“During that time period all of our tribes were suffering extremely from poverty and neglect. And the reason I say neglect is because the U.S. Government was neglecting its true responsibilities they agreed to in exchange for our land and resources. What I and others attempted to do, and in essence we did, was bring attention to our sovereign rights, the rights we had retained when the treaties were made.” MadeReasonGovernmentSufferingAttentionResponsibilityPovertyRightsLandPeriodsResourcesEssenceNeglectSovereignTribesTreatiesTime Periods Author:Leonard Peltier
“If you look at the statistics regarding Native Americans, you will see that most of the tribes since the 70s have improved their economic situation in some form. And this has been brought about by their aggressive assertion of their sovereign treaty rights.” IfsLooksHas BeensFormSituationRightsEconomicNativeStatisticsAggressiveNative AmericanSovereignTribesAssertionTreaties Author:Leonard Peltier
“There are tribes, I should say nations, which prior to the AIM movement had only ten or fifteen employees, and now have upwards of 2000. There are educational programs that didn't exist before, there are housing programs, health programs, senior citizen programs, cultural programs and the list goes on. It's all because some people stood up and said sovereignty is our right by treaty and the constitution says treaty law is the supreme law of the land.” PeopleShouldSaidLawNationsLandMovementGoes OnCitizensTenProgramConstitutionAimEducationalListsSupremeEmployeeFifteenSeniorTribesSovereigntyHousingTreatiesStood UpSenior CitizenEducational Programs Author:Leonard Peltier
“With what sovereignty we have retained, we choose to decide for ourselves our needs in accordance with our values, exerting our rights of empowerment under those articles of the treaties.” NeedsValuesRightsEmpowermentArticlesSovereigntyTreaties Author:Leonard Peltier
“The Government honoring our treaties and sovereignty is first and foremost. These issues are still the top priority which [Barak] Obama, if elected, has promised us. For us, we should implement the most impor-tant programs right now: they are programs to teach the children a positive sense of dignity, self-worth, and the importance of sustaining their culture, history, language and honor as a people.” PeopleIfsShouldFirstsChildrenStillsSelfGovernmentCultureLanguageTeachIssuesHonorRight NowProgramDignityImportancePrioritiesSelf WorthSovereigntyTreatiesSustainingTop PrioritiesBarak Obama Author:Leonard Peltier
“United States Government needs to acknowledge and respect our sovereignty, treaties, traditional Native American values, and our human rights as a people, which under the law as written we deserve, and which should be protected.” PeopleNeedsShouldHumansStatesGovernmentLawValuesUnitedUnited StatesRightsWrittenDeserveHuman RightsTraditionalAcknowledgeNativeProtectedNative AmericanSovereigntyTreatiesState GovernmentAmerican ValuesUnited States Government Author:Leonard Peltier