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Educate Others
Raise
Awareness About Peltier's Case
Due to the political
nature of the Peltier case, a high level of
public awareness is critical if new legal
efforts are to succeed. Here's some of the
things you can do to educate your community
about the Peltier case:
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Set up literature tables at events/public
places. Download publications (see links
under Resources on our main menu).
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Organize teach-ins.
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Host speaking engagements with
Peltier
spokespeople.
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Plan showings
of electronic media. While "Incident at Oglala" is out of
print, copies still in circulation are often available for purchase from Amazon.com, eBay, etc.,
and VHS and DVD copies are available to
rent in many rental outlets. Amazon.com also offers a downloadable, low-cost
digital version. Restrictions apply. We also strongly recommend "Warrior,"
on VHS.
Order online through Native
Videos.
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Write letters to editors of local
newspapers. Click
here for newspapers in your state.
Also read these tips.
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Encourage community television stations to highlight the case.
Click here for
TV stations in your state.
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Place calls to
radio
call-in shows. Express your opinions and educate others.
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Hold book readings featuring "My Life
Is My Sun Dance" by Leonard Peltier.
More Outreach Suggestions
Enlist your friends,
family, and community members in the freedom
campaign. Hold events or facilitate
activities that will spread awareness about
the new strategies, while galvanizing active
support.
Here are some ideas that have worked well
in the past:
Potluck/Meeting—Invite
friends, family and coworkers, local
organizations, fellow supporters, and
potential supporters to a potluck and
planning meeting. Discuss the case and new
strategies. Plan outreach, fundraising and
mobilization efforts for the months to come.
The discussion might include:
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Planning fundraisers
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Planning to attend court or
congressional hearings
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Planning outreach efforts, such as
regular leafleting in a public place,
video showings, or talks
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Visiting local churches, labor unions,
civil and human rights organizations to
ask them to pass a formal
resolution and encourage other participation
and support.
Vigil—Hold a vigil on or around
significant case-related dates—June 26th,
for example. Invite local organizations,
church members, tribal members, and general
public to attend. Alert the media and
announce new strategies at the vigil. Inform
attendees of ways to get involved on a local
level.
Fundraiser—Hold a benefit concert
with local bands, a poetry reading, or
Indian taco or bake sales to raise funds for
the
Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee. Use
the fundraiser to distribute information and
announce new strategies. Read our
hints about event planning and
coordination.
Leafleting—If you are not in a
position to coordinate an event, consider
leafleting in a busy area to generate more
awareness. Download publications (see links
under Resources on our main menu).
Petition Drive—Download and print our
petitions. Collect signatures of people
in your community who support Leonard Peltier's
parole, the release of FBI case documents,
an award of Executive Clemency to Leonard
Peltier, and/or congressional hearings on
the "Reign of Terror" on the Pine Ridge
Reservation during the 1970s.
"Call Circle"—Host a party and ask
your guests to bring their cell phones.
Coordinate
calls to congressional offices and/or
the White House.
Street Theater—Devise skits that tell
Leonard Peltier's story. Perform the skits on
street corners in your community. Also
distribute educational materials. Download
publications (see links under Resources on
our main menu) for handouts.
"Chalk It Up" Campaign—"Oh well,
chalk it up to experience!" used to be an
old expression of polite comment when
something went contrary to someone's
expectations. Long ago, children would chalk
up their school work on small slates in
school. Teachers would chalk up lessons on
school blackboards (later, green ones), and
colored chalk came along to amuse and
decorate with. What's the "Chalk It Up"
Campaign? It's a simple action you can take
in your town or city. Assemble a group of
supporters, hand out chalk, and spread out.
Write slogans in support of Leonard's
freedom on sidewalks throughout your town,
e.g., "Free Peltier NOW Because It's the
RIGHT Thing to Do". You also can include our
Web address (www.whoisleonardpeltier.info) so that
interested passersby have the means by which
to learn about Leonard Peltier. (We
recommend that you consult graffiti
ordinances in your area and use only chalk
because such markings are not permanent.)
Prison Cell Exhibit—The
standard size for a federal prison cell is
80 square-feet. Construct such a "prison
cell" in a park or other public place and
invite passersby to experience imprisonment
for themselves. Post signs: "Construction
and activation of this cell cost you
$170,000" and "It costs you, the taxpayer, $25,000 per year (average
of $24,922 in Fiscal Year 2007) to confine an
innocent man. Free Leonard Peltier." Also
distribute materials on Leonard's case.
Download publications (see links under
Resources on our main menu) for use as
handouts.
Reserved for Leonard Peltier—Buy
a ticket to attend an event (a stage play or
film screening, sporting event, concert,
etc.) and, instead of sitting in that seat,
place a sign on the seat that reads,
"Reserved for Leonard Peltier". Be
sure to include our Web address (www.whoisleonardpeltier.info)
on your sign so that interested parties can
learn how they can help. But you don't
have to spend money to deliver the same
message. Go to a public park or other
public place, place your sign on a chair or
bench, and be prepared to answer the
question: "Who is Leonard Peltier?"
Download a sign
now.
Do you have an idea to share? Send it to us
at
contact@whoisleonardpeltier.info and we'll post
it on this page.
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