Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Tim Burton, the director of Planet of the Apes, is known as an outspoken free spirit.

In a recent interview he talked about technology and the Internet. He said, "The Internet has amazing capabilities, but it also takes gossip, innuendo and the printed word and disseminates them at an incredibly rapid rate. It doesn't matter what's true because once it's out there gossip takes on a life of its own, and that's kind of evil."

He summed up his feelings with, "When somebody says something incorrect about an area of my life that is or was painful, that's not cool and it leaves me feeling as if I've been robbed."

That is precisely how I feel about this wonderful thing called the Internet.

A letter written by Indian activist Leonard Peltier to a Wisconsin based newspaper called News from Indian Country found its way to the Internet. Peltier's letter was in response to a column I had written in February of 1991. His response was printed in May of 1991.

Peltier accuses me of carrying on a vendetta against the American Indian Movement. Granted, I was never happy with the violence that occurred on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the 1970s after and during the occupation of Wounded Knee and I have written and spoken out about it. I lived there and I saw the damage that was done physically and emotionally to the people of that reservation during those days of violence.

Since those days I have talked with Russell Means, Dennis Banks, the Bellecourt brothers and many others involved in those sad and trying days. Clyde and Vernon Bellecourt have become close friends as have other members of AIM. We disagreed over certain things, but in the end we concluded we were all working toward the same goals.

In his diatribe, Peltier's claim of hundreds of deaths supposedly caused by then Chairman of the Oglala Lakota Nation, Dick Wilson, were bandied about as fact. My newspaper published a list of all of the deaths occurring during those days in the early seventies and we determined that most of the so-called murders by the people labeled as GOONS by AIM were instead not murders at all. In fact they were mostly deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents, domestic disputes, or other personal disputes and accidents.

Peltier attacked my column about him saying, "Traditional Chief Frank Fools Crow would be the first and loudest voice raised in objection to Giago's editorials."

In fact, just the opposite is true. Shortly after the problems at Wounded Knee subsided, Thomas E. Mails wrote a book entitled, "Fools Crow, Wisdom and Power." In the book Fools Crow says, "While I do not agree with violence because it just makes more violence, the young men and women of AIM, our college people, and the great ones like Mathew King, Vine Deloria, Jr., and Tim Giago have shown us how we can be proud and independent people again."

Another glaring falsehood in Peltier's letter goes, "Tim Giago ran for tribal chairman and was overwhelmingly rejected by the Oglala Lakota People." Here are the facts. In 1984, after my newspaper had been on the newsstands for three years, I decided to run for vice chairman, not chairman. I won the Primary Election handily over incumbent vice president John Steele.

In the General Election a couple of months later I took every traditional district on the reservation from Eagle Nest, LaCreek, Pejuta Haka, Pass Creek, Oglala's very traditional White Clay District, Red Shirt Table, and Calico, the traditional stronghold of AIM. I had never left my office to campaign. Nor did I use my newspaper to promote myself.

Eventually I lost the election by a mere 90 votes and I lost it in Dick Wilson's stronghold, Pine Ridge Village. More than 5,000 votes were cast in that election.

I am not a politician, nor would I ever try to be one again. I ran for vice chairman to see if the newspaper I had been publishing for three years was making any impact. I wanted to see if the things I wrote about were making a dent in the divisiveness created by Wounded Knee. I think the election results would indicate that most of the traditional Lakota agreed with me and my editorials.

Peltier used the letter published in News from Indian Country as a political tool and the attack made upon me was used as a petition to gather signatures for a presidential pardon. At the end of the article titled, "Peltier Responds to Giago," was a blank space for signatures under the heading, "By my signature I support the granting of a Presidential pardon for Leonard Peltier."

Before President Bill Clinton granted pardons at the end of his administration, I wrote a column suggesting that he take favorable action for Peltier. In fact, since Peltier's attack upon me, I have written two columns suggesting that it is time to review his case based on the horrible antics of the FBI, the agency responsible for his capture and eventual conviction.

Neither Peltier nor his supporters have responded to the columns I wrote calling for a re-examination of his case.

And so, Peltier's response against me written 10 years ago, one that is filled with errors, half-truths and outright lies is still there on the Internet. It will probably be there as long as there is an Internet. I only hope that the people who put it under my name will be so kind as to place this response next to it.

Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji),
Editor/Publisher Lakota Journal
E-mail: editor@lakotajournal.com

Dear Editor,

In a February 12, 1991, Lakota Times editorial, written by editor and owner Tim Giago, entitled "Misguided Advocacy Journalism Twists Facts," a great disservice has been rendered. In the guise of attacking Bob Hulteen's recent editorial in "Sojourners," Giago has mistaken his emotional fervor for reality, and the "facts" which it is composed of. Giago's decades-long vendetta against the American Indian Movement (AIM) and its imprisoned activist Leonard Peltier, has caused him to crusade endlessly in negating any and all rational discourse in regard to the events at Pine Ridge in the '70s. In Giago's attempt to establish the "Lakota Times," and thereby himself as the one true voice of Indian people, truth itself has been discarded.

It is not my normal activity to reply to every outburst against AIM and myself. However, Tim Giago's recent Monologue has caused concern among many Indian people, and they have asked me to write this response. Unfortunately, in Giago's unthinking criticism of Hulteen, AIM and Leonard Peltier, he has overlooked the causes of the "war" at Pine Ridge; he has denied the deaths of hundreds of Indian people at the hands and guns of Dick Wilson, FBI founded and trained goons, the attempted political coup and expropriation of Oglala Lakota lands and resources, and the continuing struggle to bring these facts to the public.

In the '60s and early '70s, the deplorable living conditions and abuse by agencies such as the B.I.A. reached a peak, with the election of Dick Wilson as tribal chairman. AIM, an organization created to fight for Indian rights, was asked to help protect the people of Pine Ridge and environs by the greatly admired and respected Traditional Elders of the Oglala Lakota people. Frank Fools Crow, Traditional Chief, made that request. Frank Fools Crow would be the first and loudest voice raised in objection to Giago's editorial. His memory is alive and he taught many of us how to speak before his passing.

As Giago claims, the book In the Spirit of Crazy Horse (I.T.S.O.C.H.) was taken to Court in a suit filed by former Governor Janklow. At great cost, the publishers defended the book for years, and Judge Jones, who was himself appointed as Judge by Governor Janklow, found the book violated no principle of fact and dismissed the suit. The book has been reprinted and is now available for purchase. This attempt by Janklow, like those of ex-generals and politicians and FBI, to stifle the truth of their mis-deeds, has, fortunately, failed. But, I.T.S.O.C.H. is only one book. There are a number of books available which point out the deeds of Wilson's G.O.O.N.S., the FBI, BIA, State and federal governments and individuals. Are all of these books, which Giago doesn't mention, false? Or, is it possible, that Tim Giago is mistaken in his emotional stance against AIM and Leonard Peltier?

If, Giago is a lover of "fact" and "objective" journalism, as he claims, perhaps he will take the time to actually read and study the thousands of documents produced by various FBI and government agencies. If that isn't enough, Tim Giago can watch reruns of interviews with judges, ex-G.O.O.N.S. describing their FBI support, victims of G.O.O.N.S. terror and many others present. All of these documents and facts are available for anyone truly interested in facts. These facts have proven overwhelming to Oglala Lakota tribal members, their chairpersons and governments, causing them to pass many resolutions requesting a new trial for me, based on those facts. The same facts have caused over 70 representatives of the US Congress to petition for a new trial in my case.

I.T.S.O.C.H. publishes facts embarrassing to AIM as well. But, AIM, nor I, filed suits against the author, Peter Matthiessen, to keep people from reading them. Neither does AIM have over one and one-half million dollars to pay legal fees, as did Janklow and FBI agent David Price. One could wonder how they could afford it.

Giago calls me a "convicted murderer" and unfit to serve as an example for Indian children, while he, an honest, hard-working Indian, among others, is disregarded. Tim Giago ran for tribal chairman and was overwhelmingly rejected by the Oglala Lakota people. His response: "I will never run for office again!" Many past chairmen ran for office numerous times, proving their honesty, dedication, sincerity and devotion to the People in the process. Thereby, earning their right to lead. The Oglala Lakota people may not be rich, they may not all be college educated, they may not all own newspapers; but they are the true voice of the People, not the individual - Tim Giago.

The Jumping Bull family was attacked, their home is in the Wounded Knee "area," as I.T.S.O.C.H. states, clearly, and not "at" Wounded Knee, as Tim Giago claims it says. The U.S. Government has stated, on the record: "We don't know who killed the FBI Agents nor what participation Leonard Peltier had in it." These are the facts.

Tim Giago reminds us of his role in establishing 1990 as a "year of reconciliation," and Governor Mickelson's endeavor to continue those efforts. I do not question Governor Mickelson's sincerity in this. I would ask, however, the same question many Lakotas are asking. Governor Mickelson, why don't you show your sincerity by returning the Black Hills with a promise and law stating no more lands will be taken nor sovereign rights of the Oglala Lakota people violated? With this effort, we can assure you, the Oglala Lakota people will give Governor Mickelson's efforts unanimous support.

Tim Giago, you have made an effort to aid reconciliation between Indian and whites. Are you willing to view the truth, examine facts, and listen to the Lakota people, and many others who have taken the time to do so? Would you be willing to declare 1991 as a year of reconciliation between Indian and Indian?

I remain, in the spirit of Crazy Horse,
Leonard Gwarth-ee-lass Peltier
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas