Does anyone know?

[4EVRU2]

I thought I read once about U2's support for freeing Leonard Pelletier, the American Indian wrongly imprisoned for the death of FBI agents?

Does anyone know where this information is?

 

[yolland]

'Vertigo' grew out of a track called 'Native Son,' which was about Peltier. This has been written about more than once, but here's a snippet from the 30 Dec. '04 Rolling Stone:

<< How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (the title comes from a line in the deluxe-edition bonus track "Fast Cars") might have been out last year if U2 had been content to settle for fantastic instead of transcendent. Clayton remembers coming off the post-9/11 U.S. leg of the 2001 Elevation Tour "really buzzed. We were like, 'This thing is powerful. We want more.' " In February 2003, U2 began recording what Bono still calls a "damn good" album, with Chris Thomas, the producer of classic British-rock albums by Procol Harum, Roxy Music and the Sex Pistols.

"Vertigo" is a good example of what went wrong. Originally titled "Native Son," the song was Bono's argument for the release of jailed American-Indian activist Leonard Peltier. "The lyrics were about something I care deeply about," Bono says, "but the song didn't vibrate. It didn't change the room temperatures." In a second, discarded version, Bono improvised new words, entirely in Spanish. "Bono never seemed to settle on one idea," Clayton says. "So we'd always be tinkering." >>

Also, I remember during the PopMart tour they dedicated 'Please' to Peltier several times.

 

[Cleasai]

I don't know where the documentation of U2's support can be found. I can, however, tell you where you can find more information on Mr. Peltier himself. Incidently, this June marks thirty years since the tragedy on Jumping Bull Ranch.

Excerpt from The Peltier FAQ Located at http://www.freepeltier.org/peltier_faq.htm ...

(5) On June 26, 1975 two FBI agents, Mr. Jack Coler and Mr. Ron Williams, entered the Jumping Bull Ranch, private property. They allegedly sought to arrest a young Native American man they believed they had seen in a red pick up truck. A large number of AIM supporters were camping on the property at the time. They had been invited there by the Jumping Bull elders, who sought protection. Many non-Aim persons were present as well. A shoot out began between the two vehicles, trapping a family with small children in the cross fire. From throughout the ranch, people screamed that they were under attack, and many hurried to return fire. When the skirmish ended, the two FBI agents were dead. They had been wounded, and someone had shot them at close range through the heads. Today, the United States Attorney admits that no one knows who fired the fatal shots. The red pick up truck escaped from the ranch and was never found or identified.

For more information on Mr. Leonard Peltier, and the constant struggle to free him, please visit http://www.freepeltier.org

In the song "Sacrifice" by Robbie Robertson, Peltier tells the (brief) story in his own words of what happened in June 1975.

The Trial of Leonard Peltier by Jim Messerschmidt also gives us a very detailed account of the mockery that was his trial.

 

[Jamila]

GREAT thread!

As someone who remembers the persecution of AIM during the 1970's and the frame-up of Leonard Peltier which has resulted in his imprisonment of 30 years (even longer than Nelson Mandela in apartheid South Africa), I am pleased to know that others here know of Leonard Peltier and his struggle for justice.

The case of Leonard Peltier is a major blotch on the conscience of the U.S. government.

He simply needs to be released NOW!

 

[4EVRU2]

I thought I saw some mention in a magazine article or mention of it with Amnesty International--was Pelletier mentioned on any of the album liners?
I thought I heard something about their support for his release long ago, before this latest album.

 

[Popmartijn]

They have a link to the Free Peltier movement on their Elevation Live From Boston DVD.