OXFORD,
\nMiss. – Thirty-four years ago, a desperate shoot-out between FBI agents
\nand American Indians near Wounded Knee, S.D., left an American Indian
\nand two federal agents dead. Four members of the American Indian
\nMovement were indicted on murder charges, and one, Leonard Peltier, was
\nconvicted and is serving consecutive life sentences in a federal
\npenitentiary.<\/p>\n
Details of this and other struggles by the Sioux
\nIndians to maintain their dignity and tribal traditions will be
\nrevisited during an anti-censorship reading April 1 at the University
\nof Mississippi.<\/p>\n
Peter Matthiessen’s controversial book “In the
\nSpirit of Crazy Horse” (Viking Press, 1991) is to be continuously read
\naloud by volunteers in front of Bondurant Hall from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. A
\ndiscussion is to follow. Sponsored by the Department of English, the
\nevent is free and open to the public.<\/p>\n
“Matthiessen’s book was
\npulled from the shelves of stores and libraries after FBI agents and a
\nformer governor of South Dakota sued for libel,” said Griffith
\nBrownlee, instructor of English and event coordinator. “The courts
\neventually upheld the author’s First Amendment rights, but the book was
\nbanned for eight years. To this day, it is still considered taboo by
\nconservative groups that have censored and\/or intruded upon free
\ndiscourse about politics, religion, sexuality, morality and cultural
\ndifferences.<\/p>\n
“Hopefully, reading and discussing this book will open people up to discussion about these issues, leading to a better understanding of and appreciation for diverse perspectives.”<\/p>\n
Patrick Quinn, professor and chair of the UM English department, commended his faculty member for arranging this event as a reminder that this is a free country.<\/p>\n
“Professor Brownlee’s public readings are a constant reminder to the complacent individual of the contrast between the values inculcated in a truly democratic society and those perpetuated in totalitarian regimes where public opinion is not sanctioned,” Quinn said “Because many of us seldom reflect on the nature of this freedom, we need such events to help us realize the importance of the freedoms we take for granted.”<\/p>\n
Originally published in 1983, the book is a comprehensive history of the Lakota tribe’s long struggle with the U.S. government, from Red Cloud’s War and Little Big Horn in the 19th century to the shameful discrimination that led to the new Indian wars of the 1970s. A national bestseller, the volume was met with both critical praise and disdain.<\/p>\n
“It’s the first solidly documented account of the U.S. government’s renewed assault upon American Indians that began in the 1970s,” wrote Dee Brown, author of “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.”<\/p>\n
“Matthiessen presents a convincing case not only for a retrial of Leonard Peltier, but also for a re-examination of the real cost of the American Dream – in human lives, in mockery of justice, in squandered earth,” wrote an anonymous USA Today reviewer.<\/p>\n
Tim Giago, founder and publisher of the Lakota Times, said, “[The book] has a lot of errors in it and outright lies … Comparisons of Peltier to Crazy Horse are not only ludicrous but were an absolute embarrassment to David Long, Crazy Horse’s great-grandson, who is now deceased.”<\/p>\n
Brownlee said she sees such tolerance for differences in opinion as hope for a better society.<\/p>\n
“An educated person is aware of and comfortable around a variety of cultural perspectives,” Brownlee said. “People who push themselves to do the scary task of facing other people’s realities no matter what they may look like will eventually find themselves better and stronger for it.”<\/p>\n
For more information about the anti-censorship readings, call Griffith Brownlee at 662-801-0240 or e-mail her at sbrownle@olemiss.edu. For more information about the UM Department of English, go to http:\/\/www.olemiss.edu\/depts\/English<\/a> . For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7439.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"