In 1991 Wal-Mart made preparations to build a store on a 65-acre site in
Greenfield, Massachusetts. This site was the scene of a Pocumtuc fishing
village whose approximately 400 inhabitants were massacred by the English
in May, 1676. The villages name was Peskeomskut. Greenfield townspeople,
by a nine vote margin, defeated Wal-Mart's effort to rezone the property.
Wal-Mart moved on. Now the owner of the property, Peter Mackin, is about
to contract with a sympathetic zoning board so as to commercially develop
"his" property, aka Peskeomskut.
Peskeomskut is listed in the State and Federal Registry of Historical
Places. In a November 1991 issue of the Greenfield Recorder, Brona Simon,
Massachusetts State Archaeologist dates Peskeomskut at 12,000 years from
UMass archaeology digs.
On Friday, June 28, 1996, as a result of a cease and desist order issued
by Mohawk Grand Chief Norton of Kahnawake, Quebec (which was faxed to
President Clinton, State and Federal Senators and Representatives,
Governor Weld, and Town of Greenfield officials), a message was left on an
anti-desecration supporter's answering machine stating that the Pocumtuc
site would be blown up on Monday (July 1, 1996) to insure there would be
no impetus to commercial development - so far this has not come to pass
though preparations are being made to blast. The complete text of Chief
Norton's cease and desist declaration can be found at the Peskeomskut
Petition site (http://www.netgate.net/~jsd/pes.html).
Property owner Mackin is the owner of a construction company and has ready
access to dynamite...
I have been given permission to pass along the following statement re the
Greenfield, Mass. fight. It is from Johnie Leverett, Cherokee/Choctaw:
"At this location of this village site we are awaiting the actions of the
owner of the land who is drilling holes in a stone ledge in preparation
for blasting (which will ultimately expose and most certainly disturb the
condition of this site) showing complete ignorance of our desires to sit
in council with him. We have attempted to do this so many times.
"We find ourselves once again in a situation where right can not prevail
because might continues to assail our peoples rights and concerns.
Respect, consideration, honor, honesty - all of the foregoing being
completely overlooked intentionally. No longer do they offer us beads,
but they still extend to us their lies. We continue to be victims of an
alien society, culture and government. We, the indigenous people of this
beautiful Turtle Island, ask if there is any hope of resolution to our
problems that have been perpetuated upon us by their insatiable need and
greed to invade the very last vestige of our people?
"We have given them a pristine and virginal place in which to live and
share with us. In return, in a scant 376 years, they have produced a
polluted environment. Saturated our rivers, our earth and air to such a
high degree that even when it rains it is a killing rain. The acid that
kills our cousin, the trees, will kill us also. They have superceded our
culture and way of life with their technology and abrasiveness of their
way of life. If soon they do not learn to live, respect, honor and love us
as they honor themselves then it is an undeniable fact that we all shall
die together.
"We grieve for our past, having had the opportunity to look at our
present, which leaves us fraught with fear that there may not be a future
for the next seven generations. We say "All our relations". We are all
related.
"They do not think so or feel so. Not that it is untrue, but it is
something they absolutely refuse to accept. We, as a people, still
understand that our elders are our roots to the past and that we are the
caretakers of the present and that our children are the seeds of the
future if there is to be a future.
"Your support, concern and willingness to walk the talk and let your
presence be known and felt is most deeply asked for and deeply
appreciated. At this great hour of concern, a most important time and
issue if we are to continue as a race of people with dignity and honor. A
peace seeking people. Today is the tomorrow of yesterday and it is the
yesterday of tomorrow. Will there be a tomorrow? Yes, if the Creator
deems it and we all try to help Creator to achieve it."
Please register your support at http://www.netgate.net/~jsd/pes.html .
Nvwhtohiyada...
First Nations/First Peoples Issues (4 Star Magellan site)
http://www.pobox.com/~jsd/firstnations.html
Wounded Knee Home Page
http://www.pobox.com/~jsd/WKmasscre.html