Dear Friends,
An e-mail campaign is now under way.
Please lend your support to help:
STOP THE MONUMENT TO CUSTER AT WASHITA
On November 27, 1868, General Custer led his army on a pre-dawn raid on a
peaceful Cheyenne encampment on the Whasita which resulted in the massacre
of hundreds of Cheyenne women, children and men.
Governor Frank Keating and U. S. Representative Frank Lucas initiated a
meeting of a western Oklahoma citizens group to discuss how to spend
$250,000 which has been set aside in the Fiscal Year 1997 Oklahoma budget
for the Washita Historic Battlefield. Because of the special significance
of the Washita site to the Cheyenne Tribe, Tribal officials sought to be
included in the meeting. After much stonewalling by the Oklahoma
politicians, the Tribe was finally informed that they would not be invited
to the meeting.
The Elk City newspaper subsequently reported on this meeting, stating that
the Oklahoma citizens group wanted to declare the Washita site as a Custer
National Battlefield Site. It was discussed that George Custer would be the
drawing card, not the Indians slain, and the monument should be in his
name.
Please forward this entire message far and wide.
Please e-mail the following message to Oklahoma Governor Keating and to U.
S. Senator Don Nickles. (Note: Rep. Lucas' has no public e-mail address)
Please include a Cc to:
Copy and Paste the Following
---------------------------------------------------------------
To: Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating
To: U. S. Senator Don Nickles
To: U. S. Rep. Frank Lucas
Dear Sirs,
The proposed construction of a monument to General George A. Custer at the
Washita Historic Site is a desecration of this solemn place and an affront
to the entire Native American community.
A state which takes pride in proclaiming itself "Native America" has the
power to lead the way to a national reconciliation with the Native American
community. This proposed action will only serve to further the divisions.
Please rescind this action, immediately and publicly.
Sincerely,
<Your name here>
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End Copy and Paste
HOW TO REGISTER YOUR SUPPORT
To e-mail this letter of support to Keating and Lucas, please follow these
steps:
1.) Type your name into the space provided in the above letter of support.
2.) "Copy" and "paste" this letter of support into your e-mail program as a
"new message" (Please copy only the material between the dotted lines
above. )
3.) Add any additional words of support or leave as is.
4.) Write in the subject "Return Fort Reno"
5.) Write in Governor Keating's e-mail address which is:
Frank.A.Keating@oklaosf.state.ok.us
6.) Write in U. S. Senator Nickles' e-mail address which is:
7.) Please include the following e-mail address as a "Cc". This will help
us gauge the volume of support letters going out.
7.) "Send" the message.
Thank you in advance for supporting this important cause.
Sincerely,
Joseph Thompson
thompson@mind.net