Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Lawrence, Kansas - June 26th, 1999 will be the twenty-fourth anniversary of the shoot out on the Pine Ridge Reservation which lead up to the illegal incarceration of Leonard Peltier. Leonard Peltier has been in prison now for twenty-three years and as he gets older, prison policies become more and more abusive making the time more difficult for him to do. His health is deteriorating and it is important now more than ever that we pull our forces together in unity and focus all of the support and love that exists for him into a massive collective effort to gain his freedom. The LPDC will be sponsoring the Leonard Peltier Organizing Conference on June 25, 26, and 27 at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas in an effort to make this happen. The goal of the conference is to build a more effective support group network. With all of the people who have agreed to participate in panels, run work shops, and attend the conference putting their heads together to develop concrete strategies to gain freedom for Leonard Peltier, we are bound to develop a strong, successful campaign.

           The conference will open with traditional Lakota, David Chief and Oglala fire fight survivors, Jean Day, Jean Bordeaux Roach, and Edgar Bear Runner welcoming everyone to the conference.

           Panel discussion topics will include presentations on the legal status of Peltier's case, the international campaign to free Peltier, and Prison issues in general. Leonard's lawyers, Eric Seitz, Carl Nadler, Jennifer Harbury, and Ramsey Clark (invited) will be giving the presentation on the legal case which will be followed by a question and answer period. Sylvain Duez-Alesdrini, the European Peltier Support Group coordinator (tentative), Bobby Castillo, international spokesperson for Peltier, Noal Kleinman of Amnesty International (invited), and Lennox Hinds, human rights activist and lawyer for Nelson Mandela (tentative) will be giving the presentation on the status of the international campaign to free Peltier and its importance.

           A panel discussion on prison issues will happen in order to sensitize people to what Leonard and other prisoners are going through on a daily basis to create the sense of urgency needed to free Peltier. Ida Robinson, former political prisoner and advocate for prisoners with children, Helen Felix Baca, former Lakota prisoner and Peltier supporter, and Bobby Castillo, former Marion Control Unit prisoner who met Leonard in prison, will be giving this presentation.

           Jennifer Harbury, lawyer and renowned Latin American human rights activist, Ernie Stevens,Jr., president of the National Congress of American Indians, and Keith Jennings, president of the African American Human Rights Foundation, will be leading a workshop on lobbying for Leonard Peltier. They will speak on how to best lobby elected officials, NGO's, and tribal councils.

           There will also be a work shop on grass roots organizing that will be conducted by David Dellinger, co-defendant of the Chicago Eight and life long activist, CT Butler, co-founder of Food Not Bombs, Dr. Michael Yellow Bird, Professor of social welfare and First Nations activist, Debra Peebles, radio broadcaster and Native prisoner advocate, Arthur Miller, North West Leonard Peltier regional support group coordinator, and Dacajeweiah (Splitting the Sky also known as John Hill), ex-Attica Political Prisoner and defender of Gustafen Lake.

           Finally, there will be a workshop on strengthening the movement to free all political prisoners which will be lead by Sufiaya Bukari, Jericho spokesperson, Geronimo Ji Jaga, recently released Black Panther political prisoner (invited), Mary Dickinson, Jericho State Coordinator for Mondo we Langa and Ed Poindexter, Pam Africa, Friends and Family of Mumia Abu Jamal and MOVE member, Marcos Vilar, Defense Committee for Puerto Rican political prisoners and prisoners of war, Jamila Levi, companera of freedom fighter, Ray Luc Lavasseur, and Irma Muniz, wife of Raza political prisoner, Ramsey Muniz.

           Organizing materials will be prepared and sold at cost at the conference. This will include lobbying packets, the Leonard Peltier Support Group Handbook, a copy of "Incident at Oglala", a bundle of Spirit of Crazy Horse news letters, The FBI files, literature to copy, buttons, bumper stickers, T-shirts, and Leonard Peltier Support Group Banners.

           We will also be breaking into specific working groups where people can strategize, dialogue and plan to take responsibility for certain areas of Leonard's campaign. We hope that everyone will leave this conference with renewed inspiration and concrete ways to contribute to the campaign to free Leonard Peltier and all political prisoners.

           We are still at the early planning stages of this conference so your suggestions and input are welcome. You can help by organizing fund-raisers. We desperately need money to make this conference a success.

           You can also help by organizing buses and caravans from your areas to the conference. The more people to share expenses with the better! Haskell has both camping and dorm rooms available. Food will also be provided. We understand the financial difficulties many may have in coming to the conference and we are trying to make it affordable as possible.

           Plan to be in Kansas this June and register with the LPDC!

Call, write, fax, or email the LPDC to get a registration form for the :

LEONARD PELTIER ORGANIZING CONFERENCE
June 25, 26 and 27, 1999
HASKELL INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY
Lawrence, Kansas

Directions: Haskell Indian Nations University is off 23rd Street three blocks east of Massachusetts Street in Lawrence, Kansas (23rd Street is also Kansas Route 10 which intersects I-35 and I-435 west of Kansas City, MO).

Contact the:

LEONARD PELTIER DEFENSE COMMITTEE
P.O. Box 583
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone: 785-842-5774 - FAX: 785-842-5796
Email:lpdc@idir.net