg, where Peltier is currently imprisoned). Naturally, if Leonard Peltier were to be transferred to a different facility or if the Parole Commission were to add Lewisburg to its list of facilities where hearings are conducted by video-conference, the date of his parole hearing would likely change.


Note:The post of parole commissioner is a political appointment made by the President of the United States. However, unlike cabinet posts, only vacancies tend to be addressed and commissioners may serve up to 12 years. All of the current five commissioners were appointed between 2001 and 2004. Such appointments do not affect the staff of about 100 persons at the U.S. Parole Commission, however, including the parole examiners. The Commission also may be affected by congressional efforts to reinstate federal parole and other measures. It remains to be seen what impact, if any, these factors will have on Leonard Peltier's parole hearing. When the hearing does occur, however, a full reassessment of the case will be conducted.


First, we ask that you sign the online parole petition.


We also request that you draft correspondence to the U.S. Parole Commission.


Sample Letter

United States Parole Commission
5550 Friendship Boulevard
Suite 420
Chevy Chase, MD 20815-7286
(Insert Date)
Re: LEONARD PELTIER #89637-132

Dear Commissioners,

Convicted in connection with the deaths on June 26, 1975, of Ronald Williams and Jack Coler, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Leonard Peltier remains imprisoned at the United States Penitentiary in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.


The court record in this case clearly shows that government prosecutors have long held that they do not know who killed Mr. Coler and Mr. Williams nor what role Leonard Peltier "may have" played in the tragic shoot-out.


Further, in a decision filed by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on December 18, 2002, Mr. Peltier's sentences "were imposed in violation of [Peltier's] due process rights because they were based on information that was false due to government misconduct," and, according to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in 2003: ".Much of the government's behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and its prosecution of Leonard Peltier is to be condemned. The government withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These facts are not disputed.
"

Despite these admissions, Leonard Peltier has served over 30 years in prison.


After careful consideration of the facts in Leonard Peltier's case, I have concluded that Leonard Peltier does not represent a risk to the public. First, Leonard Peltier has no prior convictions and has advocated for non-violence throughout his prison term. Furthermore, Leonard Peltier has been a model prisoner. He has received excellent evaluations from his work supervisors on a regular basis. He continues to mentor young Native prisoners, encouraging them to lead clean and sober lives. He has used his time productively, disciplining himself to be a talented painter and an expressive writer. Although Leonard Peltier maintains that he did not kill the agents, he has openly expressed remorse and sadness over their deaths.


Most admirably, Mr. Peltier contributes regular support to those in need. He donates his paintings to charities including battered women's shelters, half way houses, alcohol and drug treatment programs, and Native American scholarship funds. He also coordinates an annual holiday gift drive for the children of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.


Leonard Peltier is widely recognized for his good deeds and in turn has won several awards including the North Star Frederick Douglas Award; Federation of Labour (Ontario, Canada) Humanist of the Year Award; Human Rights Commission of Spain International Human Rights Prize; and 2004 Silver Arrow Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2004, 2006 and again in 2007, Mr. Peltier also was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.


Leonard Peltier is now over 60 years of age-a great-grandfather-and suffers from partial blindness, diabetes, a heart condition, and high blood pressure.


I recognize the grave nature of the events of June 26, 1975, and I extend my deepest sympathy to the families of those who died that day. However, I find aspects of this case to also be of concern and I believe Leonard Peltier deserves to be reunited with his family and allowed to live the remaining years of his life in peace. I also believe that, rather than presenting a threat to the public, Mr. Peltier's release would help to heal a wound that has long impeded better relations between the federal government and American Indians.


Thank you for your time and consideration.


Sincerely yours,



Signature

Please also send a similar letter to your representative and senators for your state to ask that they officially support an award of parole to Leonard Peltier. Please consult this Congressional Directory for contact information.


Communicating with your members of Congress is one of the most important ways you can participate in the legislative process, and one highly effective way that you can expand your lobbying efforts is by writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Letters-to-the-editor take no more time to write than e-mails to Congress, and by writing for a public forum, you can potentially influence both your legislators and many of the voters who elect them. Click here for newspapers in your state. Also read these tips.




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In The Spirit if Crazy Horse .
AIM for freeedom!!


Establish a Branch Support Group of the LP-DOC





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Peltier Central Texas Branch Support Group
wicahcala



Leonard Peltier Support Group:KY



contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info
http://www. freepeltiernow. org/educate. htm

fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=417008229' target="_blank">Peltier Central Texas Branch Support Group
Date: 30 Dec 2008, 10:44


wicahcala

Native American Myspace
Remove Wounded Knee Medals

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Native Prisoner Resources
Say NO to Culture Vultures



wicahcala

Native American Myspace
Remove Wounded Knee Medals
Peltier Central Texas Branch Support Group

wicahcala

Peltier Central Texas Branch Support Group

20 20 de Turtle Island



Where are all my Chicanas and Chicanas @? And otha natives in this myspace world? What affects one Indigenous brother or sista, will affect all TURTLE ISLAND and the world! It's all related!

repost! Get informed or be Misinformed!
.. Native Prisoner Resources
.. Say NO to Culture Vultures
..Remove Wounded Knee Medals
D..Peltier Central Texas Branch Support Group
..

The Shoot out!

On June 26, 1975, two agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)-Mr. Jack Coler and Mr. Ron Williams-entered private property on the Pine Ridge reservation, the Jumping Bull Ranch. They drove unmarked vehicles, wore plain clothes, and neglected to identify themselves as law enforcement officers. They allegedly sought to arrest a young Indian man, Jimmy Eagle, for the theft of a pair of cowboy boots. They believed, the government contends, that they had seen Eagle in a red pick up truck that they then followed onto the Jumping Bull property.


Members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) were camping on the property at the time. They had been invited there by the Jumping Bull elders, who sought protection from the extreme violence on the reservation at that time. Many non-AIM persons were present as well.




To better view the image, point to it with your cursor. Click on the thumbnail image to enlarge it. Then, use your browser to further expand the image.


For unknown reasons, a shoot-out began. A family with small children was trapped in the cross fire. Throughout the ranch, people screamed that they were under attack and many of the men present hurried to return fire.


The Cost

When the skirmish ended, the two FBI agents were dead. The U.S. government claims they had been wounded and then shot through their heads at close range.




A young Native American named Joe Stuntz (above) also lay dead, shot through the head by a sniper bullet. His killing has never been investigated.


The more than 30 men, women, and children present on the ranch were then quickly surrounded by over 150 FBI agents, Special Weapons and Tactics (or SWAT) team members, Bureau of Indian Affairs police, and local vigilantes. They barely escaped through a hail of bullets.


The Aftermath

The FBI immediately began its investigation into the shoot-out, the so-called RESMURS investigation, and launched the biggest manhunt of its history.


Angry agents shot up the Jumping Bull home, leaving bullet riddled family portraits in their wake. In the days following the shoot-out, FBI agents in SWAT gear and carrying assault rifles also terrorized other Pine Ridge residents through a series of warrantless no-knock assaults on their homes.


Continuing with its long tradition of manipulating the media-placing articles in the popular press that put the Bureau in a positive light and interfering in the publication of "dissident" writings by persons such as Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.-the FBI immediately set about disseminating gross inaccuracies about this case. Agents Coler and Williams, the FBI claimed, had been murdered in "a cold-blooded ambush" by a large force of trained guerillas in "sophisticated bunkers" and "fortifications," but not before Williams had first pleaded for their lives for the sake of Coler's wife and children. How the Bureau developed this information about Williams' last words in the absence of anyone who could have heard them was unclear. Other reports indicated that the agents' bodies had been "riddled with bullets." Then FBI director Clarence Kelley was forced to retract these statements when reporters-who had been barred from the Jumping Bull property for two days following the shoot-out-began to discover the truth.
*

Selective Prosecution

The FBI very quickly focused its investigation on prominent AIM members known to be present during the shoot-out-Leonard Peltier, in particular. The investigation became a race to develop a case against him. Investigators imposed their desires on the evidence, taking bits and pieces and fashioning them in such a way so as to support their case.


In short order, indictments were issued against Leonard Peltier, as well as his two friends and colleagues Dino Butler and Bob Robideau, who also had been present throughout the incident. Charges against a fourth man, Jimmy Eagle (a non-AIM member), were later dropped. (Prosecutors admitted during Peltier's trial that Jimmy Eagle had not even been on the reservation on the day of the shoot-out. However, FBI documents later revealed that the government decided to dismiss charges against Eagle so that "the full prosecutive weight of the Federal Government could be directed against Leonard Peltier."). Despite the presence of so many other individuals on the Jumping Bull property during the shoot-out, no other individuals were given any serious scrutiny during the RESMURS investigation-even those who claimed participation in the shoot-out and bragged about being responsible for the agents' deaths. No other persons were charged for the shooting deaths of the FBI agents.


*Media manipulation is a tactic used against Leonard Peltier even today as evidenced by the FBI's media work during Peltier's bid for an award of Executive Clemency. Click here.






The Butler-Robideau Trial

Peltier's Co-Defendants

Darrelle "Dino" Butler and Bob Robideau stood trial separately from Leonard Peltier who, convinced he would never receive a fair trial in the United States, had fled to Canada.


The defense team succeeded in getting the trial moved from racist South Dakota to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Cedar Rapids was, however, a predominantly white city and concerns remained as to the likelihood of Butler and Robideau receiving a fair trial.


Immediately, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began setting the stage for the defendants' convictions. Agents warned local police that carloads of American Indian Movement (AIM) "terrorists" were descending on the town. On May 11,1976, U.S. marshals visited every office in the Federal Building (where the trial was to be held), telling folks to prepare for shooting incidents and the seizure of hostages and advising them that marshals on the roof would be on the lookout for marauding Indians.


Elsewhere, rumors about alleged renegade activity ran rampant. A report allegedly emanating from Connecticut police intelligence, for example, stated that a "terrorist" group affiliated with AIM had hatched a plan "to kill a cop a day." The report failed to mention that the organization referenced was defunct.


On June 22, the FBI released a teletype that was distributed to law enforcement agencies throughout the country. It claimed that 2,000 AIM "Dog Soldiers" trained in "the Northwest Territory" would fan out across South Dakota and would kidnap, bomb, burn, snipe... all to disrupt the Bicentennial Celebration.


When the 2,000 "Dog Soldiers" didn't show up in South Dakota and the rest of the FBI's scare campaign was shown to be a lie, the Cedar Rapids community began to look at AIM members, who had peaceably assembled there for the trial, with a fresh eye and view the government's machinations with skepticism.


Evidence Heard

Presided over by Judge Edward McManus, the trial commenced on June 7, 1976.


The defendants admitted that they were present at the shoot-out and had exchanged fire with the FBI agents in the course of defending their women and children.


In a search for the truth, Judge McManus allowed a broad range of evidence to be heard, often over the vigorous objections of the prosecutor. This allowed the jury to receive a full explanation of how the shoot-out had occurred and why the Native defendants reacted as they did.


Testimony was heard about the Pine Ridge "Reign of Terror" and from the director of the FBI himself, Clarence Kelley, on the Bureau's counterintelligence activities and tactics. Testimony prompted by the defense attorneys also brought forward a pattern of FBI misconduct in other prosecutions of AIM members, specifically those occurring after Wounded Knee II.


During the trial, a key prosecution witness, Mr. Draper, also admitted that he had been threatened by the FBI and as a result had changed his testimony based on agents' instructions, so as to support the government's position. Another prosecution witness also was shown to have lied on the witness stand.


The Verdict

Clearly, the evidence heard at trial was sufficient to convince the jury of the defendants' claims. Further, the government's behavior before and during the trail severely damaged its credibility. In July, the jurors found that there was no evidence to link Butler and Robideau to the fatal shots. Moreover, the exchange of gun fire from a distance was deemed an act of self-defense.

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The Extradition

Myrtle Poor Bear

Mr. Leonard Peltier was arrested in Canada on February 6,1976. He was extradited from Canada in December on the basis of an affidavit signed by Myrtle Poor Bear, a Native American woman known to have serious mental health problems.


False Affidavits

Poor Bear claimed to have been Leonard Peltier's girlfriend at the time of the shootings, and to have been present during the shoot-out and witnessed the killings.



Poor Bear Affidavits





Affidavit 1. Here, Special Agents David Price and William Wood have Myrtle Poor Bear recount how it was she who overheard the planning of the Northwest AIM group to lure Special Agents Coler and Williams to their deaths in an ambush. Note that there is no claim Poor Bear witnessed the shoot-out, but that she heard Leonard Peltier order the agents killed beforehand, and that he later "confessed to her.
"



Affidavit 2. With this affidavit, Price and Wood have Poor Bear present herself as being Peltier's "girl friend," and as overhearing planning for an ambush. However, with this affidavit, Poor Bear is now presented as having witnessed Peltier killing the agents. Details on an escape route apparently were designed to explain away the Bureau's embarrassing inability to apprehend suspects at the scene of the shoot-out. Also note how the method of killing corresponds to the FBI's contrived "execution" scenario.




Affidavit 3. This affidavit was eventually submitted to the Canadian courts. Here, the agents totally abandoned the notion of Poor Bear's having overheard planning for an ambush. Instead they have her provide considerable detail as an "eyewitness." Note also the absence of any alleged confession on the part of Leonard Peltier.

Government Admission

Leonard Peltier was extradited from Canada to the United States.


Today, the government concedes that, in fact, Myrtle Poor Bear did not know Leonard Peltier, nor was she present at the time of the shooting. She later confessed she had given false statements after being pressured and terrorized by FBI agents. Myrtle Poor Bear sought to testify in this regard at Leonard Peltier's trial. However, the judge barred her testimony on the grounds of mental incompetence.


In addition to being a violation of Leonard Peltier's rights, the United States government committed fraud on the court during the extradition proceedings and violated the sovereignty of Canada. The U.S. government has made no attempt to correct this wrong and, to date, the illegal extradition has not been corrected by the Canadian Court.

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......

In The Spirit if Crazy Horse .
AIM for freeedom!!


Establish a Branch Support Group of the LP-DOC





..

click and sign !!!

The Peltier Trial

Wrongful Conviction

In March 1977, Leonard Peltier stood trial in Fargo, North Dakota. According to the government, the case was originally assigned to the federal district court in Sioux Falls, where Judge Nichol (see Wounded Knee) would have presided. When Nichol excused himself, the case was assigned to Judge Paul Benson who removed the trial to Fargo.


It should be noted that, in December 1982, attorney William Kunstler discovered in a telephone conversation with Judge Edward McManus (who had presided over the Butler/Robideau trial) that McManus, not Benson, had been scheduled to try the Peltier case. He had been astonished, he said, to find himself arbitrarily removed in favor of Judge Benson. To this day, it is not clear how McManus' removal was accomplished or by whom specifically. There appears to have been a concerted effort, however, to prevent the involvement of judges in Peltier's trial who had previously made rulings in favor of defendants in the government's prosecutions of other members of the American Indian Movement (AIM).


The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as it had done during the Butler/Robideau trial, spread rumors about anticipated "terrorist" attacks by AIM members that built tensions in an already anti-Indian environment.


It was later discovered that the FBI met secretly with Judge Benson prior to trial. There are no notes of these meetings but, not surprisingly, Judge Benson's subsequent rulings were made almost always in favor of the prosecution.


Documents discovered after the trial also revealed that the FBI had informants in the Wounded Knee Legal Defense/Offense Committee at or about the time of Leonard's capture (a critical time, i.e., while a defense was being mounted).* The government has refused to divulge the identities of the informants. Infiltration of the defense team would have meant that the prosecution received first-hand information concerning the defense, a clear violation of Leonard's constitutional rights.


Jury selection, completed in only one day, resulted in an all white jury of ten women and four men, two of whom were alternates. They were sequestered for the duration of the trial. Never in any danger, they nevertheless were made to feel vulnerable to attack. They were transported to the court house in a bus where the windows had been taped over and escorted by Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) team members at all times.


The government presented fifteen days of evidence to the jury after which the defense presented six days of evidence. However, due to frequent rulings in the prosecution's favor, the jury actually heard only two and one-half days of the defense case.


On April 19, 1977, after 11 hours of deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of guilty.


What became evident much later is that the government committed fraud on the court and violated Leonard's constitutional right to a fair trial by withholding evidence, presenting false evidence, and intimidating witnesses into committing perjury.


Ballistics Evidence

Critical ballistics evidence that reflected Mr. Peltier's innocence was withheld during his trial. Specifically, the ballistics expert for the FBI, Evan Hodge, testified that he had been unable to perform the best test, a firing pin test, on certain casings found near Agent Coler's car because the rifle in question had been damaged in a fire. Instead, he stated that he had conducted an extractor mark test and found the casing and weapon to match.


Years later, documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) showed that, in October 1975, a firing pin ballistics test had indeed been performed on the rifle and that the results were clearly negative. In short, the fatal bullets did not come from the weapon alleged to have been fired by Leonard Peltier. It should also be made very clear that the AR-15 and FBI-issued M-16 deliver the same .223 caliber round. However, the jury never heard about any of these crucial issues.
More

On a related matter, SA Fred Coward testified that he was able to see Peltier at the site of the shoot-out, some 700 feet away, using the telescopic lens on his rifle. The defense attorneys duplicated this sighting and found it to be impossible. However, Judge Benson would not allow a test of the claim in court. Coward's testimony was allowed into evidence and used as a basis to support Peltier's conviction.


The Pickup Truck

Equally disturbing are the numerous discrepancies regarding the key vehicle in the case. Agents Williams and Coler had radioed that they were chasing a "red pick up truck" which they believed was transporting a suspect. The chase led to the Jumping Bull Ranch and the fatal shoot-out. At trial, however, the evidence had changed to describe a "red and white van," quite a different vehicle and which, not coincidentally, was more easily linked to Mr. Peltier.


Witnesses

No known witnesses exist as to the actual shooting of FBI Agents Coler and Williams. Three adolescents gave inconclusive and vague testimonies at Peltier's trial, contradicting their own earlier statements, as well as each other. All three witnesses admitted they had been seriously threatened and intimidated by FBI agents.


The court, at Mr. Peltier's trial, did not permit the jury to learn of the FBI's pattern and practice of using false affidavits and intimidating witnesses in recent related cases against other members of the American Indian Movement. The jury was thus unable to properly evaluate the credibility of prosecution witnesses' testimony.


The Prosecution's Case

There was no witness testimony that Leonard Peltier shot the two FBI agents.


There was no witness testimony that placed Mr. Peltier near the scene before the agents' deaths occurred. Those witnesses placing Peltier, Robideau, and Butler near the scene after the killing were coerced and intimidated by the FBI.


There was no forensic evidence as to the exact type of rifle that caused the fatal injuries of the agents. Several different weapons present in the area during the shoot-out- evidence now shows that there were other AR-15 rifles in the area-could have caused the fatal injuries. In addition, the AR-15 rifle claimed to be Mr. Peltier's weapon was found to be incompatible with the bullet casing allegedly found near Agent Coler's car (according to the FBI's documents, by two different agents on two different days). Although other bullets were fired at the crime scene, no other casings or evidence about them were offered by the prosecutor in this case.


In short, there was/is no reasonable evidence that Mr. Peltier committed the crimes for which he was convicted. Instead there is very strong evidence of FBI and prosecutorial misconduct.


Comparison of the Two Trials

By 1977, Leonard Peltier was the only remaining individual the FBI could blame for the deaths of the two agents. The charges against Jimmy Eagle had been dropped-the government stipulated that he was not on the reservation on the day of the firefight. (However, FBI documents later revealed that the government decided to dismiss charges against Eagle so that "the full prosecutive weight of the Federal Government could be directed against Leonard Peltier.") Dino Butler and Bob Robideau were acquitted in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in July 1976.


The Butler/Robideau trial had uncovered much FBI misconduct, such as tampering with witnesses and evidence, perjury, counterintelligence-type activities and tactics used against AIM, and substantial evidence indicating there was a full scale paramilitary assault on Pine Ridge by the FBI and other law enforcement officials on the day in question. The jury as a result concluded that Butler and Robideau were acting in self-defense.


Peltier's defense team had this same evidence and more. Yet they would never be be able to present a major portion of it to the jury.


The government clearly was determined to convict Peltier and succeeded. Leonard Peltier was found guilty not because he was guilty, but because crucial aspects of his trial were manipulated to favor the prosecution and, consequently, cause a conviction.


Click here to review a table that briefly points out the differences between the two trials. Also included in the table are direct quotations from a FBI report on the Butler/Robideau trial dated July 20, 1976, which analyzed the "reasons why [the] jury found the defendants Robideau and Butler not guilty on July 16, 1976." We recommend that you compare this FBI study to the subsequent rulings at Peltier's Fargo trial (Trial Transcript).


*This was not a unique occurrence. During the 1974 Wounded Knee trial of Dennis Banks and Russell Means, an informant who had direct knowledge of the defense case was exposed. The government had vehemently denied to Judge Nichol that any such informant existed.
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I have changed the web site to not only deal with preventing wolf slaughter in Alaska but also in the rest of the U.S. Below you will find information on what is going on in Idaho and Wyoming as well as in Alaska. Please let your voice be heard. Singn petitions and let your congressmen know how you feel. Only in the last 10 years have we seen the wolves restored to the west and now the U.S. government and states want to delist wolves as endangered species. This will give the states the right to manage the wolves and several will allow hunters, ranchers and others to slaughter wolves. In Alaska, there is a continued fight to stop slaughter from aerial gunners. From Defenders of Wildlife IDAHO and WYOMING Federal officials are about to make a big mistake -- one that could lead to the killing of hundreds of wolves in the Northern Rockies. Help save these magnificent animals. Urge the head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Dale Hall, to maintain federal protections for gray wolves. Sometime this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to release a proposal to strip wolves of crucial Endangered Species Act protections across most of Wyoming and de-list wolves in Idaho, where the state is poised to kill up to 75% of the wolves living in the Lolo district of the Clearwater National Forest. This proposal could allow the use of aerial gunning and other lethal control methods to kill as many as two-thirds of the wolves in Wyoming and as many as 54 of Idaho’s 65 wolf packs! Help us prevent the worst massacre of wolves to occur in the lower 48 states in decades. Take action now. In the last century, America’s wolves were nearly hunted, trapped, poisoned and harassed to extinction. Yet neither Wyoming nor Idaho has addressed the core issues that once brought these magnificent animals to the brink of extinction. Until Wyoming and Idaho take decisive action to promote conservation, maintain adequate range for the wolves and reduce conflicts between ranchers and wolves, removing federal protections is a recipe for disaster. Since last week, more than $85,000 has been donated to support our work to save wolves in the Northern Rockies. We’ve already begun putting these resources to good use, preparing our legal challenge to the federal proposal and rushing new radio ads and other educational materials into production. Now we need to ensure our voices our heard. Plenty of folks motivated by over-blown claims of livestock loss and elk hunting declines are urging federal officials to kill wolves. Will you be a voice for for America’s wolves? Send your message now, and urge Fish and Wildlife Service chief Dale Hall to protect wolves in the Northern Rockies. The future of our wolves depends on you. Best Regards, Rodger Schlickeisen President Defenders of Wildlife ALASKA Anchorage, AK -- In an attempt to prevent the state from issuing new aerial wolf and bear gunning permits and to ban current permittee-holders from acting under the permits already issued, Defenders of Wildlife filed a request for a preliminary injunction with the State Superior Court. The injunction comes as the Court is considering Defenders’ lawsuit, which was filed in August and challenges Alaska's aerial gunning programs that cover more than 40 million acres of Alaska's interior and could result in the killing of more than 75 percent of the wolves in several areas. "Defenders is trying to make sure that no wolves or bears are killed before the judge rules on the lawsuit," declared Rodger Schlickeisen, President, Defenders of Wildlife. "We think it only fair that all the facts be presented and sorted through by a judge. Until that happens, it makes sense to halt the permitting process." Under the current predator control programs the Alaska Board of Game has adopted, private individuals may obtain permits to hunt wolves and bears using aircraft. Permittees may chase wolves to exhaustion using airplanes and then land and shoot them, or shoot them from the air. The suit alleges that the Board of Game adopted regulations that are inconsistent with Alaska statutes governing game management. The Board of Game changed the rules for adoption of predator control programs after the Superior Court shut down the programs last winter. The Board removed restrictions on the programs, such as following the publicly reviewed and adopted "Wolf Management Plan" and requiring the Board to use the best available science in making its decisions. The Board also expanded bear control and is allowing baiting of wolves and bears in some areas. "Not only is the predator control program itself very controversial, but the state has now drastically reduced the requirements for such programs and made these changes without including the public," said Valerie Brown, an attorney representing Defenders of Wildlife. "We're asking the Court to halt the programs and require the state, at a minimum, to adopt science-based programs in compliance with the law." The request for a preliminary injunction says that the state changed the regulations without public notice. Alaska law also requires that any predator control program be part of a comprehensive game management plan, which the Board of Game has failed to adopt. The use of aircraft to kill wolves was banned by Alaskans in statewide ballot measures in 1996 and 2000, but the Alaska Legislature overturned those bans. In the three years since Alaska has begun issuing permits to pilots and gunners to conduct aerial-based wolf killing more than 550 wolves have been killed. In 2006 alone, more than 150 wolves were killed. The state has 10 days to respond. Take Action now to prevent the slaughter of Alaskan Wolves. Defenders of Wildlife is joined in the lawsuit by the Sierra Club and The Alaska Wildlife Alliance. The plaintiffs are represented by Valerie Brown and Mike Frank with Trustees for Alaska.

Today I want to share with you something our Brother Bear Warrior, wrote, I hope you enjoy it. YOU CLIMB A MOUNTAIN ONE STEP AT A TIME Everyone who got where they arehad to begin where they were.Your opportunity for success is right in front of you. To attain success or to reach your goal, don't worry abouthaving all the answers in advance.You just need to have a clear ideaof your goal and move toward it. Don't procrastinate when faced with a difficult problem.Break your problems into parts and handle one part at a time. Develop a tendency toward action.You can make something happen today.Break your big plan for success into small stepsand take the first step right away. Success starts with a first step. May our Creator bless you day with many blessings, happiness, joy, peace, harmony, balance, good health and lots of love.

A soul searches for a place of belonging

A place where love and direction are found

in the whispers when the great winds sing

I have found such a place where all answers are given

Because the voice you hear comes from the creator in the great beyond..


my Family, look deep and you will see

The sacred journey is a gift, given free

The greatest gift you have is love

This gift is always present

it even falls from the wings of the dove..


The colors of man - black - red - yellow - white...

Are always seen when the owl - hawk - and the great eagle are in flight

The songs are sung when the drum makes its sound

When the sacred circle is made

while we stand on sacred ground Our prayers lift up -

up high in the sky


A journey of the soul is sacred and holy

tears flow gently from my eye

The sacredness of the mountain is for all too see

Because of human greed the rainbow is chained

it is not free

The sacred journey reaches out to the soul in need

Mans chains are taken away and the soul is freed

Look unto the mountain and the creator on high

Open your heart

opens your eye's

The truth of this journey will always stand...

I am there for all - reach out - take hold of my hand


what are we searching for in life..
where does this journey lead us.. is it to happiness and what is happiness...we climb mountains to get to the top..for what..we swim raging rivers to find a true love..why...we work day and night..to get where...what are we searching for.. riches..fame...why do we do what we do.. to please our own inner self ..some one else..or please Creator.. will fame and fortune bring us happiness..will getting to the top of the mountain bring us peace...and will the raging river fill our hearts with true love...people search and search...climb and fall.. swim and drown..for what reasons..is it to better ourselves...to make a home for our children..to love and be loved.. to see whats in it for ones own self.. what are the reasons...who do we serve first in life.. it should not be ourselves..since before my birth i knew what i was to do here on mother earth..i was born to serve.. to serve creator and people.. at any price..any sacrifice...for true happiness and peace with in is to sacrifice all for as many times as it is called for.. it does not bring fame or fortune...every day i climb the mountain i swim the raging river and i work day and night...but at each ending of every day i know true peace with in my soul because i know i have done what i was born to do..serve....to serve is to love..to love is to sacrifice...till my last breath is taken i will sacrifice because with that last breath i will love you




I Am Spirit

I am the Spirit that years to feel the pureness of a winter snow

I am the Spirit that howls when then wind is blowing

I am the Spirit that brings forth the sacredness of a Hot Springs bath

I am the Spirit that searches for the sacred path




I am the Spirit that sends our winged brothers up high

I am the Spirit that falls as a tear from a child's eye

I am the Spirit that holds love in its arm

I am the Spirit that stands to protect the people from harm




I am the Spirit that grows with our brother and sister trees

I am the Spirit of the howl for the wolf that runs free

I am the Spirit that flows from a mountain spring high

I am the Spirit that sparkles in the midnight sky




I am the Spirit that lives in the stones of Mother Earth

I am the Spirit of newness that come in birth

I am the Spirit past, present, and what will be

I am the Spirit that travels from sea to sea




I am the Spirit of fire that warms ones soul

I am the Spirit of darkness in the deep deaths of a hole

I am the Spirit that keeps the songs of the past

I am the Spirit that says 'remember' so the songs will last




I am the Spirit of horse that runs through the land

I am the Spirit of buffalo destroyed by mans hand

I am the Spirit of the tipi standing proud for all to see

I am the Spirit of imprisoned warriors that yearn to be free




I am the Spirit of Creator who hears my prayers on high

I am the Spirit of Mother Earth who now has tears in her eye

I am the Spirit of the drum, the heartbeat of the land

I am the Spirit of dance where sacred feathers are held in ones hand




I am the Spirit of mist that brings forth the rainbow arched high

I am the Spirit of beauty so great all who look will stand in awe and sigh

I am the Spirit of the ancients that guide us in all things

I am the Spirit of humming bird searching for nectar in the spring

I am the Spirit that lives and survives in all things


I am Spirit






Red Tree Woman

BY MARY WICOFF Commercial-News DANVILLE — Moviegoers who enjoyed “Pocahontas” will have a chance to meet the actress behind the voice this week. Irene Bedard, a well-known Native American actress and singer, will attend National Powwow 14, which starts Wednesday. She will be available to sign autographs and copies of her videos, although exact times have not been set. Also appearing will be the Cozad Singers from Oklahoma, who will perform traditional Kiowa songs, and the Young Kingbird Singers from Minnesota. Having such well-known native entertainers come to Danville is exciting, said Craig Jones, chairman of the National Powwow. “It makes it a special event, not only for the spectators, but for people coming from all over the country,” he said. National Powwow is a celebration of Native American culture, music and dancing, presented every three years. This is the third time Danville has been chosen to host the event, which draws dancers, singers and craftspeople from across the country. John and Barbara Dreher of Danville are the local organizers. Barbara agreed that it’s a coup to get such well-known entertainers, such as Bedard, to come to the powwow. Powwows are largely the same, she said, so it’s good to offer something different. “It’s shaping up to be a real good one,” she said of this week’s event. Jones said the head dancers have been selected on their abilities and knowledge of native culture, and some of the best in the country will be here this week. Bedard will have a table set up, selling videos and T-shirts. She also will discuss her youth mentoring and leadership organization, Foundation for the Future of the Seventh Generation. The program uses the performing and media arts to build self-esteem in Native American youth. Bedard and her husband, Deni, have a band that performs original contemporary music with traditional native, Gaelic and American roots. Bedard, an Inupiat and Cree-French Canadian, has starred in more than 42 movies. She’s probably best known as the voice and likeness for Walt Disney’s animated film, “Pocahontas.” She appeared in a different take of the story in the 2005 film “The New World,” as Pocahontas’ mother. Her first role was as Mary Crow Dog in the television production “Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee.” In 2005 she was cast in the television mini-series “Into the West,” portraying the half-Lakota, half-white adult Margaret “Light Shines” Wheeler. She was chosen as one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People for 1995. The Cozad Singers, a Kiowa singing group, has been making music for generations and has released countless recordings with Sweetgrass Records. The group is familiar in powwow circles, and has had an enormous impact on Native American culture, Jones said. Young Kingbird Singers will perform songs from its latest release “On the Warpath,” available on iTunes. The group has a contemporary style, Jones said, adding, “It will be a real pleasure to listen to. ” Powwows go back to the 1800s, Jones said, with people traveling to visit other tribes and joining in their dances. In modern day, native people still travel to regional powwows. “It was eventually determined to have a special event to have everyone celebrate together,” he said, noting every three years seemed like a good timetable. Regional powwows continue to be held every year. This is the 40th year for the National Powwow. Danville was host in 1975 and 2005. Referring to 2005, Jones said, “Things went so well, we decided we’d come back. ” COMING UP National Powwow 14 starts Wednesday night and continues through Saturday at the Vermilion County Fairgrounds