Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 18, 1994 TAG: 9406210113
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By MICHAEL STOWE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They had no clue why half a dozen Native American Indians-decked out in handmade leather garb despite the 90-degree temperatures-arrived at the federal courthouse on horseback to protest on Peltier's behalf.
"Where did these people come from," wondered one man aloud who had seen the Indians' caravan traveling down Franklin Road and followed it to the Poff Building. "Who is Leonard Peltier?"
It didn't matter that they weren't sure what was happening. The 15 or 20 onlookers watched with interest as the Indians chanted songs and shouted "Free Leonard Peltier" and "Justice for all."
Volunteers for the American Indian Movement, a national group that fights for the rights of Native Americans, passed out leaflets to the crowd explaining why they were demonstrating for Peltier.
Almost two decades ago, two FBI agents were wounded and then shot to death at close range during a gunbattle with Native American activists on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.
Peltier, a leader in the American Indian Movement, has served 18 years in federal prison for the lawmen's deaths.
The protesters who converged on Roanoke Friday believe Peltier was framed by the government and is being held as a political prisoner. They are part of the national Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, based in Kansas.
President Clinton is expected to decided this summer whether to grant executive clemency to Peltier. The protest group-which calls itself the American Indian Spiritual Raiders for Justice-is traveling from Tulsa, Okla., to Washington, D.C, in an effort to drum up support for its cause.
The group is making the trip in an old converted bus, but is stopping in cities along the way for horseback protests.
The group arrived in Roanoke Wednesday evening and has been staying with Sandy Cooper, who has started a local chapter of the Free Leonard Peltier Movement.
A few of the 17 members have slept in two tents on Cooper's Glenvar farm, and the rest have found shelter on her floor and couch.
"It's been like a mini-Woodstock," Cooper said.
Two films based on the deadly confrontation at Pine Ridge were released in 1991-"Thunderheart," a fictional version starring Val Kilmer and Sam Shepard, and "Incident at Oglala," a documentary produced by Robert Redford. It was also the subject of a 1983 book called "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse."
Friday's protest started at Piedmont Park in South Roanoke. The six horses traveled down Walnut Avenue, across the Roanoke River, and turned right onto Jefferson Street and headed into downtown.
There were a few wondering glances as one Native American pounded a leather drum and others chanted along in rhythm, but several police cruisers didn't stop-even though the group didn't have a parade permit.
"They don't believe in getting permits," said Diane Cooper, Sandy's 18-year-old daughter who walked behind the six horses.
After turning left from Jefferson to Franklin Road, the Indians rode to the parking lot of the Poff Building.
David Hill, national spokesman for the group, told the small group there of Peltier's plight.
"This is not an Indian issue; it's a freedom issue," he said.
by CNB