From: Nativejmc at aol.com Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 12:31:54 EDT Subject: Re: genocide To: dhenwood at panix.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Reply-To: Nativejmc at aol.com
Tell whomever questioned you to start with a definition of genocide and tel them to go to Article II of the 1948 Convention on Genocide which the US refused to sign until 1988 and even then is not a full signatory because of the Lugar/Helms/Hatch "Sovereignty" Amendment which says that nothing in international law can override US Sovereignty and law (so if genocide is a sort of American thing, we''ll our "sovereignty" trumps any law on genocide). Canada ratified the UN convention in 1953.
Then tell them to go to works like "The Circle Game" by Roland Chrisjohn or Shingwauk's Vision" by J.R. Miller for openers. Tell them to go also to the highly sanitized Royal Commission Report on Aboriginal Peoples which is also revealing in what was cut out (what is now in The Circle Game) as well as what is in it. They can also go to a recent article--two weeks ago--in US News and World Report on billions of Indian monies gone (remember I mentioned it on your show over a year ago--now they are getting around to the story). Thousands have died in Indian Country who could have been saved with the stolen monies.
We still have: forced assimilation; transfering children of one group to another group through adoptions,; we still have Indian children being sterilized--previously though naked coercion and now through deception; we have overwhelming evidence of Indian children and adults being used for medical experimentation including on the infamous MK-ULTRA LSD program; we have land/resource hungry oil companies engaging in massive corruption to bribe tribal officials to turn over large and desperately-need lands and resources for a song (recent aqgreement at Browning with K2 and Miller Oil of Texas for 50 year lease, full mineral/gas/oil royalties over 740,000 out of the Reservation's 937,000 acres at $20 per acre when the going rate across the border is $5000 per acre),; we have the highest uninvestigated/unsolved murder rates in the country; we have DIA/RCMP in Canada and BIA/FBI in the US fully aware of drug networks destroying Indians at high rates, fully aware of who is behind them and refusing to do anything (drunken and drugged-up Indians are easier to steal land from); we have Indian children being sexually/physically assaulted and used by pedophile rings, pornographers and in foster homes--they are regarded as open season with no likely penalties; we've gott grossly under-funded and under-staff Indian Health Services unable to deal with even basic and survivable illnesses with resulting high and preventable mortality rates;
That is only for starters. Next ask them what Reservations/Reserves they have been on. Ask what their experience/sources are that lead them to question or deny the reality of Genocide. Ask them why US Senate records show that the US Senate repeatedly refused to ratify the UN Convention on Genocide and in the debates repeatedly referred to the fact that Jim Crow Laws and Laws/treatment of Indians would leave the US open to a charge of genocide--their words. Ask them if they have read "Indians Are Us?" or "A Little Matter of Genocide" by Ward Churchill or have they read "An American Holocaust" by David Stannard or have they read any of the works of Vine Deloria (e.g. "Custer Died for Your Sins" or "American Indians, American Justice").
That's only for openers. BTW Mike Levine has asked me to do three maybe four hours on WBAI to be broadcast in installments. We will be taping on May 4 to be broadcast later in May. He asked me as a result of hearing me on your program and being outraged. He also asked me to help to produce his show--producer at large--because I have a background and knowledge in other areas he deals with.
You may publish this or use it as you see fit. Anyone can question and that is good. But now it is time to cough up sources, reasons, experiences to be believe genocide is not going on. It is, I live with it every day and I do know the definitions under law. Perhaps give this person a copy of my Tribunal Findings also.
I hope that helps. Take care and if you need more information or sources, I can of course provide a whole library full. This is just off the top of my head for the moment.
Jim