Rememberances, Condolences and Prayers

Ainee, Hola, and Greetings

As everyone knows by now...Indian Country is in mourning for these three human rights activists, Ingrid, Lahe'ena'e and Terence, who were in Columbia working with the U'we people.

Many people have expressed an interest in holding a nation-wide ceremony for these three people, the U'we, and the legions of misguided authorities and governments. This message is being sent out to e-mail lists all over Indian Country and if you are interested in participating please forward it on to others. Whether you are alone or with family and friends please join in this ceremony so that we may join together in spirit and mind to honor Ingrid, Lahe'ena'e and Terence...to help them on into the next world. Pray for all of our ancestors who died similar deaths in places like Sand Creek and Wounded Knee and pray for all of the activists throughout these lands and all of those good people who put their artistic and writing talents to work on behalf of human rights. Pray for Leonard Peltier and all of our people in the prisons. Pray for all those people who sit on the fence never taking a stand on anything and for those with corrupted minds and hearts.

On Sunday, March 21 beginning at 8:00 p.m. (eastern standard time) we will hold a traditional prayer ceremony and feast for the dead. We will gather around the fire and will prepare ourselves in our traditional way. We will pray and sing. We will prepare food and a plate will be set for Ingrid, Lahe'ena'e and Terence...the oldest and youngest will set the food...Ingrid's plate at the north for the Menominee people, Lahe'ena'e's plate at the west for the Hawai'i people, and Terence's plate in the south for the U'we people.

Please join us in creating a nation-wide, and perhaps world-wide prayer ceremony for these three: Ingrid, Lahe'ena'e and Terence.

Catherine Davids cdavids@flint.umich.edu
Flint, Michigan

The Saskatchewan Coalition Against Racism wishes to extend our sincerest sympathy and support to the families and friends of Ingrid Washinawatok, Lahe'ena Gay, and Terence Feitas. May you find strength in these times of grief and loss. May you find comfort from the many people who loved these people. May you find courage from those of us who grieve with you and make a stand to demand answers and seek justice in this case.

The Saskatchewan Coalition Against Racism is a group of people from all walks of life and ethic and cultural backgrounds. We stand up against racism, discrimination, and injustice within Saskatchewan and the world.

The Saskatchewan Coalition Against Racism wishes to join with the Menominee Nation, other Indigenous Nations and groups, and all humanity to demand a full investigation into these untimely deaths and prosecution of those responsible for the deaths of Ingrid, Lahe'ena, and Terence. Furthermore, we demand an investigation into how the actions of the US State Department contributed to this incident. Finally, we demand that all financial support to the Colombian military internationally be withdrawn until the true facts surrounding these deaths are revealed.

The Saskatchewan Coalition understands that these deaths are not isolated incidents and are only part and parcel to thousands of Indigenous and human deaths throughout the world. We understand that collectively we must take a stand to protect all humanity and Mother Earth. Without this stand nothing will change.

The deaths of Ingrid, Lahe'ena, and Terence will not be forgotten. We will honour them by carrying on their deeds and ensuring that there will be justice everywhere.

Saskatchewan Coalition Against Racism Board of Directors
matsuin@hotmail.com

My spirit is with them,

I am thinking of your friends and our allies who were killed recently in Colombia. All of us here send our thoughts and spirit energy their way and yours.

Craig Williams
Director, Chemical Weapons Working Group, P.O. Box 467 Berea, Ky. 40403 kefwilli@acs.eku.edu
(606) 986-7565 (P) (606) 986- 2695 (F) www.cwwg.org

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, on Tuesday condemned the brutal murder of three indigenous human rights activists in Colombia last week, and urged the authorities to fully investigate the murders and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The victims, who had been kidnapped on 25 February, were found on March 4 blindfolded, handcuffed and shot several times through the head. They had been visiting the Uw'a, an indigenous people of about 5,000 living in the Arauco region of Colombia, who are opposed to oil exploitation on their lands.

The High Commissioner paid tribute to the three and recalled that one of them, Ingrid Washinawatok, a member of the Menominee Nation of Wisconsin, was well known to the international community for her active defence of indigenous rights. In a message of condolence to the bereaved families, Ms. Robinson recognized the courage and commitment of the slain activists and reaffirmed her Office's determination to protect the human rights of the world's indigenous peoples.

The High Commissioner expressed her concern that despite the growing international consensus on indigenous rights, and the proclamation by the General Assembly of an International Decade of the World's Indigenous People (1995 - 2004) aimed at bringing about respect for indigenous cultures, indigenous rights defenders remained targets of human rights violations.

On March 9, 1999, Elsbeth Vocat wrote:

We, staff members of Pueblo Indio Network, express our deepest concern about the murder of north american activists in Colombia. We condemn violence against human right defenders, and especially those defending our indigenous brothers. With our cordial condolence to the families and friends of Ingrid Washinawatok, Lahe'ena'e Gay and Terence Freitas

We never will forget their sacrifice.

Q.I.P.D.

Pueblo Indio

Response by the League of Indigenous Sovereign Nations of the Western Hemisphere (LISN)

Elsbeth, thank you - I'll pass on your message to the families contact sources.

---thoughts of balance---

This most grevious autrocity sends an agressive, hatefilled, pointed and targeted message to each of us in the struggle.

All hearts are moved into depths yet untouched, let our minds be learned and our diverse paths continue in peace, solidarity, strength and most of all: Spirit and Truth.

Let each detail of this action continue to do its work on us no matter how painfull & on those whose minds and hearts we have yet to instill our Creator's Truth.

Is that not the whole basis of our political work?

Would we not be living fully and daily in the original way, rather than this, if possible?

That is our dream...our children's future.

OLA HONUA
(may the thing of our people come to light)

This message from Austria was sent to the IICBnet.

Dear friends!

We'd like to support you with our signature in your fight against corruption, aggression and explotation of Indigenous homelands.Thanks for the note about the murder of the two indigenous sisters.Hoping that there will be an end of political crimes against the tribes of the old cultures, which have such an important role in the change of humanity, in the change of the times.

Love and understanding from Austria,Tirol Norbert and Christine Muigg

This response was received through the POPs Network (Persistent Organic Pollutants network of over 100 organizations of which IEN is a member of).

March 9, 1999

Betsy MacGregor, our close friend in New York, sent this beautiful note. Betsy works at Beth Israel on death and dying issues. Her husband Charles Terry, also a close friend, heads the philanthropy office at Rockefeller Financial Services.

Dear Michael,

I imagine you have heard about the three Americans who were murdered recently in Columbia. Charles happened to know and work with one of them, Ingrid Washinawatok, who he says was a remarkable person doing remarkable work on behalf of indigenous people around the world.

As I was reflecting on these three beautiful people -- Ingrid Washinawatok, Terence Freitas, and Lahe'ena'e Gay -- on their lives of caring and service and love, and on the jolting, wrenching news of their sudden and violent deaths, a thought came to me that I would like to pass on to others.

I want to pass this thought on because it seemed to come in response to the surge of anguish and horror I felt on first hearing the news. It came from beyond this time- and place-bound world, and it was conveyed to me with a feeling of utter compassion and patience.

This thought said:

A person who has dedicated their life to good does not die needlessly or without reason. The death of a great person is governed by that person's soul, and their death serves a great purpose, just as their life did.

A person who has dedicated their life to good and who has nothing of hatred or brutality within them, when confronted by hatred and brutality, will not be claimed by those forces. Those forces will have no true power over them, except what their own soul willingly gives, for the sake of a greater purpose.

A person whose life has flowed with love and compassion will be sustained by love and compassion when confronted by hatred and brutality, and will not fall in terror. Such a person will be fully and completely in the loving hands of their soul, and grace will surround them even while the hatred and brutality carry out their acts. They will remain free and unharmed, even while giving up their life. So do not fear for them, but know that they have given us a great gift. And know that, truly, they will remain with us, bound to us by their unbroken love.

With gratitude and wonder,

Betsy

Tue, 9 Mar 1999

Tommorow is a day of prayer, fasting, and reflection for me. I am standing in solidarity with Vernoica who has been fasting in protest of the hazardous waste being burned at the TXI cement kiln in Texas. I will be remembering our fallen colleagues in Columbia during this time and praying that their spirits find peace with the Creator and that the mission of their spirit is realized.

I will be remembering them and the tremendous contribution they have made to our world, our life, and our spirit.

Jane

Message to the Family and Friends of Ingrid Washinawatok, Terence Freitas and Lahe'ena'e Gay who were taken hostage and murdered in Colombia, South America.

Statement by Dine' CARE

The members of Dine' Citizens Against Ruining our Environment (CARE) wish to express their condolences and prayers to the families of Ingrid Washinawatok, Lahe'ena'e Gay, and Terrence Freitas. We are saddened and angered by their deaths in Venezuela last week.

Dine' CARE Vice-President Earl Tulley, commenting on the loss, offers these short words of tribute to the fallen ambassadors of peace. Whom both he and other Dine' CARE members knew through the Indigenous Environmental Network: "We have been blessed to have shared our walk with you. And as you travel into the next life, we will honor you by sustaining our tradition, our Culture, our language and our way of life - the work which you have left for us to complete."

Sadly, the loss of these brave people is part of a continuous pattern of genocide being waged against the U'wa people of Columbia, and a five hundred year war on the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Today that war continues for the land which we still hold sacred, but which has been reduced to a collection of "resources" and "assets" to be converted into cash.

Our own Dine' brother and activist Leroy Jackson gave his life for the Grandfather Trees of the Navajo homeland. We likewise recognize the brave sacrifice of the three environmentalists and humanitarians in Columbia and the ongoing struggle of the U'wa people to protect their forest lands.

Whether the military government, the rebels, or specific oil interests are responsible for the murders makes little difference. These organizations all represent different manifestations of the same ills that plague the process of development: greed, the willingness to violate our Mother the Earth for the sake of exploitable resources, and the tendency to regard indigenous people - fellow human beings - as expendable pawns in a political and economic game. As such, all are enemies of the original people of Columbia.

We knew Ingrid and worked with her on many native women and environmental issues. She was a brave-hearted woman and we will always honor her memory by continuing the sacred work of protecting our Mother Earth and all of creation.

We met Terrence through Indigenous Environmental Network yearly "Protecting Mother Earth" conferences. Terrence was a brave young man who worked closely with indigenous peoples.

Finally, to the families of these victims we say: find comfort in knowing that many people have benefited from your sharing with us wonderful human beings you brought into our lives for this brief time.