Letter From William A. Means to Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, April 4, 1980

Authors

William A. Means

Files

Description

This handwritten letter from William A. Means to the FSLN's Minister of Foreign Affairs urges him to send representatives to two conventions: The International Indian Treaty Conference in Montana and the Black Hills International Survival Gathering in South Dakota. He hopes that the Sandinistas will contribute documentation of the exploitation of the land and people of Nicaragua. Means also requests scholarships for students to study in Nicaragua.

Publication Date

4-4-1980

Document Type

Correspondence

City

New York City

Keywords

Sandinista National Liberation Front, FSLN, William Means, International Indian Treaty Council, United Nations, Black Hills International Survival Gathering, Somoza, Nicaragua

Language

English

Sender

William A. Means

Recipient

Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann

Disciplines

Indigenous Studies | Native American Studies | Political History | Social History | United States History

Recommended Citation

Means, William A., "Letter From William A. Means to Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, April 4, 1980" (1980). American Indian Movement and Activism. 2.
https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/john_thomas_aim/2

Rights Statement

This item is made available as part of the Welcome Home Project for educational purposes only. It is not to be distributed for commercial use.

Identifier

Box 12, Folder 2, Item A

Transcription

April 4, 1980

FSLN
Revolutionary Government
Minister of Exterior Affairs

Dear Sir:

Our organization would like to invite you to send delegates or representatives to the following two conventions.

The first would be our annual International Indian Treaty Conference. This would be our sixth annual conference. At this conference we discuss issues relevant throughout the Western hemisphere, such as land and liberation. This conference will be held June 27 through July 2, 1980 at Harlem, Montana at the Ft. Belnap Indian Reservation. We would encourage you to bring English translated films and materials as the Indian people greatly admire your courage and your successful revolution. Your easiest travel route would be Los Angeles to Denver to Great Falls, Montana or through New York, Denver, Great Falls.

The second conference would be the "Black Hills International Survival Gathering" in Rapid City, South Dakota July 18 through 27. This conference deals with stopping multi-national corporations from stealing our land and resources in the sacred Black Hills. The Black Hills is the center of the Lakota (Sioux) Nation, the Black Hills is our Church, the Black Hills is our burial ground, and the Black Hills is where we were created as a people. We are asking people from various parts of the world to testify before a peoples tribunal as to how multi-national corporations have exploited people and the land in their own country. For example, who were the major corporations aligned with Samoza regime and what violations did they commit against Nicaraguan people. You could fly to Rapid City via Los Angeles or New York. Any documents you could bring concerning these violations would be greatly appreciated.

The International Indian Treaty Council is a non-governmental organization with consultative status at the United Nations. We begin our work at the United Nations in 1974 and have represented Indians from throughout the Western hemisphere at various meetings and conferences. For example, this year we presented documents on the genocide being committed against Indians in Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador and the United States at the Human Rights Convention in Geneva, Switzerland in February and March 1980.

Please contact us at our office in New York preferably through your mission at the United Nations because the police in the U.S. like to interfere with our mail.

We would also like to request at least two scholarships for students to study in your country as soon as possible. We need our students to learn your language so we can communicate better. We have also made this request before through your mission in New York. Please reply as soon as possible.

In brotherhood,
William A. Means
Executive Director