John Grahams extradition appeal is scheduled to begin June 23, 2006 in Vancouver BC
author: Billie Pierre/Native Youth Movement
 e-mail: nymchapter604@hotmail.com
Here is an update regarding indigenous activist, John Graham's fight against illegal extradition to the US. The rotten US has no jurisdiction over a "canadian". Canada has no legal jurisdiction over a native!
Also, I just noticed the posting that was put up last April defending John Trudell, who NYM officially boycotted. For more info, check out this portland imc link, for info + response.  http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/04/315617.shtml
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www.grahamdefense.org
http://users.resist.ca/~wolvesnotsheep/
On December 1, 2003, John Graham, a Tuchone indigenous man, was arrested in Vancouver Canada for suspicion of the 1975-1976 murder of AIM activist Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash. The US is attempting to pin Anna Mae's murder on her own comrades in AIM. Since 1976, the FBI attempted to cast suspicion on AIM playing a role in her murder. Today, the US is claiming that Anna Mae was executed by AIM members John Graham, abetted by Arlo Looking Cloud, with the orders of her execution given by Leonard Peltier, and Dennis Banks, and maybe even Vern Belcourt. There is no physical evidence, and no eye witnesses, and evidence is based on contradicting hearsay gossip, and testimonies by an admitted paid FBI informant. John Grahams extradition to the us was approved by Canada earlier this year. Justice Elizabeth Bennett stated that despite her deep concern regarding the evidence the us presented, that the US/CANADA extradition treaty requires only a positive identification of a suspect. On November 7, 2005, John's extradition appeal was scheduled to begin June 23, 2006. There is a possibility it can be held earlier or later.
Background of Anna Mae's murder, and investigation
Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash body was found in Wanbli, a district in the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Her murder occurred "The Rein of Terror", where Sixty-seven natives were murdered(1973-1975). In most cases the murders remained uninvestigated. Most cases had witnesses pointing fingers at GOONs, a US backed paramilitary group, that was put in place to repress the Lakota Traditionals that were staunchly opposing uranium mining in Pine Ridge. AIM was actively armed in self-defense to assist in protecting families in various districts in Pine Ridge from violent attacks from FBI, GOONs, and other us funded groups like cops.
Until recently, it was widely believed that the people responsible for the murder of Anna Mae was the FBI. Moths before her death, Anna Mae, an AIM leader, went underground. She told her comrades that she was hiding out from FBI agents David Price and Douglas Durham, after receiving death threats. FBI agents were on scene when her body was found, and despite having interrogated her months earlier, left her unidentified. The FBI autopsy gave her cause of death being exposure. They cut off her hands for "fingerprint analysis". When the FBI made her identity public, her family had an independent autopsy performed, and a bullet wound was found in the back of her head.
Nearly 3 decades after the body of Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash was discovered in a ravine near Wanbli South Dakota, 2 native men have recently been co-accused for her murder. Arlo Looking Cloud, and John Graham. The trials of Arlo Looking Cloud, and John Graham aren't based on facts. They're based heavily on a video taped confession given by Arlo Looking Cloud while he was intoxicated (see court transcripts link on Graham Defense website). Arlo Looking Cloud is allegedly a chronic alcoholic and heroin addict, and he has given interviews to the press that he had been visited by FBI for years who plied him with alcohol and drugs in turn for interviews.
It is possible that charges are being laid on John and Arlo due to activities in Peltiers ongoing legal defense. In 1975, Leonard Peltier was illegally extradited from Vancouver BC, and tried and convicted for 1st degree murder of 2 FBI agents. All evidence that extradited and convicted Leonard Peltier has been proven in courts to have been fabricated by the FBI. In 2000, Leonard Peltier parole hearing came up, which he was denied. Later on that year, he was almost granted Clemency by Clinton, and lost due to staunch protest by FBI agents. Since that time, the FBI has worked to keep Leonard Peltier from ever being released. In Arlo Looking Cloud's trial, an admitted paid FBI informant, and former AIM member, Kamook Banks claimed that Leonard Peltier suspected Anna Mae of being a snitch, and attempted to implicate Leonard Peltier as being the AIM leader who gave orders to John Graham to execute Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash.
Ongoing Political Repression of Indigenous Resistance in BC
Lastly, John Graham's current legal struggle reflects the political repression that natives in BC who wish to protect their lands from resource exploitation, have been experiencing. The criminalization of native people who defend their land, and who have been exercising their rights to live on their land has been on the rise since 1995. Most of BC has never been ceded to any colonial government, and the indigenous nations living in BC have full jurisdiction over the lands and resources. BC ranks the 8th in the world for mineral potential, and surprisingly enough, taking into consideration other regions in Canada and the US, BC is very rich in natural resources. The province has plans to carve up the mountains with wall to wall ski resorts by 2010. Currently, there is much indigenous resistance to mining and resort development! The most extreme case being in 1995, when the BC government sent in RCMP(cops), and Canadian military to shoot to kill about 20 natives who had chosen to ignore a trespass notice, and were living within their traditional tribal territories. (Gustafsen Stand-off).
If the us can extradite a native person from the colonial borders of Canada, then the us will be able to extradite any native person in the future. According to Canadian laws, indigenous nations maintain the right to jurisdiction over their lands, resources, and political systems. n
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homepage: http://users.resist.ca/~wolvesnotsheep/
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Open Letter To Green Anarchy Collective
I've also included a link to the Indigenous Women for Justice site, who call for the extradition of John Graham. Their site includes many links to articles on this subject.