And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 15:42:32 -0700 Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: arthur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> permission to circulate in full granted From: NWLPSN, [EMAIL PROTECTED] A PUBLIC RESPONSE TO PAUL WATSON FROM ARTHUR J. MILLER Paul Watson, the head of Sea Shepherd, has issued at statement attacking The Declaration Against Racism and those involved with it. In his statement he seeks to discredit the declaration through misleading people and using outright lies. It seems that Watson is becoming fearful that people internationally are finding out about the actions he and his organization have taken against the Makah people, and that they are speaking out against him. I do not know how wide Watson's statement has gotten so that is the reason I am making a public response to it. Below I answer the points made in his statement. 1. Watson gives out the idea that SISIS (who put the declaration together) is working with a government intelligence agency. This is the same tactic that the FBI used in their COINTELPRO program which is called "bad jacking". Like the FBI, Watson is trying to place the agent tag on those he seeks to suppress. As many people know SISIS has provided an important service in support of Native struggles since 1991, by disseminating a great amount of information. Information I may add that the government would rather not have that information out. 2. Watson claims that there has been no racist backlash against the Makahs and other Native people. This is an outright lie and Watson knows it. All the racist death threats, the bomb threat against Chief Leschi School, the placing bumper stickers on cars on Puyallup land that read "Save A Whale, Kill An Indian", the banner at the PAWS rally that said "Save a Whale, Harpoon a Makah", the attempt to run off the road the Puyallup canoe team and the refusal of some white business in in Port Angeles to serve Native people were all covered by the mainstream media. In the letters to the editor of many papers were found numerous racist letters, on radio talk shows you heard such things as "white people should renew their tradition of killing Indians" and another person asking where he could get a license to shoot Indians, these are just two examples. And then there were the acts of violence against Native people. Those of us who live up here all know of the racist backlash and we also know who was in the forefront arousing it, Paul Watson. I heard him state on tv that "if the Makahs take a whale then all Indian People will suffer". 3. Watson came into the northwest and joined up with the main spokeperson for the racist anti-tribal campaign which had been organized for a long time. That person is Jack Metcalf. Metcalf has been trying to use the issue of the Makah whale hunt in his long efford to eliminate all treaties between the U.S. Government and the First Nations. Sea Shepherd has backed up that goal by saying in a statement they issued "The Makah Tribal Council may well have brought their people to ruin and a state of permanent ostracism. The public anger (the racist backlash) and resentment generated by their act may now compel Congress to reexamine the legal standing of all First Nations." The legal standing of First Nations comes from the treaties. 4. Watson has stated that he has nothing against the Makah people and respects them. Is that why he and his organization time after time tried to disrupt Makah sacred ceremonies? 5. Watson claims that his actions is to get the Makahs to obey "international laws". The international laws were made by treaties between Nations, the First Nations did not sign those treaties nor were they asked to sign them. The treaty that the Makahs did sign gave them the right to the whale hunt. So what Watson should be doing is to create a treaty that the First Nations would sign, so that they are included in the process. The First Nations have had laws imposed upon them for over 500 years that they had no part in making. All Watson is doing is being a modern day Columbus or Gen.Custer trying to impose his way on indigenous people by trying to bully them. 6. Watson points to the fact that a few Makahs were against the hunt. The Makah Nation is a community also. Within all communities people will hold different opinions on issues. It is true that a few Makahs disagreed with the overwhemming major on the issue. But only one Makah sided against her people publicly at Sea Shepherd events. Is what Watson is saying that the voice of one should overshadow the voice of the many? Contrary to what Watson has claimed there were many community meetings held by the Makahs on the issue. The way I see it the decision on how to use their treaty rights is up to the Makahs alone and it should be made without any outside interference by anyone. 7. Watson claims that the Makahs are working in the interests of those that want to bring back commercial industrialized whaling. Does it really make sense that the Makahs would want to bring back that which almost wiped out the whales and forced them to not use their treaty rights for 70 years? Beyond that, there is a fact Watson is not telling you, the selling of whale meat is illegal and the Makahs have made no efford to get that law repealed. The Makahs are just an easy target for Watson to place the blame for what industrialized nations do. 8. Watson says that those that support the declaration are racists because he feels that it is an attack on white people. The purpose of the declaration is to help get rid of racism. I cannot feel sorry for Watson who feels he has been attacked because he is white. I have heard this from so many rightwing white racists, the idea that if people of color want to improve their conditions that some how that is an act of racism. It seems that to them and Watson that white folks have the right to everything and to challenge that in anyway is a threat to them. Watson, I do not buy the claim that you are being oppressed because you are white! The purpose of the declaration is to resist racism. In this case the use of racism by Watson and Sea Shepherd to promote their issue. One cannot be an anti-racist and then say that there are times when it is ok to use it and join forces with extreme racists. These are my views and I hope others are of like mind on this. I call upon all those who feel they must take a stand on this issue to write their comments to Paul Watson (at: [EMAIL PROTECTED]) and to Sea Shepherd (at; [EMAIL PROTECTED]). and let them know what you think. In Honoring Mother Earth Arthur J. Miller Coordinator NW Leonard Peltier Support Network Anti-Racist Emergency Action Network [EMAIL PROTECTED] We have compiled a pamphlet of background information that is available through Bayou La Rose, P.O. Box 5464, Tacoma, WA 98415- 0464 at the cost of $3. We are not making any money off this. Please make checks out to Bayou La Rose. Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&