Clyde Bellecourt commentary on U.S. government lawlessness and Pedro Bissonette's death

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October 18, 1973
Bob Potter - Reporter, Clyde Bellecourt - Speaker
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Clyde Bellecourt talks about the federal government conspiracy to assassinate the leadership of the AIM. He says the government is blatantly trying to silence voices of oppressed, such as the Black Panther leaders, the May Day 1971 crowds, and the Indians indicted for Wounded Knee. Bellecourt atates that Oglala Nation and AIM accept the challenge of BIA.

Bellecourt also explains Pedro Bissonette's death.

Transcript:

(00:00:00) Once again, the federal government's conspiracy to assassinate the leadership of the American Indian movement is brought about brought before the American people. We have suffered before under this type of policy in the last century the century before that and the century before that only in recent times as United States of America been so blatant and its attempt to silence the voice of the oppressed when the leadership of the Black Panther Party was systematically assassinated the country stood by silently when 15 mm, white deep on May Day 1971 were incarcerated without their constitutional rights to Country stood by silently in Washington DC when over 600 American Indian people have been indicted by the federal system because of Wounded Knee and the people United States continue to stand by silently and when the United States government in canoe conclusion with local governments continue to kill in and people without regard for the rights than the American Indian movement with the independent Oaklawn Nation will With a lot of sadness on the Pine Ridge reservation be it Bureau of Indian Affairs police or goons. We the citizens of the independent. Oh chlorination and the members of the American Indian movement accept the challenge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs on Monday, October 22nd, 1973 Russell Means candidate for presidency of the Oglala Sioux Tribe at Pine Ridge, and those people have believed in the American Indian treaty rights will converge on Pine Ridge, South Dakota. To deal with the Outlaws of this United States of America.
(00:01:34) What do you mean specifically by dealing with
(00:01:36) it that we will deal we will be there with all of our legal assistance necessary. We will be there with all the Manpower necessary. As far as the Warriors. We are calling all of the Warriors of the occupation of Wounded Knee and American Indian movement to deal with this situation.
(00:01:53) You yourself were shot rather. Seriously. How do you feel personally about going back to that area?
(00:02:00) Have a lot of people telling me that my life is in danger, but I know that there are people dying on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation if I can be any part in bringing a buyer together any type of Justice then I will be there if requested.
(00:02:13) What do you understand to be the circumstances surrounding? Bissonnette's
(00:02:17) death Pedro. Bissonnette's Bond. Was revoked about two weeks ago supposedly on the testimony of eight goons that work for Dickie Wilson stated that he had carried a gun are pulled a gun on them. When his life in fact has been threatened on many occasions. They revoked his bond and last night. They caught him on two different occasions. The first time you let him go the second time he was alone and he was shot seven times in total disregard to his family's wishes. His body has been moved to Scottsdale. Bluff Nebraska and not to Rapid City South Dakota where they wanted to go so we could have our legal offices in Rapid City be there as observers during any type of autopsy.

Transcripts

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SPEAKER 1: Once again, the federal government's conspiracy to assassinate the leadership of the American Indian Movement is brought before the American people. We have suffered before under this type of policy, in the last century, the century before that, and the century before that. Only in recent times has the United States of America been so blatant in its attempt to silence the voice of the oppressed.

When the leadership of the Black Panther Party was systematically assassinated, the country stood by silently. When 15,000 White people on Mayday 1971 were incarcerated without their constitutional rights, the country stood by silently in Washington DC.

When over 600 American Indian people have been indicted by the federal system because of Wounded Knee, and the people of the United States continue to stand by silently, and when the United States government, in collusion with local governments, continue to kill Indian people without regard for their rights, then the American Indian Movement, with the Independent Oglala nation, will deal with the lawlessness on the Pine Ridge reservation, be it the Bureau of Indian Affairs, police, or goons.

We, the citizens of the Independent Oglala Nation and the members of the American Indian Movement, accept the challenge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. On Monday, October 22, 1973, Russell Means, candidate for presidency of the Oglala Sioux tribe at Pine Ridge, and those people that believe in the American Indian Treaty rights will converge on Pine Ridge, South Dakota to deal with the outlaws of this United States of America.

SPEAKER 2: What do you mean specifically by dealing with it?

SPEAKER 1: That we will deal, we will be there with all of our legal assistance necessary. We will be there with all the manpower necessary. As far as the warriors, we are calling in all of the warriors of the occupation of Wounded Knee and the American Indian Movement to deal with this situation.

SPEAKER 2: You, yourself, were shot rather seriously. How do you feel personally about going back to that area?

SPEAKER 1: I have a lot of people telling me that my life is in danger. But I know that there are people dying on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. If I can be any part in bringing together any type of justice, then I will be there, if requested.

SPEAKER 2: What do you understand to be the circumstances surrounding Bissonette's death.

SPEAKER 1: Pedro Bissonnette's bond was revoked about two weeks ago, supposedly on the testimony of eight goons that worked for Dickie Wilson, and stated that he had carried a gun or pulled a gun on them, when his life, in fact, has been threatened on many occasions.

They revoked his bond. And last night, they caught him on two different occasions. The first time, they let him go. The second time, he was alone, and he was shot seven times. In total disregard to his family's wishes, his body has been moved to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and not to Rapid City, South Dakota, where they wanted it to go so we could have our legal offices in Rapid City be there as observers during any type of autopsy.

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