American Indian activists award Castro with 'Eagle Feather' for warriors

AP ^ | 08/28/03 | AP

[Pikamax]

American Indian activists award Castro with 'Eagle Feather' for exceptional warriors Associated Press

HAVANA - An American Indian activist group has selected Cuban President Fidel Castro for its highest honor for exceptional warriors - the first time the "Eagle Feather" has been bestowed on a non-native of the United States, a Cuban news agency reported Thursday.

Daniel Cheng Yang, leader of the American Indian Movement's youth group, traveled to Cuba to present the award to Castro along with a declaration honoring "the man who represents respect, success, honor and bravery," the official National Information Agency said.

During his visit, Cheng also condemned the U.S. economic blockade against the communist island and expressed the Indian organization's solidarity with five Cuban spies held in U.S. prisons.

He read a letter from imprisoned Indian activist Leonard Peltier, who thanked Castro and the Cuban community for supporting efforts to free him.

Peltier was convicted in 1977 for participating in the slaying of two FBI agents on a South Dakota Indian reservation in 1975. He is serving back-to-back life sentences in federal prison. The Indian movement claims the FBI obtained his conviction through coerced and false testimonies. U.S. courts have denied several appeals.

The five Cuban spies were convicted in Miami in 2001 of trying to infiltrate U.S. military bases and Cuban exile groups in Florida. Their sentences range from 15 years to life.

Cuban authorities say the men are heroic patriots who were working to prevent violent Cuban exile groups from launching terrorist acts against their homeland.

Castro is the first living person, head of state, and non-U.S. native to receive the "Eagle Feather," the highest honor bestowed by the American Indian Movement, the news agency said.

[cyborg]

I never liked the idea of reservations. American Indians should live with everyone else. Did you know that you can go to jail for having eagle feathers if you aren't an indian?

[BnBlFlag]

"Cheng Yang" is an American Indian activist?

[Chad Fairbanks]

It really pisses me off when AIM is called an American Indian Activist group - they are, or were, a MArxist-Leninist group with connections to Libyan Terrorism...

They disgust me...

[jocon307]

Nah, I think he's a Commie.

[Atchafalaya]

Chang Yang, crossed over recently eh?

[Atchafalaya]

Cheng!

[skr]

The emphasis seems to be on activist, and a Communist one at that.

[cyborg]

Pyong Yang in North Korea? Communists are one big happy family.

[rightofrush]

I never liked the idea of reservations.

You and I both. For some time I've thought that the reservation land should be deeded to the respective elders to be divided among the residents and subject to local laws, all Indian agencies disbanded, and all Amerinds given the rights and responsiblities of US citizens.

[txzman]

Hey, the American Indians bribed Bustamonte in CA with $800,000 and Davis with almost $2 MM.

Throw in all the gambling and cigarette stores in this country and we are supposed to have ANY respect for these "Native Americans?"

Barf.

[cyborg]

Yes I agree with you. Reservations do not allow for assimilation and education, opportunity to participate in the world, and so on. It is like a wall against civilization. There are those folks who are worried about 'losing culture' etc. which is all well and good BUT I see no benefit to keeping the indians on reservations and how it's improved anyone's life.

[I still care]

AIM is a group here here in Florida that causes so much trouble everyone hates it, including most real native americans. They shut down our children's Indian pageant here in Pasco county, and disrupt it every year the best they can, trying to wreck the parade and everything.

Fortunately people dislike them so much they get nowhere. Wrecking the children's play put them on everyone's you know what list. And 95% of the real indian populations dislikes them too, because they make a lot of money off the pageant.

I am glad to find this out. I think I will write a letter to our editor so people are aware of this. I am sure AIM needs the "good" publicity!

[Chad Fairbanks]

I know that in 1988, Khaddafi gave a speech to members of the American Indian Movement in Tripoli...

[11B3]

As an American Indian - as well as being raised during the time and at the place of the birth of the AIM 'movement', let me second the disgust. The fact that they even pretend to represent anyone but the Oglala tribe is beyond me. Peltier should be summarily executed in prison.

I too am repulsed by the reservation system. In South Dakota (where AIM originated with money from ultra-liberal attorneys in the Twin Cities), the Sioux don't make anything. There are no tribal dividends. Only alcoholism. 95% of them. Fetal alcohol syndrome is present in nearly 85% of newborns. How do they live? They get a monthly SS check - that's right, we pay them every month of their lives after the age of 18. This is while they receive free housing, free land, free health care, free education (up through PhD). On the reservations there, you still encounter armed road blocks that collect 'taxes' from non-tribal members for using the state highways. I could go on and on. It's part and parcel of the Sioux.

[yankeedame]

American Indians should live with everyone else...

Oh, I couldn't agree more. No one is forced to live on a Reservation. Yet for all sort reasons (Follow the money??) AmerIndians choose and/or are encourage to remain.

[yankeedame]

"Cheng Yang" is an American Indian activist?

LOL! Yeah, he's from one of those tribes far to the east.

[kenth]

I see no benefit to keeping the indians on reservations and how it's improved anyone's life.

You're 100% correct. It is a wall, as it was intended to be. The reservations were never meant to be good for them. It was a place to corral them and get them out of the way.

Back on topic, at least with this award, AIM is showing it's true colors. Although, they will garner some support, such as from Hollywood, which seems to be enamored with Castro. This brings up some interesting ironies too. The greed of the entertainment industry supporting commie/socialist dictators and Indians sharing views with Hollywood, which continually casts Indians in the stereotypical roles they pretend to fight. Go figure.

[tbpiper]

Did you know that you can go to jail for having eagle feathers if you aren't an indian?

Dang, sounds like bad news if your're an eagle. They're covered in them things.

[Clara Lou]

American Indian activists award Castro with 'Eagle Feather' for warriors
This is where native Americans should rise up as a body and say "not in our name." This is a mockery.