RIOTS SNee , AND THE PRESS By Terence Cannon .one of the most famous anti-Stokely Carmlchael stories, first printed in the New Yorl TImes and responsible for much of the "disappointment" in SNCC that liberals claim was in an article called "Man in the News: Stokely Carmichael." It ends with this anec~ dote: While preac~ing black pride and black power, Carmichael has become increasingly cool toward whItes. He recently addressed a racially mixed audience here and, with sev­ eral whites of long acquaintance in the room, declared that he had never known a white person he could trust. A young white man who had considered himself Mr. Carmichael's friend rose from the audience.· "Not one, Stokely?" he asked. Mr. Carmichael looked directly into his eyes and replied, "No -not one:' This story has'been repeated again and again. It is a staple of anti-SNCC stories. It is ~.204, JULY 1967 VOL 3 NO 7 told with sadness and regret. IT IS NOT TRUE. It is a lie. It is a clever distortion that accounts for the total distrust most of us have for the American press. What actually happened? Stokely de­ clared that he had never known a WHITE ORGANIZATION he could trust. A young man. who considered himself Mr. Car·· michael's friend, and who was a member of a Southern white organization, rose WE ARE THE DEFEATED from the audience. "Not one, Stokely?" he asked. Mr. Carmichael looked directly into his eyes and replied, "No - not one." The difference is total. The damage has been done. Damage will continue to be done, if people fall into accepting ET eONG OF AMERICA at face value the reports of the press. Tacoma, Wash. A good rule of thumb is DOUBT EVERY­ The Survival of American Indians As­ take away their fishing rights it to take protect themselves. People who attempt THING. sociation was formed in january of 1964 away their livelihood. And being fishers, to help are regularly threatened and by the Nisqually, Puyallup and allied in­ none of these Indians ever gave up right harassed. In desperation the Survival of RIOTS dian tribes in order to unite their re­ to use of their rivers in their treaty American Indians Association turned to The general strategy of the daily press sistance to the Washington state officials negptiations. fish-ins to demonstrate their historic is to report some physical events fairly who have consistently infringed upon In-:­ But Indians have no real rights in this rights to fish and to arouse public in­ accurately. That is, if black people shoot dian treaty rights, particularly fishing country. They are not citizens; their af­ terest. Readers may remember the fish­ at the cops, it is reported in accurate rights on the Nisqually and other rivers. fairs are administered by the Bureau of ins in 1965 in which MarlonBrando par­ detail. lf police are hurt, it is reported. Anyone faJ:Ililiar with U.S. policy in Indian Affairs which is about as sensitive ticipated and where Dick Gregory and When black people are shot, the im­ Vietnam will recognize the historical to their needs as the Saigon government his wife were arrested. Of course many pression is given that it was THEIR parallel in the U.S:s treatment ofAmeri­ is to the needs of thepeople of Vietnam. Indians were and have since been ar­ FAULT. In almost all cases, the cause~ can Indians. Genocide has been a con­ In everyday Ameri can consciousness, in­ rested, as well as harassed, intimidated of the riot are not given. This is the moSI tinuing policy. dians are mostly just invisible. In areas and beaten. But, as in the south, this important factor in press reports. They where they live, they are hated, cheated kind of news rarely makes national head­ don't say why the people rioted. When the white man first set foot on the and misused. lines. To describe the events of the riot North American Continent, there were by "justice" for a Washington state Indian without giving the causes, is to imply conservative estimate 750,000 Indians. is delivered by people like judge jacgues, that black people riot for no reason. The By 1850 the Indian population was re­ Pierce County Superior Court, who, in INDIAN SURVIVAL reader fills in his own reason: they are duced to 250,000 - by at least 2/3. issuing an injunction against the N is­ The MOVEMENT met recently with naturally violent; they're animals; the 500,000 American Indians were murdered quallies, stated: "They never meant for janet McCloud, one of the Survival of weather was hot; they hate Whitey. by the white man as he colonized the you people to be free like everyone else," American Indians Association's most ·ac­ area called the United States. Some were and Pierce County Asst. Prosecutor Har­ tive members. killed through germ warfare. For example, mon who said in court: "We had the Some of her comments follow. THE TAMPA, FLORIDA 15,000 members of the Shianouck Tribe power and force to exterminate these MOVEMENT is becoming increasingly The San Francisco Chronicle's first were murdered when the governmentgave people from the face of the earth, in­ interested in the struggle of the Ameri­ report on the Tampa riot, june 12, was the people blankets infected with small stead of making treaties with them. Per­ can Indians to maintain and secure their headed RIOTING, LOOTING IN TAMPA. pox. The Nisqually tribe was infectedwith haps we shouldhave. We certainly wouldn't often-infringed-upon rights. We hope to It began: measles around the same time and lost be having allthis trouble with them today." give you more Indian coverage in the fu­ •'Negro rioters battled police riot as many people. ture. squads with guns and rocks in two slum There is ·no record that actually shows districts." that Indians massacred white people. But TREATIES IGNORED After graphically describing the fight­ the massacres of Indians on record are at When the Washington state government HISTORY ing, the article told of a white woman least one thousand. The first was on the attempted to force the Indians to give up .. People should know that Andrew j ack­ who "had apparently been held hostage 21st Christmas Eve Celebration of the their ancestral fishing stations on the Son was the Hitler of America, or rather ... Mrs. DeWitt, her blouse ripped off, Pious Pilgrim Forefathers at Cos Cob, Nisqually River, the Indians had almost that Hitler was the Andrew j acksori of ran to police ... Then she passed out.' impression~ Conn., in which some 400 friendly and no way of defending themselves. Indian Germany. jackson ran on an anti-Indian Chronicle readers' first peaceful men, women, and children ­ treaties apparently are only observed for platform and won. Senators of that time of the riot: 1) •'Negro rioters" were the entire village - were murdered after as long as it is convenient to do so. The said that either the Indians will become battling police. Not just Negroes, but some all avenues of escape were cut off. state wanted to turn the river over to CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 CONTINUED ON PAGE 1, Often people will cite the defeat of Cus­ sport fishermen. They claimed that the ter at the Little Big Horn as an instance Indians were destroying the salmon where Indians ~assacred white men. Peo­ though in fact the Indian catch is less than ple must remember that that was a mili­ one per cent of the total catch and it is tary engagement in which the Sioux ob­ obviously the gigantic commercialfisher­ viously had a better General. ies which threaten the existence of the salmon. The state probably does not have the NEVER GAVE UP RIVERS power to set aside a treaty which is a Many of the Northwest Indians are federal docuITlent, but the Indians have fishermen and have always been so. To difficulty obtaining any legal counsel to PAGE 2 THE MOVEMENT JULY 1967 ......•..•..·..••..~··~·EDITORIALS· ......•..•....•....•..•· .........................II·..LETTERS ·· FREDONIA, N.y.-FARMWORKERS Dear Movement Brothers: because if a farmer has brush to pick' Enclosed pleez find $2 for one sub for: (at 1-1/2ta stick) in the snow in Jan­ Lares Tresjen, West Town Line Rd., uary, any compesino must do that and Fredonia, NY. cannot qualify (which is illegal since Just spent a week up there (Fredonia), Welfare also must supplement when in­ an hour from Buffalo and a few morefrom come is not sufficient). Rochester, and think the Puerto Rican Lares Tresjan wrote an 8-page report campesinos up there deserve coverage. and appeal to W. Reuther (since theSteel­ Also one more organizer to join Lares workers, came to organize and all but de­ who is trying single-handedly to help the stroyed what there was already); you asthmatic, type up releases, set up union might want a copy since it contains good meetings (of the TRABAJADORES AGRI­ suggestions ••.A recent State Legisla­ COLAS DE ULTRAMAR) and invite civic­ tive Hearing in Albany has on record minded church-connected people to push all the violations in Chautauqua County the flip-tops offbig-wigs. She's got amaz­ (Includes Fredon~a, Brocton, North Col­ ing pictures of.the two brown workers lins - about 6000 campesinos. One camp burned to death in Brocton this fall, be­ has 400 living on it for 6 months). cause of very inflammable shacks which There are Afro-Americans living in had only bolted exits ... and every photo cabins on these camps year-round, and she has is a visable violation of all migrant Puerto Ricans during the 6 month health codes ••.