Don't Glorify an Unrepentant Killer
December 23, 2009
In a letter to an organization that advocates on behalf of Native
Americans, former FBI Agent Joseph H. Trimbach admonished the group
for awarding their first annual humanitarian award to convicted
killer Leonard Peltier. The group, Red Nation, gave the award to
Peltier, a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), at a film
festival in November. Peltier serves two life sentences for the 1975
murders of FBI Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams. Trimbach and his
son, John, authored a book about the Peltier trial and what they call
the "transformation from killer to saint."
The letter
(http://www.aimmythbusters.com/2009/12/letter-to-red-nation.html)
addressed to Red Nation founder Joanelle Romero, calls on the group
to rescind the award and give it to a Native American worthy of such
an honor. John Trimbach claims that Peltier's efforts to compare his
incarceration to the historic oppression of Native people is nothing
but a propaganda ruse designed to mask his guilt.
Trimbach said that it was a disgrace to give such an award to someone
who is the antithesis of what the award is supposed to symbolize.
"This accolade is supposedly for Peltier's 'lifelong commitment to
indigenous and human rights' and his leadership in alleviating 'abuse
among Native people.' Red Nation is obviously misinformed about the
facts of this double murder. From the day he was convicted, Peltier
has done nothing but lie about his involvement in Native issues,
beginning with his role in the American Indian Movement. He has spent
his entire criminal career lying to people about his so-called
activism behind bars."
Trimbach added that the decision to honor an unrepentant killer is
especially nonsensical given the wealth of information that renders
Peltier's claims to mere falsehoods and fables. "There's a good
reason why every court that has looked at this murder case has found
against Peltier. They see right through his lies."
Peltier has recently set up a non-profit corporation that Trimbach
says only diverts needed funds away from Indian Country. "This is so
objectionable to both Natives and non-Natives who are aware that
Peltier uses his made-up victim story to fool people into
contributing to his defense fund. This money, from all over the
world, could have and should have been used to alleviate genuine
Indian hardship and suffering." Trimbach also charges that Peltier
has gotten away with piggybacking on pressing Native issues in a
self-centered and greedy scam, making it doubly harmful to true
Indian causes. "Peltier has maliciously trivialized the seriousness
of genuine issues facing Indian Country, all in the name of his own
glorification. He bilks his fellow Native Americans out of their
hard-earned money, and then returns the favor by doling out some of
this money to his friends and supporters. He has no shame."
Trimbach adds that the notoriety given Peltier is due mostly to
author Peter Matthiessen's controversial bestseller, In The Spirit of
Crazy Horse. "This book is written in the blood of Peltier's victims;
it does little more than make a mockery of the Crazy Horse legacy and
true Indian heroism. The Red Nation group should come to grips with
the damage wrought by this book, particularly when it has been
repeatedly exposed as a pack of lies. By the same token, Red Nation
should be held accountable for their endorsement of a cold-blooded murderer."
The Trimbachs call on all Peltier supporters to donate to the Red
Cloud school and other institutions on the Pine Ridge Reservation in
South Dakota. "It's time to provide assistance that the Peltier fund
has diverted away from people truly in need," says Joe Trimbach. "We
want to replace the funds that Peltier's cause has essentially stolen
from reservation Indians."
In his letter to Red Nation, Trimbach reminded the group that Peltier
once interrogated fellow AIM member Anna Mae Aquash by putting a
loaded gun in her mouth and calling it "truth serum." Aquash was
subsequently murdered after Peltier's leaders decided that she was
guilty of being an FBI informant. Trimbach says that Aquash was never
an informant. "If Anna Mae had been working for us, she would still
be alive today because we would have pulled her out of that dangerous
situation. It is a shame that Peltier and the old AIM leadership
continue to get away with lying about their role in her demise."
The Trimbachs' book implicates AIM leaders Russell Means and Dennis
Banks in the conspiracy that led to the beating, rape, and execution
of Aquash in 1975. The alleged triggerman, former AIM member John
Graham, is scheduled for trial in February 2010. "Justice for Anna
Mae is long overdue," notes John Trimbach. "I hope the organizers at
Red Nation sleep soundly at night, while the spirit of Anna Mae cries
out for justice. Her death remains a sobering reminder of the true
AIM legacy and the evil behind Peltier's propaganda machine. It is
not too late for Red Nation to wash their hands of the Peltier myth
of innocence. Their time is surely better spent educating people
about poverty and neglect on the reservations. Red Nation owes it to
their members to be informed about the Peltier murders. There's
really no excuse for honoring an unrepentant killer."
The Trimbachs' historical expose, American Indian Mafia, documents
the major court findings of fact in the Peltier murder trial and
reveals much about Peltier's claimed alibis.
John M. Trimbach
Trimbach & Associates, Inc.
Atlanta
770-883-5086
.
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