From: Robin Arnhold Area: Metaphysical To: All 7 Aug 93 08:07:08 Subject: Religious Freedom 1 Pvt UpdReq RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS >>STILL<< NOT A COMPLETE REALITY FOR NATIVE AMERICANS!!! Douglas White is a 72-year-old Lakota (Sioux) man from Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He is a traditional person, which means he worships in the traditional way of the Lakota. He is a medicine man, widely loved and respected by the People of Pine Ridge and other reservations. For many years he has run one or more Sun Dances annually. He is a person of stature and merit among the People. In 1992 Douglas White was arrested, falsely charged, tried, convicted, and sentenced to ten years in prison on each of two counts of child molestation. The 'trial' occurred in federal court because Douglas White is a registered Indian and he lives on a reservation. There was no BIA presence at the trial. The BIA is the Bureau of Indian Affairs. There was no tribal attorney pre- sent there either. >>Both<< of these are required by federal law. The court- appointed attorney is reported to not have made contact with Douglas White until after the 'trial' was over! And then this court-appointed attorney told hime to stop making trouble about his conviction or jail would get worse for him. But there's more. >>Witnesses were not allowed to testify as to Douglas White's character.<< At the time of the alleged incident, Douglas White was running a Sun Dance with over three hundred people in attendance, a Sun Dance he has run for many years. >>The judge would not allow them to testify on Douglas White's behalf, saying that<< the testimony of a couple hundred Indians was irrelevant. Douglas White is a medicine man and because he was running a Sun Dance at the time the alleged incidents occurred, you can rest assured he was fully occu- pied for five straight days and nights with little, if any, sleep. He was counseling people, instructing people, doing healings for people, conducting two purification lodges a day (requiring four hours a day right there), and otherwise supervising the myriad of details that go with putting on a Sun Dance. Also, a traditional person would never molest or abuse anyone, child or adult. The tradition does not allow it. >>Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh) is the name of a branch of the Church of the Helping Hand in Madison, Wisconsin, and is dedicated to dealing with the prob- lems of Native Americans who worship and live according to their traditional ways.<< Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh)'s third director, who also lives on Pine Ridge Reservation, tried to translate for Douglas when he saw that no trans- lator was being provided for him, since Douglas only has a fourth grade educa- tion in the language and ways of the white culture-->>and was told that if he didn't stop translating, he would be jailed and/or fined for contempt of court.<< Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh)'s third director has just been successful in get- ting Douglas White released to his custody while this mess is taken through channels. Douglas White will be released from federal prison on August 18, but this is >>only<< for two months while his case is reviewed. We need money in order to pay the new attorney. All donations are tax deduct- ible. Checks may be made payable to either Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh) or the Church of the Helping Hand. Specify that the donation is for Douglas White's legal expenses in the memo area of the check. We are petitioning for this gross miscarriage of justice to be reversed. The next message contains the petition. You are strongly urged to print it out, sign it, and pass it around. This type of injustice happens to traditionals >>routinely<<. The Indian Free- dom of Religion Act of 1978 did not restore complete religious freedom to Na- tive Americans. Of the original seven Sacred Ceremonies of the Lakota, for example, only four can currently be practiced. Even those are not without hazard and harrassment. In 1992, FBI agents landed helicopters in the sacred area of at least one other Sun Dance in South Dakota on the Cheyenne River reservation. One of Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh)'s directors was told by an elderly woman in Sturgis, South Dakota, in April 1992 that "We don't >>allow<< uppity Indians in South Dakota!" The judge's name is the Honorable Judge Bogue. You can write to him c/o Jeff Chambers, 515 9th St., Federal Building, Room 257, Rapid City, SD 57701. Douglas White's case number is 92-50047-01. We hope people will >>write<< to their >>Congressional Representatives and Senators<< as well as to the judge and to our new U. S. Attorney General, Janet Reno. Their addresses are all available from any good public library reference service. >>Free Douglas White! Religious freedom is a basic human right!<< Thank you for your help. Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh) is Lakota and means >>"Everything and everyone is my relative".<< Either the Constitution guaran- tees freedom to us all to worship as we each choose or it guarantees it to none of us. Donations may be sent to: Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh) c/o Church of the Helping Hand 2150 E. Washington Ave. Madison, WI 53704 Specify Douglas White's legal expenses. All donations are tax deductible; details available on request. ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 718499927771849992777184999277718499927771849992777184999277718 From: Robin Arnhold Area: Metaphysical To: All 7 Aug 93 08:07:20 Subject: Religious Freedom 2 Pvt UpdReq PLEASE HELP US RIGHT AN INJUSTICE -- In 1992, Douglas White, a 72-year-old Amer- ican Indian from Pine Ridge Reservation in S. Dakota, who worships in the Tradi- tional Way, was falsely arrested, tried, & convicted of child molestation; with- out an attorney, a translator, knowledge of the charges against him, or witness- es in his defense. At the time of the alledged incident, Mr. White was running a Sun Dance, caring for the spiritual needs of several hundred people for five straight days, but the testimony of 200+ Indians was deemed "irrelevant" & not allowed by the (Federal) judge. Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh)'s Third Director, who lives on Pine Ridge Res., tried to translate quietly for Mr. White, & was told by the judge to stop or he would be jailed or fined for contempt of court! Douglas White was sentenced to two consecutive 10-year prison terms in this farcical procedure. His case number is 92-50047-01; the judge's name is Bogue; & letters can be sent to him regarding this "c/o Jeff Chambers; 515 9th St.,; Federal Bldg. 257; Rapid City, SD 57701". This kind of treatment is typical of that CONTINUALLY being brought against Traditional People by your government & legal system. Foreign nationals in this country have more religious freedom than American Indians do, BY LAW. Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh), Inc. is try- ing to get this conviction thrown out. Please print out this material & the petition below & sign them & pass them around in your area; & write to your Con- gressional Representatives & Senators about this, as well as President Clinton & Attorney General Janet Reno. This kind of thing must stop NOW. Financial help is needed with this, too, as we are funded entirely by donations. We are a 501(c)(3) organization, so donations are tax-deductible. Please send your dona- tions to us at: Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh), Inc.; c/o Box 8024; Madison, Wis. 53704. "Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh)" is Lakota (Sioux) for "Every thing & every one is my relation". Religious freedom is such a basic human right, it is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Thank you! PETITION We, the undersigned, are shocked & outraged at the treatment of Douglas White & other American Indian People, & at the total disregard for their Constitution- al Rights continually shown by the government & legal system of this country, especially as pertains to their Traditional culture, lifestyle, & religious ac- tivities. It is time for such desecration of Native Peoples to STOP. We de- mand that you, our governmental leaders, take action to correct this situation NOW, & restore the Constitution's protection & rights in full to American Indian People. American Indian People are also the only ethnic group the government has a policy dedicated specifically to declassification as a minority, regard- less of blood-percentage, & this must also STOP NOW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME & PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. PRINT YOUR NAME & SIGN YOUR NAME & LEGAL ADDRESS HERE 1. _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________________ 4. _____________________________________________________________________________ 5. _____________________________________________________________________________ 6. _____________________________________________________________________________ 7. _____________________________________________________________________________ 8. _____________________________________________________________________________ 9. _____________________________________________________________________________ 10. ____________________________________________________________________________ 11. ____________________________________________________________________________ 12. ____________________________________________________________________________ 13. ____________________________________________________________________________ 14. ____________________________________________________________________________ (c)1993 Oh-mah-tah-keh-wah-say-(oh),Inc. Please post & mail when full. Thank you ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 718499927771849992777184999277718499927771849992777184999277718