Cherokee Morning Song

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Update on murder by police

Official Release from the family.

Family of Allen Locke Releases Statement
For Immediate Release: December 21, 2014
Contact: Christie Locke, Darrell Locke (Siblings)
Rapid City, South Dakota (USA) – Dec. 21, 2014
In light of the recent tragic events that have transpired at Lakota Homes and that have claimed the life of our son, brother, father, partner, grandson, uncle and loved one, we feel it imperative to issue a public statement asking the Rapid City and Native community at-large to bear with us as we grieve our loss and make arrangements for our loved one.
We genuinely appreciate the prayer vigils and ceremony circles that are being organized in Allen’s memory; this is a crucial time for our family as Allen is making his spirit journey.
We feel the community’s hurt; we know you are angry, we know you are sad and we know everyone is on edge as a result of Allen’s violent death coming off the heals of his participation in the ‪#‎NativeLivesMatter‬ Anti-Police Brutality Rally and March a day before this horrific incident. There are many details that we will share in time but we are trying very hard to hold it together and to be strong and peaceful in order to send our loved one off and to give our children an appropriate holiday’s memory.
We ask that everyone respect the families privacy at this time. There are critical issues currently pending including an autopsy, internal investigation, a meeting with the Mayor and Rapid City Police Chief and a prayer gathering outside the mayor’s office during that meeting at 10am MST, Monday, Dec. 22, 2014
Allen was many things to many people and he would want us to remain peaceful and prayerful during this most trying time for our family. Again, we sincerely appreciate all the love, feelings, prayers and energy that you are sending our way. This makes the difference and it is our hope that we can end this violence against our Native people here in Rapid City. Allen was a Sun Dancer and we want all prayer families, medicine men, spiritual leaders and sundancers to come and pray for our family and to keep Allen and his loved ones in your prayers.






Murder once again by police against the innocent



The Rapid City Police Department in Rapid City, South Dakota will now be faced with yet more scrutiny from the surrounding Lakota, Dakota and Nakota Tribes for an officers actions.

An unnamed RCPD employed police officer shot and killed an unarmed Native American, the officer claims that the young man charged him with a knife, according to witnesses the man did not charge the police officer and he was not in possession of a deadly weapon.
Witnesses tell investigators that the young man was carrying a braid of sweetgrass in one hand and his cell phone in the other.
PLEASE SHARE
END POLICE VIOLENCE AGAINST MINORITIES


2014-12-20Locke, Allen (30)South Dakota (Rapid City)Rapid City Police officer Anthony Meirose shot Locke over five times, killing him. A police spokesperson said Locke charged at the officer with a knife inside an apartment.

Snowball

Please watch. I found this so funny. Just had to share.



Friday, December 19, 2014

Remembering others

If you have a home, clothes, food, your health, you have more than some people. Sharing your blessings is sharing of ourselves.

Please remember to give this holiday season so others dont have to do without.


Injustice Against The Innocent



http://www.leonardpeltier.net/theman.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqyVRdCYB6Y

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/robert-redford-renews-fight-to-release-jailed-aim-activist-leonard-peltier-1.2598981

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-fitrakis-and-harvey-wasserman/president-obama-must-free_b_160304.html

President Obama Must Free Leonard Peltier


The welcome news that President Obama is taking steps to shut Guantanamo and right other Bush-era human rights abuses must quickly be joined by a proclamation of freedom for Leonard Peltier.
Peltier is the nation's best-known native activist and has become a global symbol of abject injustice and prison abuse. Imprisoned in the late 1970s for allegedly murdering two FBI agents, Peltier has never been given a fair trial. Federal authorities have quashed or destroyed thousands of pages of evidence that might have freed Peltier decades ago.
The Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee points out that
Amnesty International considers Leonard Peltier to be a political prisoner whose avenues of redress have long been exhausted... Amnesty International recognizes that a retrial is no longer a feasible option and believes that Leonard Peltier should be immediately and unconditionally released.
The committee adds that
Documents show that although the prosecution and government pointed the finger at Peltier for shooting FBI agents at close range during the trial in 1976, for three years the prosecution withheld critical ballistic test results proving that the fatal bullets could not have come from the gun tied to Leonard Peltier. This trial also denied evidence of self defense.
The committee further states that:
the U.S. Prosecutor, during subsequent oral arguments, stated: "we can't prove who shot those agents." And that the Eighth Circuit found that "There is a possibility that the jury would have acquitted Leonard Peltier had the records and data improperly withheld from the defense been available to him in order to better exploit and reinforce the inconsistencies casting strong doubts upon the government's case.
The committee also says that
Judge Heaney, who authored the denial now supports Mr. Peltier's release, stating that the FBI used improper tactics to gain Mr. Peltier's conviction.
Now 64 years old, Peltier is suffering from diabetes and a series of other serious ailments brought on by his decades in prison. He has great grandchildren he has never seen. His case is the centerpiece of the book In the Spirit of Crazy Horse by Peter Matthiessen.
Reports from Betty Peltier-Solano, Leonard's sister, now assert that Peltier was severely beaten during a recent transfer to the Canaan Federal Penitentiary. According to Peltier-Solano, he has been held in solitary confinement and limited to a single meal a day, a serious threat to his health due to his diabetes.
Over the decades Peltier has been a model prisoner, concentrating on his art and writing. His commitment to Native American rights has been consistent throughout the years, though he's been repeatedly denied media access.
Peltier is eligible for parole in the near future. His supporters fear this latest round of abuse may be designed to discredit him. The FBI recently sent a letter accusing Peltier of prompting this latest attack. Given Peltier's age, poor health, immanent parole status and long-standing political commitments canont be viewed as a calculated absurdity. His sister writes that "currently, the FBI is actively seeking support for his continued imprisonment."
The political involvement of the FBI is itself an issue the President must address. At very least Peltier should be freed on bail pending a new trial, with a concerted effort on the part of the new Department of Justice to unearth all suppressed evidence in this case.
Leonard Peltier has languished unjustly in prison far longer than those held in Guantanamo. It is time to set him free!
To find out more, contact the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee atwhoisleonardpeltier.info.
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman have co-authored four books on election protection, which appear at http://freepress.org, along with Bob's Fitrakis Files. Harvey's History of the U.S. is at http://harveywasserman.com. This article was originally published byhttp://freepress.org.


After 38 Years, Time to Release Indigenous Leader Leonard Peltier

Contact: Natalie Butz, nbutz@aiusa.org, (202) 675-8761, @AIUSAmedia
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - It is time for the USA authorities to release Leonard Peltier, an Anishinabe-Lakota Native American and leading member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), who has been imprisoned for 38 years despite serious concerns about the fairness of proceedings leading to his conviction.
Leonard Peltier was arrested 38 years ago in connection with the murders of two FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, during a confrontation involving AIM members on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in June 1975. While he admits to having been present during the incident, Leonard Peltier, who in 1977 was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the murders, has always denied killing the agents as alleged by the prosecution at his trial.
All legal appeals against Leonard Peltier's conviction have been exhausted; his most recent petition for release on parole was denied by the pardon board in 2009, and he will not be eligible for parole again until 2024, when he will be 79. Leonard Peltier is now 69 and after 38 years in prison he is in poor health.
Amnesty International recognizes the seriousness of the crime for which Leonard Peltier was convicted and has the deepest sympathy for the relatives of Jack Coler and Ronald Williams. However, having studied the case extensively over many years, Amnesty International remains seriously concerned about the fairness of proceedings leading to his conviction, and believes that political factors at the time including in the context of tense relations between AIM and the FBI may have influenced the way in which the case was prosecuted.
Amnesty International's concerns regarding the legal case include:
  • questions about evidence linking Leonard Peltier to the shootings.
  • coercion of an alleged eye-witness who said she had seen Leonard Peltier shoot the two agents, but who later retracted her testimony, and who was not allowed to be called as a defence witness at Leonard Peltier's trial.
  • the withholding of evidence by the prosecution at trial, including potentially key ballistics evidence, that might have assisted Leonard Peltier's defense.
Furthermore, over the years, disquiet about the case has been expressed by those involved in the legal proceedings, including:
  • The US Court of Appeal for the Eighth Circuit, which, ruling against a motion for a new trial, said in 1986: "We recognize that there is some evidence in this record of improper conduct on the part of some FBI agents, but we are reluctant to impute even further improprieties on them."
  • Gerald Heaney, the judge who presided over Leonard Peltier's appeal hearing in 1986, subsequently expressed his concerns about the case in a letter to Senator Daniel Inouye, Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs in 1991, expressing his belief that: "the FBI used improper tactics in securing Peltier's extradition from Canada [where Leonard Peltier fled following the shootings] and in otherwise investigating and trying the Peltier case." He added: "Although our Court decided that these actions were not grounds for reversal, they are, in my view, factors that merit consideration in any petition for leniency filed."
Given these ongoing unresolved concerns, that Leonard Peltier has spent 38 years in prison, and that all legal appeals against his conviction have been exhausted, Amnesty International is urging the US authorities to release Leonard Peltier from prison in the interests of justice and on humanitarian grounds.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Leonard Peltier was a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), an activist group involved in promoting the rights of "traditionalist" Native Americans during a period of intense conflict in the 1970s. In the two years prior to the confrontation in which the two FBI agents were killed, more than 60 Native Americans on the Pine Ridge reservation had been killed, allegedly by paramilitary squads connected to the tribal government, without anyone being brought to justice for the crimes. AIM members who had come to the reservation to assist "traditionalists" opposing the tribal government were also allegedly threatened. Relations between AIM and the FBI were also tense, with accusations that the authorities had not done enough to protect those at risk on the reservation.
The confrontation in which the two FBI agents were killed took place after the agents entered the reservation with an arrest warrant and started following a red pick-up truck. A fire-fight ensued. Evidence was presented at trial to show that the agents received multiple shots and were quickly disabled before being shot dead at point-blank range. Two other AIM leaders were initially charged with the agents' murders and were tried separately: no evidence was presented to link them to the point-blank shootings.
The jury acquitted them after hearing evidence about the atmosphere of violence and intimidation on the reservation and concluded that, arguably they might have been acting in self- defense when they were involved in the exchange of gunfire.
Following their acquittal, the FBI renewed its efforts to pursue Leonard Peltier, securing his extradition from Canada in 1976 where he had fled following the shootings. At his trial, the prosecution alleged that the rifle which killed the agents belonged to Leonard Peltier. During post-trial investigations, the defense team discovered a telex message suggesting that the rifle in question contained a different firing pin from the one used to kill the agents; this was raised on appeal and an evidentiary hearing held at which the significance of the telex was contested by the government. On appeal, the government also argued that sufficient evidence had been presented to the jury at trial to show that Leonard Peltier had "aided and abetted" the killings even if he had not been the actual killer.
However, Amnesty International believes that the outcome may well have been different had Leonard Peltier been able to challenge the ballistics evidence linking him to the fatal shots effectively.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.

Leonard Peltier


UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR MEETS WITH LEONARD PELTIER IN PRISON


COLEMAN, FLORIDA –  On Friday January 24, 2014, United Nations Special Rapporteur, Professor James Anaya visited United States Penitentiary Coleman 1 in Florida, to meet with American Indian political prisoner Leonard Peltier.
Professor Anaya was accompanied by Leonard “Lenny ” Foster, member of the Board of Directors of the International Indian Treaty Council (IITC), Supervisor of the Navajo Nations Correction Project, and Spiritual Advisor to Mr. Peltier for nearly 30 years. The historic, nearly four hour meeting began around 9 am. While the discussion Friday morning was meant to focus on executive clemency for Leonard Peltier, the conversation touched on many subjects, as Mr. Peltier was eager to hear the Special Rapporteur’s perspective on the worldwide condition of indigenous peoples.
In a trial that is widely recognized as a miscarriage of justice, Leonard Peltier was convicted in 1977, in connection with a shootout with US Government forces, where two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and one young Indian man lost their lives. Every piece of evidence to convict Mr. Peltier has been since proven false.
Professor Anaya is currently serving his second term as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous People. In September 2012, following a series of consultation sessions with Indigenous Peoples throughout the United States, the Special Rapporteur produced  a  “ Country Report  on the Situation of Indigenous Peoples In the United States of America” (A/HRC/21/47/Ad)].
In the report, Professor Anaya called for freedom for Leonard Peltier, and stated: “Pleas for presidential consideration of clemency…have not borne fruit. This further depletes the already diminished faith in the criminal justice system felt by many indigenous peoples…”
The effort to engage the United Nations Special Rapporteur in the struggle to address justice for Mr. Peltier began in 2008, during a discussion between Lenny Foster and Alberto Salomando, former attorney for the IITC.
Following the visit Lenny Foster stated: ‘The visit today by U.N. Special Rapporteur James Anaya to Leonard Peltier in prison is very significant and historic for us.  We thank him for working..to make this possible. This will support efforts for Executive Clemency for Leonard Peltier and promote reconciliation and justice in this case” Leonard Peltier said Friday “if the Constitutional violations that took place in my trial are allowed to stand, it will set precedence for future trials, and jeopardize the freedom and constitutional rights of all Americans.”
Also in attendance of the meeting Friday were:  David Hill, Director of the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (ILPDC), Peter Clark, ILPDC Chapter Coordinator and Unoccupyabq.org member. David Hill stated “that Americans can no longer afford to tolerate this miscarriage of justice and we shall make every effort to bring these judicial violations to the attention of all Americans, as well as internationally”

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

America wake up.


Anonymous Creates Map of Turtle Island’s Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women















The online hacker group Anonymous has turned its attention to Canada’s missing and murdered women, compiling a map from police reports and online public input that designates each case across Turtle Island for the past 10 years with a glaring red circle.

Special attention is given to Thunder Bay, Ontario, CBC News said. There, police are investigating the kidnapping and assault of an indigenous woman as a possible hate crime. A 19-year-old Oji-Cree youth has come forward to bear witness to the grabbing of the woman in the December 27 attack, according to CBC News, and to the fact that the perpetrators hurled racial epithets and pelted him with various objects from their vehicle as he walked along the road.

The murder and disappearance of hundreds of aboriginal women over the past two decades has caused an international outcry and sparked demands from indigenous leaders for a national inquiry into why many of these crimes go unsolved. The map was released on February 5.


http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/12/09/rinelle-harper-calls-for-inquiry-into-murdered-and-missing-aboriginal-women-a-month-after-she-was-left-for-dead-in-riverbank/

Rinelle Harper calls for inquiry into murdered and missing aboriginal women, a month after she was left for dead in riverbank

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Rinelle Harper speaks at the Assembly of First Nations Election in Winnipeg on Tuesday.         Trevor Hagan / The Canadian Press


WINNIPEG — Clutching an eagle feather in one hand and a prepared statement in the other, First Nations sexual assault survivor Rinelle Harper used her first major public appearance since the attack to call for a national inquiry into Canada’s murdered and missing aboriginal women.
Just a month and a day after she was left for dead in a riverbank not far from the Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly where she was honoured in a ceremony Tuesday, the 16-year-old spoke in a monotone that seemed to take all of her strength to muster.
“I’m here to talk about an end to violence against young women,” she told one of Canada’s largest First Nations gatherings, her voice halting slightly. “I am thankful for the thoughts and prayers from everyone. I understand that conversations have been happening all across the country about ending violence against indigenous women and girls. But I want to continue on with my life and I am thankful I will be able to go back to school to see my friends and be with my family.”
Trevor Hagan / The Canadian Press
Trevor Hagan / The Canadian PressWith the support of her family, Rinelle Harper, second from left, stands after speaking at the Assembly of First Nations Election in Winnipeg on Tuesday, December 9, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Trevor Hagan
Since being beaten and sexually assaulted on a path by the Assiniboine River in downtown Winnipeg on Nov 8, Ms. Harper has improved with every day, and even met with the men who saved her life. Others have met with her since to share their own stories of healing.
“I ask that everyone here remembers a few simple words: Love, kindness, respect and forgiveness,” she said. “As a survivor, I respectfully challenge you all to call for a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women.”
Her remarks were met with a standing ovation, the crowd of delegates, chiefs and elders loud in their support. Flanked by her family, she shook hands with a stream of elders on the AFN stage — a political event in downtown Winnipeg where a new national chief will be elected this week. She also spoke quietly with her sister and mother, sharing short comments and even small smiles, searching the crowd with her eyes as others at the podium spoke — exhibiting a shy, quiet confidence. She also clutched hands with supporters who wished her well as she took a seat with her family amidst the crowd.


The issue of murdered and missing women took prominence at the assembly of 1,300 delegates and 300 chiefs and proxies from First Nations across Canada, colouring nearly every aspect of the opening ceremonies.
Alberta Regional Chief Cameron Alexis, who leads the AFN’s work on the issue of murdered and missing aboriginal women, said Harper’s story put a face to the “cold statistics” in this country: Aboriginal women and girls are three times more likely than non-aboriginals to be victims of violence.
He thanked Ms. Harper for her courage to stand before the assembly Tuesday morning.
“We must learn of her story and say loudly and clearly: Not. One. More. It is time to act, to end this senseless type of violence.”
John Woods / The Canadian Press
John Woods / The Canadian PressJulie and Caesar Harper, parents of Rinelle Harper, are comforted by Chief Andrew Colomb (centre) of Marcel Colomb First Nation and Chief Gregg Harper (left) of Red Sucker Lake at a press conference in Winnipeg on Nov. 13.
Ms. Harper’s parents made the rare decision last month to publicize their daughter’s name in hopes of expediting the police investigation. It worked: Two men, one 20 and the other 17, were arrested shortly after the attack and charged with attempted murder, aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault with a weapon.
But the publicity has done much more: It’s continued the momentum around the push for a national inquiry into the 1,180 murdered and missing aboriginal women and girls in Canada; a problem the delegates gathered at this assembly will tackle in discussions this week. The Assembly of First Nations is hoping its new chief will maintain sharp focus on the quest for a national inquiry into the murdered and missing women. Last May, the national RCMP reported 164 aboriginal women in their review were recorded missing. Upwards of 1,017 of them were homicide victims.
The AFN is working to get more federal faces at February’s National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Women, which has so far garnered commitments from Status of Women minister Dr. Kellie Leitch, and premiers from across Canada.
Addressing the assembly Tuesday, Grand Chief David Harper of the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakinak First Nation said the federal government’s commitment to the issue would become clear in February, based on who is gathered around the table.
“We have been talking about this for many, many years and finally there are people that are listening to our plea,” said Therese Villeneuve, chair of the National Women’s Council. “We are really trying to get this healing for us so that nothing like this continues to happen.”
Manitoba premier Greg Sellinger said the forthcoming roundtable will be the first time premiers have come together with “100% consensus” on this issue.
“There is much to do in this province since the tragic death of Tina Fontaine and many others who have gone before her and regrettably some who have gone since her tragic death. As you assemble today we want you to know we’re here in partnership with First Nations across this country and we look forward to your deliberations and the ability to work with you both on a provincial and on a national level as well.”
The death of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine in August renewed the call for a national inquiry and squared scrutiny on the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada. Fontaine was found wrapped in plastic in Winnipeg’s Red River. She had been in the care of Child and Family Services and had been reported missing before her death. Her
Both young women came to Winnipeg from reserves north of the city in pursuit of a better education and a better life. Fontaine wanted to one day work with children. Ms. Harper wants to join the military.
She had been out with friends the night of her death but somehow got separated from the group. She was attacked on a path by the Assiniboine River shortly after midnight Saturday, Nov. 8. Police believe one of her attackers may have gone on to sexually assault another woman. Ms. Harper made her first public appearance late last month, when she met with the men who saved her life.
“Her fast recovery is a miracle from above,” Ms. Harper’s grandfather, Fred Harper, said at the time.
While announcing Fontaine’s death, Winnipeg police Sergeant John O’Donovan said far more attention needs to be paid to the plight of these missing and murdered girls. “Society would be horrified if we found a litter of kittens or pups in the river in this condition.” he said. “This is a child. Society should be horrified.”

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/tina-fontaines-death-focuses-attention-on-missing-murdered-aboriginal-women-285921751.html?cx_navSource=d-tiles-2

Tina Fontaine's death focuses attention on missing, murdered aboriginal women


By: Chinta Puxley, The Canadian Press


Tina Fontaine is seen in this undated handout photo. Fontaine 's killer has never been caught. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ HO, Winnipeg Police Service



WINNIPEG - Eleven years before 15-year-old Tina Fontaine's body was pulled from the Red River wrapped in a bag, the same riverbank was the setting for another tragedy.

Felicia Solomon Osborne didn't return home from school in March 2003.
Frustrated by what they felt was lack of action from police in finding the 16-year-old, her family members put up their own missing posters.
Three months later, one of Felicia's arms and a leg were pulled from the same spot where Tina's body would later be found.
Felicia's killer has never been caught.
Neither has Tina's.
But a lot has changed when it comes to awareness of the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women.
When Tina's body was discovered in August, Winnipeg police held an emotional news conference where a sergeant said "society should be horrified" by the violent death of a child.
More than 1,000 people took to the streets to call for action. Dozens camped in the shadow of the Manitoba legislature for weeks as they repeatedly called for a national public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women. Prime Minister Stephen Harper was asked about her death.
That didn't happen when Felicia was killed.
"Nobody connected with Felicia Solomon Osborne and yet that was some of the most savage levels perpetrated," said Nahanni Fontaine, special adviser on aboriginal women's issues for the Manitoba government. "Her mom, all she got back, was a leg and an arm. She was only 16, only a year older than Tina."
The issue reached a boiling point in 2014 with Tina's death and an attack a few months later on 16-year-old Rinelle Harper. Rinelle survived, agreed to be named publicly and has since spoken about the need to end violence against women.
The RCMP issued a landmark report in 2014 which put the total of missing and murdered aboriginal women at 1,181. Although indigenous women make up 4.3 per cent of the Canadian population, the report found they account for 16 per cent of female homicides and 11.3 per cent of missing women.
"Our message is getting across that this a Canadian problem," said Alberta regional chief Cameron Alexis with the Assembly of First Nations. "We have to be concerned. There is something wrong here."
Bernadette Smith has been waiting a long time for such awareness.
Her sister, Claudette Osborne, left behind four children when she disappeared in 2008. To this day, Smith doesn't know if her sister is alive or dead. When her nightmare first began, Smith couldn't get anyone who hadn't also lost a loved one to care.
That's all changed, she said.
"The conversation has switched. Other people are getting involved that aren't directly connected," Smith said. "When you find a 15-year-old's body dumped in the river like they're garbage, you start to think maybe that could have been my daughter or my sister or my niece."
Smith has been calling for a national inquiry for years, but after Tina's death many more joined her.
The federal government has so far refused, saying it is more interested in taking action than studying the issue. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said Tina's death was not part of a "sociological phenomenon," but rather a crime and should be treated as such.
The federal government agreed to attend a round table meeting after Canada's premiers emerged from their annual meeting in August calling for a national forum. It's expected to be held in February.
Hopes are high the issue can sustain public attention well into next 2015. Advocates suggest the round table, which Harper will not be attending, is just the beginning.
"I want to say something positive about it — it sounds promising — but that's about all I can say," said Manitoba Aboriginal Affairs Minister Eric Robinson. "The federal government has to be really, really serious. They have to come with an open mind and an open heart and not tell us what they've put our money towards.
"I don't want to hear that. I've heard that all my life."
A spokesman for Kellie Leitch, the federal minister responsible for the status of women, said the minister was busy with cabinet committees and didn't have time for an interview on the subject.
Andrew McGrath sent an emailed statement on Leitch's behalf saying the government takes crimes against aboriginal women and girls "very seriously."
He noted the Conservatives have earmarked $25 million over five years on ways to address crimes against aboriginal women. One project is for development of community safety plans both off and on reserves, as well as initiatives to break intergenerational cycles of violence and abuse.
That isn't likely to be enough to keep the issue from resurfacing in the upcoming federal election, slated for next fall.
Both the Liberals and the Opposition New Democrats have promised to call a national public inquiry if elected.
Michele Audette, former president of the Native Women's Association of Canada, said she has accepted the roundtable, but the idea for a national inquiry hasn't passed.
"We have so many spokespeople who will bring this issue everywhere they go," said Audette, who recently stepped down to run federally for the Liberals. "We have artists. We have musicians. We have politicians. We have all kinds of people who will work for that cause," she said.
"The only (side) ... missing right now is the Harper government.
"That's the way it is."




Sitting Bull. An Injustice To A Great Man














December 17, 1890:
Sitting Bull and the police killed during his arrest were buried with honor. On this day, members of the Hunkpapa Sioux arrived at Big Foot's camp of Minneconjou Sioux, seeking refuge. However, this day would also see the issuance of an arrest warrant for Big Foot himself for his part as a "troublemaker" in the Ghost Dance Religion.
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Description of the photographs: 1) Sitting Bull Monument sits on a bluff high above the Missouri River near Mobridge, S.D. 2) The funeral of the Standing Rock Agency Indian Police who were killed during the attempted arrest of Sitting Bull. 3) Chief Spotted Eagle (Big Foot)
=================================================================
Sitting Bull , betrayed by his own while alive and again on the day of his burial.
The following is from the book: Sitting Bull: Champion of the Sioux : a Biography
By Stanley Vestal
That Domination of Sitting Bull, of which McLaughlin speaks, was resented and feared at Standing Rock long after his resonant voice and slow, emphatic utterance was silenced. Few men have been loved so well, or hated so fiercely as Sitting Bull. But now on December 17, on the day of his burial, his friends had fled, his enemies-
and especially the relatives of the dead policemen- were strong and bitter, and the lukewarm made haste to mount the bandwagon of the victorious faction.
This is not the place to tell how the brave policemen (many of them once Sitting Bull's boys, whom he had trained to the warpath) buried their fallen comrades with military honors and all the pomp which Standing Rock's little church and state could afford. They deserved honor for their courage in attempting his arrest, and the granite shaft above their common tomb in the Roman Catholic cemetery at Standing Rock will long keep their memory in the minds of men. It is said that the funeral cortege of the valiant men extended all the way from the Dead House to the cemetery, and the photographs of the burial would seem to bear out the story.
Sitting Bull was so hated by the mourners that they would not consent to have him laid out with their dead. So great was the excitement, the uncertainty, that, as Father Bernard puts it "it was deemed unwise to give the chief a public funeral." Sitting Bull was not a Catholic nor a Christian of any recognized sect; his body was in the hand of the military; he was buried in one corner of the post cemetery at Fort Yates.
J.F. Waggoner , then a soldier at the post detailed for work in the carpenter shop, made the box for Sitting Bull. For nobody troubled to go to Mandan to buy a coffin for the chief. He made the box 2 by 2 by 6 feet 4 inches, and while he was working at it, soldiers kept coming in, each of them driving a nail in Sitting Bull's coffin. Private Waggoner, who knew Sitting Bull well, said he did not think such an act was much of an honor, anymore than if it had been the coffin of any other major general. "For he was surely a fighter, a thinker, a chief, and a gentleman. He had eaten a many a meal at my house, and I cannot but speak well of Sitting Bull."
Mr. Waggoner goes on, "There were no police in my shop while I was working, and no officers there to give orders - for a wonder." When the box was finished, he took it to the Dead House, and they put the body into it. "We buried him just as he came in, wrapped in a blanket frozen stiff with blood. He was not scalped. He had seven bullet wounds in his body, and his jaw was around under his left ear. He was a big man, he filled that box chock-a-block . They had to sit on the lid to close it. The lid was not nailed down."
To read more, please follow this link: https://books.google.com/books…