Statement Regarding Richard Marshall’s Motion to Quash a Subpoena in the trial of John Graham: What is the truth? South Dakota justice system seeks lies as truth in Indian country. November 30, 2010 - What becomes of a country when it’s indigenous people are being taught that, in a foreign court of law, lying under oath is a truthful lie and that truthful lie will set you free? Back in the 1970s when Sovereignty was an idea of the red power movement, Indians were just beginning to examine corruption in their tribal governments. Today, Sovereignty means something different. Today we see that Sovereignty banner in every gaming compact negotiation where tribal leaders plead to states for more slot machines, while the racist state bargains for more jurisdiction in Indian Country, keeping in mind the states goal of gaining more Indian lands. In 1973, Richard Marshall was one of those early Sovereignty rights advocates as he traveled with leaders like Pedro Bissonette. In Apr...

"You Can Only Kick So Long..." American Indian Movement leadership in Nebraska 1972-1979 by W. Dale Mason Reprinted with Permission-Originally Printed in Journal of the West 1984 Following the "re-occupation" of Alcatraz Island by Federal authorities in late 1971 after a two-year "occupation" by Indians living near San Francisco, the emerging nationwide Indian movement entered a new phase. Between the mid-1960s and 1971 there had been numerous "fish-ins" and seizures of Federal property by young Indian activists. Many of these acts of direct confrontation occurred without a great deal of planning. They often lacked a broad base of support among the Indian people living in the areas where they took place. Alcatraz itself was not of major concern to many indigenous California Indians. The impetus for the occupation of the Island had come from Indian college students living in the Bay Area led by Richard Oaks, a 27 year-old Mohawk from the St.Regis...

By Journal staff Posted: Friday, May 14, 2010 3:24 pm Rapid City Journal Article The murder trial of John Graham and Thelma Rios has been moved to Nov. 29. Graham, 54, and Rios, 64, are charged in connection with the 1975 slaying of American Indian Movement activist Annie Mae Aquash. The state charges involve incidents that allegedly took place in Rapid City shortly before Aquash was killed on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, had been scheduled for July. During a Friday hearing, 7th Circuit Judge Jack Delaney also granted a request to remove defense attorney Matt Stephens from Rios' case. Rios' other attorney, Matt Kinney, said he would ask Delaney to appoint new co-counsel. Rios' attorneys have asked that her trial be severed from Graham's, but Delaney has not ruled on that motion. Two other men have already been tried in federal court for Aquash's murder. Arlo Looking Cloud was convicted in 2004 and is serving a sen...

The South Dakota state trial date for John Graham is set for Tuesday July 6, 2010. Recent court documents have been added at: http://www.grahamdefense.org/courtdocs/ Amongst other things more information is available about destruction of evidence by the Denver Police Department and the money and benefits Serle Chapman received from the US Government for his activities. Regarding Chapmen see e.g. http://www.grahamdefense.org/courtdocs/740.pdf Chapman's own statement from March 29, 2010 is at: http://www.grahamdefense.org/courtdocs/719.pdf

Richard Marshall found not guilty in 1975 AIM slaying Heidi Bell Gease Journal staff | Posted: Friday, April 23, 2010 6:30 am A federal jury deliberated for less than two hours Thursday before finding Vine Richard "Dickie" Marshall not guilty of murder in connection with the 1975 slaying of American Indian Movement activist Annie Mae Aquash. Marshall's supporters, who filled one side of the U.S. District courtroom, erupted in cheers and applause when the verdict was read about 2 p.m. Marshall stood and hugged Dana Hanna, his court-appointed attorney. Afterward, Hanna noted that people have said a Native American cannot get a fair trial in front of an all-white jury in South Dakota. "We have proved them wrong today," he said. Prosecutors had tried to prove that Marshall, 59, provided the handgun used to kill Aquash, who some in AIM believed was a government informant. Arlo Looking Cloud, who was convicted in 2004 of her murder and is serving life in prison, was t...

The following biography and essay are written by the author: (Mario Gonzalez is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and presently serves as legal counsel to several Sioux tribes. He is the first recipient of the Distinguished Aboriginal Lawyer Achievement Award (1995) given by the Native Law Center of Canada, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask. He is also co-author of The Politics of Hallowed Ground: Wounded Knee and the Struggle for Indian Sovereignty (1999). He can be reached at mario@mariogonzalezlaw.com). [Part One] Why the Docket 74-A award must be rejected By Mario Gonzalez A federal class action lawsuit called Different Horse v. Salazar was filed in U.S. District Court by the Ketterling Law Firm of Yankton, S.D. on April 15, 2009, to force the Interior Department to distribute the Dockets 74-A and 74-B Sioux land claims awards in per capita payments to tribal members. The awards with (interest) now total over $1 billion. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe has taken the le...