Canadian workers honor Peltier
The Ontario Federation of Labor honored Native leader and
political prisoner Leonard Peltier with the 2001 Human Rights
Award on Dec. 7. The OFL represents about 600,000 of the 2.2
million union workers in Canada.
It was almost 26 years ago that Canada illegally extradited
Peltier to the United States where he faced false charges of
shooting two federal agents. Framed up on these counts,
Peltier--recognized around the world as a U.S.-held political
prisoner--has been imprisoned ever since.
Several hundred delegates from across the province and
representatives from all of Canada attended the OFL Convention
in Toronto.
OFL President Wayne Samuelson, Secretary-Treasurer Ethel
Birkett-LaValley, Executive Vice-President Irene Harris and
others stood on stage to honor Peltier and the sacrifices he
has made for the struggle of Native people in North
America.
In an acceptance statement read by Birkett-LaValley, Peltier
said, "I want to congratulate the OFL for taking a leadership
role in human and civil rights in Canada and for recognizing
the importance of solidarity and brotherhood. When working
people unite to make a better society and world, hope for all
of our futures can be embraced."
The Canadian Labor Congress and many national unions are
coordinating work in Canada with the Leonard Peltier Defense
Committee-Canada to hold a legal inquiry and submit Canadian
documents to the U.S. president asking for clemency.
For more information, contact the LPDC Canada (Coalition) at
(416) 439-1893. In the U.S. contact the Leonard Peltier Defense
Committee, P.O. Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044; call (785)
842-5774; or visit www.freepeltier.org.
--John Catalinotto
Reprinted from the Dec. 20, 2001, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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