first nations

No One Is Illegal-Toronto
90C Beverley Street
Toronto ON M5T 1Y1

here's the release from ryan's support committee:

Tuesday October 26, Mississauga New Credit – Today on Tuesday October 26, Ryan Rainville appeared in an Ontario Superior Court to argue for his release on bail. The Judge adjourned the application for Ryan to be released to a First Nations Bail Program citing ‘inadequate supervision’. In considering Ryan’s bail application, the judge also did not take into account Gladue factors, which forces the judicial system to consider the systemic marginalization and over-incarceration of Indigenous people as result of colonialism and poverty.

Ryan is a young Indigenous man from the Sakimay Nation and is charged with several unfounded charges stemming from June demonstrations against the G20 in Toronto. Ryan has been imprisoned since August 5 when he was arrested at his home in Waterloo, and has since been denied bail once before in September.

While targeting strong voices of dissent is part of the state’s desired culture of fear, the repression and attempted silencing of Indigenous resistance is part of the ongoing legacy of criminalization and colonization for 500 years across Turtle Island.

According to Indigenous supporters of Ryan “Ryan has been strong in his denouncements of injustice and has spoken out without fear. He is honest, humble and respectful toward his family and people around him. He has also honoured his role as a man in the community by standing beside Indigenous women when we needed support.

As native people, our bodies and our minds are constantly under attack from the state. Their power rests on our degradation, and their violent exploitation of the land and water feeds and profits the colonization of every poor and oppressed person. There is nothing new or unusual about Indigenous people - whether Haudenoshonee or Mapuche, Anishinaabe or Palestinian - being targeted, violated and locked up under racist, classist and sexist guises of "law and order" or "justice".

We denounce the ongoing state repression of all people resisting the austerity measures which are designed to force our relations, friends and allies into enslavement to a faltering system, to assimilate those of us coerced into submission, and exterminate those of us who refuse to bend to colonial terms. Freedom for all prisoners and detainees, including the Tamil women and children still held behind the walls of a detention centre, and who are now subjected to the same four walls which face Ryan.”

Ryan appears in court again on Thursday November 4th at 9:30 am at 361 University Avenue. Ryan’s supporters are requesting people to attend court on Thursday morning to show their support for Ryan and for all who are being targeted by the state.

For more information please contact:
thesheelephant@yahoo.com
or
mcorbiere@hotmail.com
or
hwalia8@gmail.com

Sisters, brothers, friends and supporters:

I would like to share with you the good feelings I am experiencing right now. On the 16th of October, I met with my team of lawyers, my dream team. I can't reveal the details of this meeting, but I'll tell you this -- It was a great meeting and many positive ideas were discussed. Decisions were made about how best to prepare and file new court actions.

I'm very excited about our plans. We have at the very least 6 more constitutional violations to address. As some of you might know, in these 35 years, I have learned a lot about the law. The legal issues we have to raise now are very serious and the arguments are strong.

We'll file cases very soon, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. This time around, we all must be prepared with not only the legal work, but the political work. We need to be unified in everything we do.

I'm ready to go to battle and hope you'll join with us ­ me, the legal team and my defense committee. We can and will win this time.

you can always write leonard a letter:

Leonard Peltier #89637-132
US Penitentiary ­ Lewisburg
PO Box 1000
Lewisburg, PA 
17837

As many have heard, John Graham is currently jailed in Rapid City, South Dakota. They are trying to put him away for life with the charge of killing his friend and comrade from in American Indian Movement, Anna Mae Aquash. While the only real evidence in this murder (along with at least 66 other murders of indigenous people in S. Dakota during 1973-76) points to the U.S. Government and the paramilitary forces they funded and equipped.

John and his co-defendant, Thelma Rios, are scheduled to face trial on November the 29th, 2010 and his legal bill is estimated around $50,000! Donations and fund raising events are urgently needed and greatly appreciated.

The U.S. government is trying to cover up their brutal repression of the American Indian Movement in the 70's with the frame up of John Graham and other native warriors. He has spent over two years behind bars in S. Dakota after he was under house arrest for around four years during extradition hearings in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. This is a direct result of his refusal to cooperate with the F.B.I.

It is in this hour of need that we make this urgent appeal to dig deep and show your support for a man who has contributed so much over the years in the struggle for a better world. Who has stayed true, refusing to sell out in the face of heavy state intimidation.

The recent acquittal of John's former co-defendant, Richard Marshall (see links below) demonstrates the weakness of the F.B.I.'s case and shows that now more than ever is the time to step up this fight.

Further educate yourself and others about this case and do what you can to help return John Graham to his family, friends an loved ones.

• John Graham/Richard Marshal Update
• 'Free John Graham' Zine
• Lee Maracle's Support letter for John
• John Graham Defense Committee

John Graham 
Pennington County Jail
307 St. Joseph Street
Rapid City, SD 
57701 
USA 

From peaceculture.org:

In collaboration with Waterloo regional police, Toronto cops arrested Indigenous Rights advocate, Ryan Rainville for allegedly causing mischief over $5000 and for assaulting a police officer during the convergence against the G20 summit of so-called world leaders.

The police told Ryan's roommate that he was being taken to Division 52 in Toronto and would be in room 206-F at the court at 2201 Finch St after 2pm. Rainville, usually a Toronto resident, was living with friends in Waterloo after being released from 6 days jailing on other political, G20 related charges.

When Rainville asked the plainclothes cops "with what did I assault someone with?" adding the comment "I've never hit a police officer." The reply made things clear: you did not assault with "a conventional weapon."

A close friend of Rainville described him as a "deeply thoughtful intellectual and committed advocate for the rights of First Nations People." One roommate noted that the last thing Ryan did before being taken away was call his mother, then his wife, describing him as "a very caring individual."

Ryan is being charge with assaulting a police officer with a weapon, mischief over 5,000, Intimidation of Justice System Participant by Violence and Failing to comply with undertaking. They later added two more counts of Mischief, and disguise with violent intent. Ryan is pleading not guilty to all charges, and because every surety that he presented to the courts were unsatisfactory, Ryan was denied bail and will remain incarcerated until his trial which may be up to a year. If you wish to write the address is:

Ryan Rainville
Range 10 D
Maplehurst Complex
PO Box 10
661 Martin St.
Milton, ON
L9T 2Y3

We are sad to announce that yesterday Leonard Peltier was denied parole. He was not only denied his freedom but was given a 15 year hit.

On September 12th, Peltier will be 65. It will be his 33rd birthday behind bars. Held captive for a crime he did not commit. Imprisoned because of his sense of duty to protect his people and their culture. Sadly, he is just one of many held in US prisons because of their determination to fight injustice.

background
on march 17, 2009, splitting the sky, also known as john boncore, was arrested in calgary while attempting to serve former president george w. bush with an arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

splitting the sky was charged with "obstructing a peace officer" and was remanded over night before being released on a $500 surety. splitting the sky intends to fight the charges laid against him and asserts that under international law, any canadian citizen is permitted to affect a citizen's arrest against any war criminal on canadian soil, including george w. bush.

about splitting the sky
splitting the sky is a first nations activist of long pedigree and is most well known for his involvement in the 1971 prisoner uprising in attica state prison and his prominent position in the gustafson lake standoff in 1995.

more information about splitting the sky can be found on his wikipedia entry. splitting the sky maintains a blog detailing updates on his case and activism.

abc calgary's involvement
abc calgary will be making an initial cash contribution from our "war chest" fund to splitting the sky's support group. further fundraising efforts may be initiated as needed.

abc calgary supports splitting the sky but does not speak for or issue statements on his behalf.

splitting the sky
on march 17 splitting the sky (also known as john boncore) was arrested in calgary for attempting to serve former u.s. president george w. bush with a warrant for war crimes. he was charged with "obstructing a peace officer" and has been released on a $500 surety. splitting the sky intends to fight the charges.

abc calgary is committed to helping splitting the sky through acts of solidarity and financial assistance.

more information on splitting the sky can be found on his blog and wikipedia page.

mikhail miller
mikhail miller is an anti-racism activist who participated in the march 21 anti-racist action demonstration against the aryan guard in calgary. although mikhail has not been charged with any crime, he has been issued with $887 in bylaw tickets and fines. it is common practice in calgary for the police to 'ticket to death' activists they wish to harass. mikhail is commmitted to fighting the ticket charges.

abc calgary will be assisting mikhail financially for his lawyer fees to fight his bylaw charges.

for further details on these campaigns or abc calgary please contact abc calgary at abc-calgary@anarchistservices.ca

On Thursday December 4th a Quebec judge sentenced Barriere Lake Acting Chief Benjamin Nottaway to forty-five days in jail, in addition to fifteen already served in pre-trial detention, for participating in peaceful blockades intended to draw attention to violations of Barriere Lake's rights by the Canadian and Quebec governments.

Barriere Lake has been demanding that Canada and Quebec honour signed agreements and that Canada appoint an observer to witness and respect the outcome of a new leadership selection in accordance with Barriere Lake's Customary Governance Code.

"It's shameful that the government of Quebec would rather throw me in jail than fulfill their legal obligations by implementing signed agreements," said Acting Chief Nottaway, a father of six who passed his twenty-eighth birthday in jail last Thursday. "Meanwhile, the Government of Canada continues to interfere in our internal affairs while trying to wash its hands of responsibility for this situation."

update: skylar williams has been granted bail and is out of barton street jail.

skylar williams is a 22 year-old six nations man currently facing several charges stemming from actions ocurring during the caledonia land claim where a u.s. border patrol vehicle was raided and documents concerning undercover police operatives were taken and distributed, and the assualt of a television camera crew where a video tape was taken. skylar is currently being held in the hamilton city jail (barton street jail) without bail

from the support committee:
Skylar Williams, a Mohawk Wolf from Six Nations has been held without bail at the Hamilton Barton St. Jail since the illegal arrests at Stirling Street September 19, 2007. Today we held a rally for him outside the jail where he has been in the "hole" for two days.

We have reason to believe if Skyler is harmed in anyway, we know he is the target of planned and deliberate threats and violence by jail institution staff members.

On Friday, October 12th, Mohawk spokesperson Shawn
Brant of Tyendinaga appeared in court to finalize the details of his
impending trial.

Released on bail after spending two months in pre-trial custody, Shawn
is currently facing a total of 9 charges in relation to two blockades,
one in April 2007, and the other as part of the Aboriginal National
Day of Action on June 29, 2007. Included in these charges are 6
"mischief" charges, which the Crown has elected to proceed on by
indictment.

The Ottawa-based Crown, Robert Morrison, has indicated that he intends
to seek a minimum of 2 years imprisonment per charge, for a minimum
sentence of 12 years in a federal penitentiary.