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Date Posted: 09:16:51 03/12/01 Mon
Author: Anonymous
Subject: News and Issues

Leonard's Supporters (no email / no homepage) wrote:

> STATEMENT BY LEONARD PELTIER
>
>
> Greetings Friends and Supporters:
>
> January 20, 2001, was a sad day for all of us. I know that this denial of
> clemency has affected many of you as much as it has affected both my
family
> and myself. It is a terrible feeling and disappointment knowing that this
> nightmare has not ended and will continue for many months to come.
>
> When I received the news, I felt my stomach curl and a feeling of nausea
> rolled over me. It took a while for me to refocus. For some reason I had
> thought I might be having dinner with my family that night. It was an
> especially disappointing day for all of us.
>
> What Bill Clinton did to us was cruel. For eight years he ignored my
> clemency petition despite the major campaign that was waged. Then, just
> months before leaving office he publicly promised to make a decision on my
> case, one way or the other. He said he was aware of its importance. The
> White House gave my attorneys indications that there was a good chance for
> my clemency to be granted. I had to prepare myself for being released
> because there was no sign that my petition would be denied.
>
> The LPDC bought me clothes, my grandson prepared his bedroom for me to
sleep
> in and other preparations were made for my homecoming. My friends on Pine
> Ridge began plans to build me a house. We were literally forced to get
our
> hopes up because we did not want to be unprepared if I was suddenly set
> free.
>
> January 19, came and still, they kept us in nervous anticipation saying
the
> more difficult clemencies are still being worked on and would be announced
> the next morning. Then January 20 came and went! The White House never
> even told us what the decision was. We had to find out through the press
> that my name was not on the list of clemencies. To leave a person's life
> and so many peoples' hopes hanging in the balance like that is truly
> hardhearted.
>
> Since that dark Saturday, I have managed to get up and dust myself off,
and
> begin to lift my spirits once more. I am just as determined now to fight
> for my freedom as I was on February 6, 1976 when I was first arrested. I
> will not give up. This is the second time in the span of my incarceration
> that I made it to the top of the hill and saw that freedom was in view,
only
> to be kicked right back down to the bottom again.
>
> The first time was in 1985, when the evidence used to convict me was
> impeached and I was denied a new trial, despite Judge Heaney's finding
that
> I might have been acquitted had the jury been presented this evidence. To
> be denied a new trial after such a finding shocked our network and me just
> as much as this denial of clemency has. However, we never lose a battle
> without making some major gains in the overall struggle.
>
> I want to compliment and thank my staff at the LPDC and all of you
> grassroots supporters who stood beside me and fought so tirelessly for my
> freedom. You put on one of the strongest and most memorable campaigns I
> have experienced. Years from now people will read about the
accomplishments
> you made. People from every walk of life worked on this campaign. People
> from every denomination and belief prayed from every corner of the Earth.
> Although it feels like our sentiments were shooed away like an irritating
> fly by a president who did not want to face the consequences of his own
> mistakes, I believe we put up a serious challenge. We can see who was
> granted clemency and why. The big donors to the President's campaign were
> able to buy justice, something we just couldn't afford. Meanwhile, many
> political prisoners continue to languish unjustly, proof that this
nation's
> talk about reconciliation is nothing but empty rhetoric.
>
> We now have a number of strategies to continue this struggle for my
freedom.
> These ideas are in the early planning stages. I ask you to remain with us
> while we regroup and develop a thorough plan. We must carefully consider
> every option and make sure the strategies compliment each other in order
to
> have the best effect. The LPDC will release strategies as they are
> developed. Some will be released this week.
>
> I also have my own personal plans. I will continue doing artwork and will
be
> looking at ways to make it more available to the public. I will also be
> working with my friends, Fedelia and Bob Cross, to build a grade school in
> Oglala. Before my clemency was decided, I began to dream of the different
> projects I would like to work on in Pine Ridge if I were free. Now that I
> have been denied, Fedelia and Bob have said they will take the initiative
to
> begin the projects themselves, with my input. Soon, we will be
establishing
> a board and non-profit status.
>
> Bob and Fedelia are schoolteachers and lifetime Oglala residents, and they
> have the land on which to build the school. They have told me of the
> desperate need for an improved school in Oglala. The existing school is
> severely under funded and inadequate and does not provide the kids with
the
> quality education they need and deserve . We have the highest drop out
rate
> of all ethnic groups in the country and part of the reason is the lack of
> stimulating and challenging programs for the youth.
>
> Another idea I would like to develop is building a small recreation center
> for Oglala. As most of you know Native health conditions are also
probably
> the worst in the country. We want to change that, beginning with this
> center. We want the center to have modern exercise equipment, a
> kitchenette, and card tables. As everyone gathers here to socialize, have
> coffee, gossip, and play cards, we can encourage them to try the equipment
> and to begin getting in the habit of exercising and eating healthy foods.
I
> believe it would be a nice place for people to spend time and a good
> incentive for them to get into better physical condition and stop the
trend
> of diabetes on the reservation. The reservation currently has no facility
> like this.
>
> If we are successful in establishing these two services, I believe that
the
> community of Oglala will truly benefit. We will then be able to move on
to
> other projects that will bring people together and raise the quality of
> life. For example, one day I would like to rebuild Jumping Bull Hall so
> that there will be a drug and alcohol free place where people, especially
> youth, can gather. We could set it up for a movie theatre and bring in
video
> games. People can watch movies, hold meetings, have birthday celebrations,
> community meals and dances here. Right now, our youth have no place to go
> to socialize and I believe this facility could help prevent the
hopelessness
> and despair too many of our young people feel. I would hope that word of
> these projects would spread to other reservations and others like Fedelia
> and Bob Cross will be inspired to take on similar ideas which we could
help
> support.
>
> Your ideas, input, and support are welcomed. If you know people who would
> donate supplies (books, wood, cement, hardware, etc), make financial
> contributions, or donate their skills and labor, please get in touch with
> the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee.
>
> In closing, I want to thank you again for your support and ask that you
> stand with us in this struggle. I believe that one day in the near future
> we will succeed. But it can't be done without your support.
>
> In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,
>
> Leonard Peltier
>
>
>
>
> Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
> PO Box 583
> Lawrence, KS 66044
> 785-842-5774
> www.freepeltier.org


7 Date: 2001-02-08 06:39:46
Leonard's Supporters (no email / no homepage) wrote:





Peltier: A Tug-o-War for Freedom
By Ruth Steinberger
As the close of this Presidency draws near, friends and supporters of Leonard Peltier’s have launched a high profile, international campaign to gain clemency for Peltier. Action on behalf of Peltier by President-elect George Bush is unlikely, and supporters have set their sights on this time period to try to gain Peltier’s freedom.

Supporters of the drive to gain freedom for the Native American activist include numerous Tribes, the National Congress of American Indians, Amnesty International, the European Parliament, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, National Lawyers Guild, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Vine Deloria, Sherman Alexie, The Rev. Jessie Jackson, Nelson Mandela and many more.

Now serving his 24th year in the Federal Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, for the shooting deaths of two FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ron Williams, Peltier maintains his innocence in the deaths. Three other adults were indicted in connection with the shootout. Tried a year before Peltier’s trial, they were acquitted on the grounds that they acted in self-defense.

Recently, in an unprecedented move, the FBI placed full-page ads in national newspapers including USA Today, to try to persuade the public that Peltier is guilty and should remain in prison.

On Friday, December 15, 2000, a group of current FBI agents, along with retired agents and families and friends of the slain men, picketed the White House to let President Clinton know their strong opposition to Peltier’s release. Picketers carried posters depicting photos of the slain agents, urging that the President reject calls for clemency by Peltier’s supporters.

A Native American, Joe Killsright Stuntz, was also killed during the shootout of June 26, 1975. His death was never investigated. Given the documented history of violence against the traditional communities, violence that ultimately escalated into the shootout after repeated calls for investigation over the course of many years, the emotional angle used by the FBI remains hollow.

Calling Peltier a, "Cold blooded killer", FBI Special Agent John Sennett, president of the FBI Agents Association, said, "Leonard Peltier is not at all worthy of that kind of consideration."

Earlier, FBI Director Louie Freeh wrote President Clinton strongly urging him to reject clemency for Peltier, stating that clemency would, ‘signal disrespect’ for law enforcement and for the American people.

When contacted by Oklahoma Indian Times, the FBI had no comment on the matter, and referred to the demonstration of Friday, December 15. They referred Oklahoma Indian Times to the Department of Justice, who told Oklahoma Indian Times they had no comment on the matter.

The shootout on June 26, 1975, occurred after lengthy political disputes on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota left numerous people dead and an atmosphere that many describe as a "reign of terror" throughout the reservation. Much of the violence has been attributed to the tribal police force under Tribal Chairman Dick Wilson. The tribal police had allegedly been involved in beatings, disappearances, and the arson of homes and killings of people who opposed Wilson.

Ultimately, the continued violence against those who opposed Wilson would result in a spontaneous occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, by over 300 traditional Lakota along with friends and supporters, to demand full investigation into the situation they faced.

Many of the disputes preceding the occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 pitted traditional members of the community against supporters of Wilson, who saw potential profit motives in uranium mining and other ventures. Many traditional members felt Wilson’s activities seriously compromised the land as well as traditional values, and those who opposed Wilson were concerned for their safety as the violence directed toward them escalated.

Documentation from that time reveals that the FBI provided arms to Dick Wilson’s ‘Guardians of the Oglala Nation’ (GOONS), contributing to the escalating violence, abuse, deaths and disappearances on the reservation.

Estimates reveal that as many as 20,000 rounds of ammunition were fired into the village during the occupation, yet a negotiator acknowledged that the FBI with Wilson that promised protection from prosecution for his “GOON” s if they violated the law had reached an agreement



6 Date: 2001-02-08 06:32:43
Leonard's Supporters (no email / no homepage) wrote:


Following an agreement reached on April 5, 1973, a Wounded Knee delegation would submit to arrest, post bond and go to Washington, DC, for discussions on the situation. Russell Means, Leonard Crow Dog and Chief Tom Bad Cob traveled to Washington, DC, but once the men arrived there, the government refused to initiate the promised discussions with them.

Opposition to Wilson’s policies came from many residents of the reservation. Ultimately fearful of the continued, unresolved violence, AIM was asked by residents to send members to help protect activists who feared the ever increasing reprisals which now included homes being burned, cars run off the road, drive-by shootings and murders.

In May 1975, a group of AIM members including Peltier arrived at the Jumping Bull Ranch on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and set up camp there. An FBI memo, dated June 1975, referred to a potential need for military assault forces to deal with AIM members.

Paul DeMain, Owner of News From Indian Country, said, "The original events leading up to Wounded Knee, in 1973, occurred in 1972 with the occupation of the BIA after the Trail of Broken Treaties." DeMain continued, "After Viet Nam, the CIA, US Army, and other federal agencies...were experimenting with the idea you don’t send in US troops to fight the war, and Wounded Knee was a prime example of this. What you do instead is you give all the arms and ammunition to the opposition and you look the other way in the face of civil rights violations. That’s why Leonard was there, the elders wanted protection."

Documentation from that time reveals that the FBI provided arms to Dick Wilson’s ‘Guardians of the Oglala Nation’ (GOONS), contributing to the escalating violence.

On June 26, 1975, the FBI entered the Jumping Bull property, allegedly following a pick up truck that allegedly carried a person suspected of stealing a pair of boots. The ensuing firefight left one AIM member, Joe Stunts, along with Agents Coler and Williams, dead.

Jean Anne Day, a friend of Peltier’s and a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation traveled with Peltier to Pine Ridge during that summer. Day told Oklahoma Indian Times that, "For many people it truly was a reign of terror. Many traditional people could truly not move around freely because of Wilson’s police. Sadly, had the US Government done what was promised following the situation at Wounded Knee in 1973, this never would have occurred." Day referred to the promises for investigations into the wrongdoing, threats and intimidation and killings still occurring when AIM entered the situation in 1975.

Day concluded, "This also needed to include investigation into the allegations of financial fraud and abuse of power...none of this was done."

Peltier fled to Canada. On December 16, 1976, he was extradited back to the US based upon documents that included testimony that was to later prove false and was to have been produced by FBI threats made against the witness, a mentally ill woman named Myrtle Poor Bear.

Poor Bear’s original testimony included statements that she had been Peltier’s girlfriend at the time of the shootout and that she witnessed the events of June 26, 1975. Ultimately, she explained that her testimony was produced under threats made against her by FBI agents. Poor Bear then explained that she never knew Peltier personally, and that she was not present at the Jumping Bull Ranch during the shootout. Though Poor Bear’s testimony against Peltier was used to extradite him, she was not permitted to testify in court later that she had given that testimony under threats.

In March 1977, Peltier’s trial began in Fargo, ND. The trial was riddled with contradictions, testimony was not allowed in which two witnesses stated that their testimony had been coerced by threats from FBI agents.

The presiding Judge was changed, so that the Judge who heard the original trial a year earlier that ended in acquittal would not preside over Peltier’s trial. From the outset, Judge Benson ruled that evidence would be limited to the events of June 26, 1975, leaving out the historical violence at Pine Ridge leading up to the shootout, as well as excluding important information from the earlier trial that resulted in acquittal of Peltier’s original codefendants. This prevented the defense from bringing up glaring inconsistencies in testimony that was offered in the two trials.

In 1981 extensive documents released through the Freedom of Information Act revealed information that cast serious doubts concerning Peltier’s guilt, and which also revealed very serious flaws in the way the case against Peltier was pursued.

During Peltier’s trial, the FBI ballistics expert stated that the rifle that had allegedly belonged to Peltier had been damaged in a fire. He testified that the most accurate ballistics test, the firing pin test, could not be performed. Instead, the FBI expert claimed to have performed a less precise test, finding that the bullet casing found near the bodies had matched the weapon. Among the documents later uncovered through the Freedom of Information Act, was the complete ballistics file of the FBI expert. He had indeed been able to perform the more precise test, and in doing so had concluded that the bullet could not have been fired from the rifle in question. There had been a decision made to conceal that report from the defense.

Demand for a new trial was repeatedly denied on the basis of technicalities.

In October 1985, US Prosecutor Lynn Crooks said, "We tried the case with the facts available. The facts available did not give us direct evidence as to who did the coup de grace. They simply didn’t.... We argued inferences and we certainly argued them strongly. But that’s not the same as saying that we had direct evidence by any one witness that Mr. Peltier was the one that squeezed off the final rounds." Crooks admitted there was no evidence directly tying Peltier to anything besides ‘aiding and abetting’ by virtue of his presence there that day.

Judge Gerald Heaney of the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote the court opinion against granting Peltier a retrial. However, in 1991, Judge Heaney wrote a letter calling for clemency in Peltier’s case. In the letter, Heaney cites a careful study of the trial of Peltier’s co-defendants along with numerous other factors. His letter says, ‘The FBI used improper tactics in extraditing Peltier from Canada and in otherwise investigating and trying the Peltier case.’ The letter says, ‘While the government’s role in escalating the conflict into a firefight cannot serve as a legal justification for the killing of the FBI agents at short range, it can properly be considered as a mitigating circumstance.’

While the FBI Agents Association has said that clemency for Peltier would be unfair to the families of the agents who died, the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee feels that it is wrong to imprison a man based on an emotional argument while ample evidence exists which they believe highlights Peltier’s claims of innocence.

Bruce Ellison, Attorney for Leonard Peltier spoke with Oklahoma Indian Times. Ellison explained, "Clearly, the FBI is pulling out all stops because if Peltier is granted clemency, it gives credence to the call for a full scale investigation that has gone unheeded for twenty five years. They just want to shut this down and make it go away. The first calls for a congressional investigation of wrongdoing came from the Chairman of the US Civil Rights Commission, Arthur Fleming, in 1975."

Commenting on the current campaign for clemency for Peltier, Paul DeMain said, "I think most people believe that it’s a time to help heal the wounds of that time."

The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee is asking that supporters call the White House at (202) 456-1111 to encourage President Clinton to grant clemency and allow the wounds to begin to heal from this painful chapter.

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5 Date: 2001-02-08 06:22:34
Leonard's Supporters (no email / no homepage) wrote:

We know most of this is old news,but thought we would post it for the record.
Jean Day


"Reign of Terror"
Leonard Peltier: Political Prisoner
Jean Day, member of the Ho-Chunk nation will speak about the repressive conditions the Native people of the Pine Ridge Reservation endured during the " Reign of Terror" and of the wrongful incarceration of Leonard Peltier . She will also discuss the facts surrounding the case, long withheld from the public, which support Leonard's innocence.


The Case


In 1976, Leonard Peltier was convicted of killing two FBI agents during a June 26, 1975 shoot-out on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Despite key evidence pointing to his innocence including falsified testimony by FBI coerced witnesses, 24 years later Leonard Peltier remains incarcerated in Leavenworth prison serving two consecutive life sentences. Amnesty International has declared Leonard Peltier a political prisoner. Other prominent human rights figures including the Dalai Lama, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu have also called for his immediate and unconditional release.

It is important to understand the history of events that led up to the shoot-out, including the US government's betrayal of Native people for years before the Pine Ridge incident. In 1973, two years prior to the fatal day, members of the American Indian Movement (AIM), together with friends and supporters, occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota to protest the ongoing repression of their peoples. The US government responded with military force. The siege ended only after members of Congress promised hearings to investigate the claims of maltreatment. But the hearings never took place. Instead, for the next two years the people of the Pine Ridge Reservation endured what is now referred to as the "Reign of Terror" during which at least 64 AIM members were murdered, and scores of others were battered, threatened and harassed. Despite massive FBI presence, nobody ever stood trial for these crimes.

It was in this atmosphere of terror and tension that on June 26, 1975, two FBI agents in an unmarked car chased a small pick-up truck on to a private ranch where a number of AIM members were encamped. A cross fire of shooting broke out and in the end two FBI agents and one Native American Youth, Joe Stuntz, lay dead. Leonard Peltier, one of several high level AIM leaders present, would ultimately be used as a scapegoat by the FBI to pay for the deaths of the agents. In fact, in the end the government attorney conceded, "We had a murder, we had numerous shooters, we do not know who specifically fired the shots. We do not know, quote unquote, who shot the agents."


For more information about the case, see the campaign to Free Leonard Peltier.

The Speaker


Jean Day has a personal connection to the case of Leonard Peltier. She was an active member of AIM during the "Reign of Terror" and saw many of her friends and family killed, disappeared, threatened and harassed during what some consider to be the largest headhunt of political leaders and most serious case of repression against Native Americans in modern decades.

Though silenced in the past due to fear of the FBI following through with its threats to her and her family, Jean is now prepared to speak out and share the truth about the mistreatment she and many others have had to live with for so long. She is an advocate for the immediate release of Leonard Peltier and can provide a current analysis of the case after the recent Leonard Peltier Freedom Month Campaign launched last November in Washington D.C.

As a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, Jean now works as a Guardian at Litum for Native American children. She also has experience working in legislative planning and with youth in correctional facilities as a counselor. She is a certified Lay Advocate and has jurisdiction in Tribal Courts. Jean holds a BS in Sociology and an MS in Human Development and Community Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

To book an speaking event with Jean Day in your area, please contact the Speakers Bureau at speakers@globalexchange.org



4 Date: 2001-02-08 04:54:25
Advocate (no email / no homepage) wrote:

"Bright days and dark days were both expressions of the Great Mystery,
and the Indian reveled in being close to the Great Holiness."

--Chief Luther Standing Bear, SIOUX

The Great Spirit created a world of harmony, a world of justice, a
world that is interconnected, a balanced world that has positive and
negative, this way and that way, up and down, man and woman, boy and
girl, honest and dishonest, responsible and irresponsible, day and
night. In other words, He created a polarity system. Both sides are to
be respected. Both sides or anything are sacred. We need to do good and
we need to learn from our mistakes. We need to honor what takes place in
the daytime and we need to honor what takes place in the nighttime. WE
learn that we need to learn and we see what we are supposed to see by
staying close to the Great Spirit. We need to be talking to Him all the
time, saying "Grandfather, what is it you want me to learn?"


Great Spirit,
let me learn
today that all
things are
sacred. Help
me stay close
to You, my
Creator.




3 Date: 2001-02-08 04:51:45
Advocate (no email / no homepage) wrote:

THINK ON THESE THINGS
by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

We all have the capacity to be many things -- good or bad. Dominant
traits may exist -- in fact, we know they do exist. The quantity doesn't
matter -- but what is important is what we do with what we have.
Complaining only takes up precious time and gains us nothing.

So many we have known made a career out of being grossly negative, even
though they may have fine opportunities. And then there are those who
take one small idea and studies its possibilities until it becomes an
asset that cannot be ignored.

Whatever happens to us is the result of what we dwell on in our thinking
and imaging continually. We are the designers, the engineers, the
builders -- and essentially the marketers. None of are destined to fail
-- unless we decide we were born to lose.



2 Date: 2001-02-08 04:50:04
Advocate Investigator (N_A_Advocate@mindspring.com / no homepage) wrote:

"I believe that being a medicine man, more than anything else, is a
state of mind, a way of looking at and understanding this earth, a sense
of what it is all about."

--Lame Deer, LAKOTA

The Medicine Wheel explains different ways of looking at the world. The
four directions are the East, the South, the West and the North. In the
East is the view of the eagle-the eagle flies high and sees the earth
from that point of view. The South his the direction of the mouse.
Moving on the earth, the mouse will not see what the eagle sees. Both
the eagle and the mouse see the truth. The West is the direction of the
bear-the bear will see different from the mouse and the eagle. From the
North comes the point of view of the bison. To be a Medicine Man you
must journey through all points of view and develop the mind to see the
interconnectedness of all four directions. This takes time, patience and
an open mind. Eventually, you understand there is only love.


Great Spirit,
today, allow
my mind to
stay open.




1 Date: 2001-02-08 04:37:33
Advocate (no email / no homepage) wrote:

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb 7, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE
> FEATURES) -- While the United States ranks third
> highest in entrepreneurial activity among the
> world's leading economies, Native Americans continue
> to struggle in - and face severe obstacles to -
> starting and growing entrepreneurial ventures in
> their communities, according to the "Global
> Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2000 National
> Entrepreneurship Assessment for the United States of
> America".
>
> "Native Americans, in many ways, are doing better
> than ever in building economies and strengthening
> their communities," said Andrew Zacharakis of Babson
> College and the lead U.S. GEM researcher. "There is,
> however, still much more to be done to help Native
> Americans use entrepreneurship as a tool to create
> jobs and wealth in their communities."
>
> The study, part of an international study of
> entrepreneurship and its impact on economic activity
> in 21 countries conducted by Babson College and the
> Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership,
> includes a Special Report that examined the level of
> entrepreneurial activity among Native Americans
> across the country. The study's key findings
> include:
>
>
> - One major hindrance to the formation of
> entrepreneurial
> businesses among Native Americans is
> inadequate physical
> infrastructure on Reservations and Tribal
> lands, including
> poor water and electrical systems,
> substandard housing,
> inadequate road and transportation systems,
> and deficient
> communications networks.
>
> - Key improvements in education, especially
> in early grades (six
> to nine years old), are vital to help young
> people develop
> self-confidence and an "entrepreneurial
> mentality."
>
> - Experts suggest entrepreneurship education
> programs be
> developed and located outside of Native
> American
> post-secondary institutions, where most of
> these programs are
> currently housed. Entrepreneurship
> curricula also should match
> accepted methods of instruction for Native
> American students,
> including storytelling.
>
> - Native Americans who are successful
> entrepreneurs need to
> become role models in their communities to
> show young people
> how to start business ventures.
>
> According to GEM, experts in Native American
> economic issues point to systemic problems in Indian
> government that thwart creation of start-up firms.
> The Tribal Council often injects itself into the
> entrepreneur's venture. For example, saying who must
> be hired. On occasion, Tribal Councils have taken
> the entrepreneur's idea and established the company
> itself. In addition, experts point to various social
> norms among Native Americans, such as abhorrence of
> income disparity, that inhibit some entrepreneurial
> activity.
>
> "Social norms strongly influence the prevalence, or
> lack thereof, of start-ups among Native Americans,"
> said Zacharakis. "Whereas the U.S. as a whole can be
> considered individualistic with a propensity for
> independence, Native Americans are more
> community-oriented."
>
> "GEM 2000 clearly shows what factors contribute to
> low levels of entrepreneurship among Native
> Americans. What's important to note is Native
> Americans across the country are working hard to
> begin the effort to build entrepreneurial economies
> in their communities. Now it's just a matter of time
> before we see substantial improvements," said S.
> Michael Camp, GEM project director and director of
> research at the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial
> Leadership.

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