A man of Prinicple

A Man of Principle

Leonard Peltier is a man of principle.  He is considered a murderer by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).  He is considered a political prisoner by activists and others across the world.  Leonard Peltier gives us his point of view of who he is in his book, “Prison Writings:  My Life Is My Sun Dance”.  He is a person that is represented by his names.  Throughout his life he has been given different names.  These names bring different elements in his life.  These elements are set by principle of humanity.

Leonard was born in September 12^th, 1944 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  His maternal grandmother is a full-blood Sioux.  His father is three-fourths Ojibwa and one-fourth French.  He was raised by his grandparents, which is tradition in most Native American cultures.  Peter Matthiessen accounts power points of realizations from Leonard Peltier's childhood to his adulthood (In the Spirit of Crazy Horse pg.41-57).  One of the pivotal moments in his life was when he became a part of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in 1970.  The confrontation at that time was the Fort Lawton takeover outside of Seattle, Washington.  This is where some of the principles set by his family would be displayed. 

The principles that Leonard Peltier learned to live by are those of his parents who learned from their parents and so on.  He lived by the means of his people and only relative to them (43).  At eight years old he developed the understanding of what racism and hate meant.  In the beginning of understanding these words, he didn’t know what a dirty Indian meant.  In 1953, Leonard experienced the United States government boarding schools for Indians.  He would realize the hard reality of being assimilated as European.  In 1958, he witnessed his first Sun Dance ceremony and became aware how spirituality is very important.  This was during a time when it was illegal to practice traditional ceremonies.  He understood that his people’s beliefs and way of life were on a path of extinction.  He understood that principles were being broken.  Leonard Peltier’s spirit would not be broken as easily as principles.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation will forever try and break his spirit.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) considers Leonard Peltier a murderer because of evidence that makes him the primary suspect for the killing of two FBI agents.  This event happened on June 26^th, 1975 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.  Peter Matthiessen, in the book, “In the Spirit of Crazy Horse: The Story of Leonard Peltier and The FBI’s War on the American Indian Movement”, recalls Leonard Peltier’s verdict of judgment as guilty for these crimes.  The preface in “Prison Writings” is the statement by former Attorney General of the United States and counsel to Leonard Peltier, Ramsey Clark states, “one prosecutor admitted, ‘we did not know who shot the agents’”.  A story accounts for two sides and this is the other side of it.

A reservation is considered a political community by Congress members.  So therefore, a person that’s incarcerated that is part of this community must be a political prisoner.  Peltier recalls the events that were taking place to dissolve the Native American culture (88-120).  Since Leonard Peltier is still in prison for a crime that has been corrupted by the FBI to convict someone of an embarrassment by their own actions, he is a political prisoner and symbolizes the injustices performed by a nation that states that it is a nation of freedom.  Although he is in prison under the name #89637-132, he has other names that give him spiritual power.

Tate Wikuwa is a name given to him by the Dakota people.  It means “Wind Chases the Sun” and it represents freedom of the heart.  Peltier states that, “Wind Chases the Sun gives me the ability to feel free inside stone walls and steel bars” (61).  With this perception of his name, this means that no place, person, or thing could ever get in the way of feeling true freedom which is inside one’s self.  This other name is relevant to his life and what he stands for.

Gwarth-ee-lee is a name given to him by Canada's Native People.  This name means, “He Leads the People”.  Peltier states that this name represents, “total commitment” (62).  Even though he is behind prison walls he has helped established organization to help people with the basic needs to live in modern society.  He tries to display leadership as a kind of leader that he would respect.  These names given to him by Indigenous people are powerful and fit his sense of being.

As a person of his being I am related to this man’s injustices and struggles.  Maybe more than others because I know the struggle and disparity at it’s extreme.  Leonard Peltier is a person that fought and still fights for his people.  His people give him life, give him meaning, and gives him a purpose to live for others and not self.  Leonard Peltier is a man to be forever honored.

Work Cited

Matthiessen, Peter. In the Spirit of Carzy Horse: The Story of Leonard Peltier and the FBI’s War on the American Indian Movement. London. Penguin Books. 1992

Peltier, Leonard.  Prison Writings: My Life is my Sun Dance. Ed. Harvey Arden. New York: St. Martin Press. 1999.

Annotated Bibliography

Matthiessen, Peter. In the Spirit of Carzy Horse: The Story of Leonard Peltier and the FBI’s War on the American Indian Movement. London. Penguin Books. 1992

Leonard Peltiers childhood and adulthood are detailed in how he was raised and how he became a part the American Indian Movement.  The trial of the killing of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation was the case of the United States v. Leonard Peltier. 

The different names he was given and the meaning life that they portrayed.

Peltier, Leonard.  Prison Writings: My Life is my Sun Dance. Ed. Harvey Arden. New York: St. Martin Press. 1999.

Leonard gives the definition of who he is and where he came from.  He explains the reality of being incarcerated in America’s prison system.  The different names has been given throughout his life reflect on how people think of him.  The most important names I think are those that bring him the abundance of life. 

Written Thoughts

Writing a thought is like visualizing the word which reflect some kind of aspect on how a person sees fit.  Then the fingers or swift movement of a pencil or pen presses buttons or presses the amount of pressure to leave black or blue ink to trace the remembrance of existence of that thought.  In the essence of presenting myself in the fragrance of the smell of fresh ink and the crisp fresh paper that has that manufacture smell is the moment I would forever hold.  Intricate thoughts that can move mountains and make non believers into believers.  The voice is a very powerful tool that needs to be utilized if not utilized it shall be neglected as a child to childhood.  A voice can carry as many minds as possible only if it is cherishable by those that believe in the voice.   

Bigger Than US

Bigger Than Us

By

Alton Good Plume

For those that motivate themselves to uphold

Part of the responsibilities to expose

Violations of Human Rights

No matter the cost even if it tragically takes a life

Sacrifice is key, the cause is bigger than you and me

So today, my sisters and brothers, I show my gratitude

By expressing from me to you, a person named Rigoberta Menchu

Who is a Quiche Mayan

Me, I’m an Oglala Lakota

She is from the Highlands of Guatemala

My people are from the Northern Plains near Hapa Sapa

Same Continent

Assimilation, Colonization, Civilization, similar situation

Hell yeah our people are relevant

Born on January 9^th, 1959 in Chimel

AT an early age Rigoberta became aware that her people’s lives were hell

Between the government and plantations

The indigenous people was forced into devastation

In response, Rigoberta father vincente made a stance with the United Peasant Committee

NO NON CHALANT

After that protest Rigoberta family would endure awful deaths

Only to spark Rigobertas desire and I bet her name was on top of a list by hitmen for hire

Inspired by other indigenous leaders during exile

She went to the United Nations with Honesty overpowering Denial

Of the social injustices done upon her people

Mistreatment yeah we were treated equal

As Rigoberta Menchu reached out to the world

There were those that were willing to help

Get the message out for her tribes men, women, boys, and girls

Ancient Civilization once existed

But mainstream has history and reality twisted

For my first 17 yrs of life my peoples history I missed it

People like Rigoberta Menchu whom are gifted

To Rise to the occasion

People like you has me passionate about what Im embracing

And that’s a shift in the human concept of belief and being

One day it will be a big relief

When all humans have the same reality that they are seeing…..

Avatar Related

....Alton.... Good Plume

NASD110

..5/19/2010..

Southwest Region: Uranium Mining on ....Navajo.. ..Land....

Essay

 

 

            Mining for minerals on Navajo land began at the end of World War I.  Vanadium was the first mineral to be mined in the ..Carrizo.. ..Mountain.. area thirty miles west of ....Shiprock.., ..New Mexico.... in 1918.  At first, the soft yellow metal ore that was found by vanadium held no value whatsoever.  But its demand would increase over the next thirty years. Uranium mining began in the early 1920’s on the Navajo Nation because the ....United States.... wanted to exploit it.  But the mining facilities operation would come to a halt in 1923, due to the discovery of cheap uranium in the ..Belgian Congo...

            After World War II, the ....United States.... began mining uranium for the purpose to develop nuclear weapons.  Since the 1940’s, over 15,000 people have worked in the uranium mines of the processing mills in the southwest region of ....America.....  About 13 million tons of uranium was mined during its operation.  The two major companies that were in charge of the mines were The Vanadium Corporation of ....America.... and Kerr-McGee.  These two companies are also responsible for the destruction of the Navajo lands and destruction of the Navajo people. 

            Timothy Benally Sr. whom is a Navajo had a hard time finding a job after returning from the Armed Services.  He remembers in the 1940’s and 1950’s on the reservation, the only job was basically mining uranium.  After three months, he complained about the safety of the mines to his boss and got fired.  Then the Kerr-McGee company came in and took over the job site and hired Mr. Benally Sr. back on.  He then complained about the wage, which was $1.25 an hour by federal law, but he was only getting 80 to 90 cents an hour.  He was again fired.  Not only did the Navajo people receive low wages for working in the mines, but also were not informed about the dangerous affects that uranium would have on their lives.

            In the 1950’s Navajo workers and families started noticing that they had a high rate of cancer compared to the rest of the ....United States.... population.  Navajo workers were kept from receiving compensation for lung cancer and respiratory diseases that was caused by the uranium.  The requirements for receiving compensation was, a worker must provide legal documentation that he/she worked in the mines and was suffering from one of the diseases on the compensation list.  This law was known as the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990.  If approved by the law, the law was required to pay $100,000 as a “compassion payment” to uranium miners who were diagnosed with cancer of respiratory ailments. 

            Navajo workers medical records met time-consuming barriers to be certified.  Traditional marriages were not recognized by the justice department because they didn’t possess a paper filed with the local county or tribal government.  Navajo workers also had a hard time establishing work history and keeping records due to the wages being so low.  The wages earned couldn’t even pay taxes.  The application process was also slowed down by reviewing the reading of the radiation and radon levels in the mines.

            In a creation story told by the Navajo people is that of uranium.  Uranium also known as “cledge” is from the underworld and should be left in the ground.  The Navajo people had a choice between yellow corn pollen and uranium.  The Navajos believed that yellow corn pollen was of positive elements and uranium was of negative elements.  Navajo people would pray with yellow corn pollen and carry it around in medicine bags.  When the uranium was released from the ground the Navajo’s believed that it would become a serpent and cause death and destruction. 

            The Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. wrote a article called, “Remembrance to Avoid an Unwanted Fate”.  He wrote about how the ....United States.... used uranium to create advanced weapons of mass destruction and how they overlooked the destruction of a Nation.  Genocide is the only word that can describe this matter because of the hazards of cancer and respiratory disease that were known to doctors and federal officials.  The Navajo people have lost wisdom, knowledge, stories, songs, and ceremonies due to the ....United States.... rise to be a “Super Power”.  In 2005 Navajo Nation passed the Natural Resource Protection Act.  This law prohibits uranium mining and processing in all its forms on Navajo land.  Although there is going to be some kind of company or persons wanting to mine uranium for their own selfish benefits, The Navajo people do not want another generation going through what their grandparents had to go through because of big corporate companies failing to inform people of the hazards of working in a uranium mine. 

            As one can see from text provided, that a nation, a people, and more importantly a culture has been coerced to move from a land that they are familiar with to a land that they are not familiar with.  The cause of this was because of the discovery of uranium that has left a fatal impact not only on the Navajo people but on the land as well.  A movie had been recently released called “Avatar”, which has the same concept of what happened in the 1920’s to the 1950’s.  The only difference is that the Avatar people won the battle for their land.  The Navajo people were much unfortunate. 

pilamaya thank you

What an experience.  I have spoke in front of people and felt a very accomplished feeling afterward but after speaking to some of those that share the label student and a diverse group of people, I felt very thankful for those that helped this opportunity make it a success.  I thank the class for being interested and responding to our visit.  I thank the students at the Cascadia Community College for listening and commenting on certain issues we face today.  I really hope that this can spread like a wild fire because what better place to engage in diversity/unity other than in the sancutary of education.  Obama speaks of education dearly, so we as a people and young nation must become pro-active in giving the truth of history.  Although not to diminish us but to gain understanding and acceptance of each others culture.  I think Obama will back us in this one and I truly believe it is what the younger generation wants because everything is so diverse now.  And thats good.  We have many issues to address as a World.  Thinking GLOBAL.  Like when Sherman Alexie said they called him a Globe or something that.  Lol.  I would like to see other students engage in their culture and share it with those that know nothing about it.  Always keeping an open mind.  In this way, a form of education would be taught.  But we are getting better at it.  I see us moving in a positive direction.  Only we can be acceptable to social change.  Obama you have my vote for 2012.  I would like to go visit CCC again and maybe have some of them come to our college.  I would also like them to visit Northwest Indian College's main campus too.  I think that would be nice.  Who knows let's see what we can do.     

Dedicated to Ivan Rain Good Plume

Alton Good Plume

Instructor: Renee Roman Nose

Eng 156

A Poem with metaphors

Smoke Signals

From my cousin I just received a smoke signal

Yellow flames filled with thoughts written in charcoal

He tells me about how many moons he got

and how he dreams about his lady thru the days and nights

Demons try to possess his mind with prayer he fights

He's cloaked from darkness by flickering dim lights

He fears his friend Hope might become heartless

He's grateful to be able to ignite fire but sometimes his pencil is spark less

If he is to be corresponded

In search of the rebirths of old and new friendships

Lookin’ forward for returned smoke signals

In a place He would love to forget

Anything to stimulate his humble institutionalized mind

He still can't believe the judge handed him a dime

Don’t worry cuz Im going to show you love

I see your smoke is ill but strong

I'll send you my smoke to help you heal and renew our bond

Hopin’ you'll see it soon

Dedicated to Ivan Rain Good Plume