[This is a re-post. Thank you to all of you who have
responded. Letters are still needed. If possible,
please, forward a copy of your letters to the Western
Shoshone Defense Project. It's the only way they have
of knowing how many letters have been sent. Thanks.
-Michele]
****RELEASE CLIFFORD DANN****
*50,000 Letters to Clinton and Babbitt Campaign*
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
July 26-31, 1993
*URGENT*
The Western Shoshone National Council (WSNC) is asking all
supporters to help bring a stop to the injustice brought to Clifford
Dann by the US government. Please write letters to President
Clinton and Bruce Babbitt in support of Clifford during this week.
These US leaders must accept responsibility and can no longer
ignore the sovereignty of the Western Shoshone Nation.
ONCE THESE OFFICIALS RECEIVE 50,000 LETTERS WITHIN THIS PERIOD OF
TIME (July 26-31), THEY WILL THEN LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE.
President Bill Clinton Bruce Babbitt
The White House Secretary of the Interior
Washington DC 20500 US Dept of the Interior
email president@whitehouse.gov 18th & C St. NW
Washington DC 20500
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ____________,
I am writing to you on behalf of Clifford Dann, a Western
Shoshone elder who has been wrongly imprisoned by the US court
system, a system whose jurisdiction he is not under nor accountable
to.
For nearly twenty years, the Dann sisters have struggled to
defend the territories of the Western Shoshone Nation, territories
recognized by the US government in the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley.
This treaty of "peace and friendship" has never been abrogated.
Yet in November 1992, the situation climaxed when the US Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) invaded the Western Shoshone Nation and
proceeded to round up both wild and Western Shoshone nationalized
horses. On the first day of the round up, Clifford tried to block
confiscation of the horses. In desperation, he doused himself
gasoline and threatened to ignite himself, declaring: "By taking
away our livelihood, and our lands, you are taking away our lives."
He was subsequently blasted with fire extinguishers and knocked to
the ground, then arrested and charged with assault of a federal
officer.
During his trial March 2-3, 1993, Clifford regardless of his
innocence, refused to give in and participate in his trial. He felt
that to do so would acknowledge the claim of US jurisdiction and
deny the sovereignty of the Western Shoshone Nation.
On May 17th, Clifford was sentenced to 9 months in prison, 2
years probation and a $5,000 fine. A harsh and unjust sentence for
a case with insufficient evidence; once again it is an example of
quieting leaders who defend themselves against the injustices of the
US government.
As a US leader who has already promised to work with the
indigenous people, you must take responsibility for this person who
has been so wrongly imprisoned. Please do not continue the genocide
of your predecessors and respond to these three requests:
1. Honor the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley that was made between
two nations.
2. Open a dialogue with the Western Shoshone Nation and begin
meaningful negotiation.
3. Release Clifford Dann, not as a pardon, for no crime was
committed on his part, but in realization that he was
imprisoned by a court without jurisdiction.
Sincerely,
_____________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Western Shoshone Defense Project, General Delivery, Cresent Valley,
NV 89821 Ph: 702/468-0230
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michele Lord + If you have come here to help me,
+ you are wasting your time.....
+ But if you have come because
+ your liberation is bound up with mine,
milo@scicom.alphacdc.com + then let us work together.
Aboriginal Woman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~