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Honor Chief Leschi
 by pongo on 2/7/2008 @ 11:19am |
Honor Chief Leschi
The 150-Year Commemoration February 19, 2008 Nisqually Chief Leschi & Quiemuth "Honor & Celebration of Brothers" Unity Walks: 1.5 & 5.0 or Run/Relay 12.5 miles Nisqually Chief Leschi (1808-1858) On February 19, 1858 was wrongfully accused and unjustly hanged on the gallows at Fort Steilacoom, for the murder of American soldier Colonel A Benton Moses. Benton was killed in an act of war. One-hundred and forty-six years later on December 11, 2005 the Washington Historical Court of Inquiry and Justice (of seven judges) by a definitive trial in absentia- exonerated Chief Leschi of murder. The Court stated, "Chief Leschi should have never been accused of murder." Quiemuth (1800-1856) the older brother of Chief Leschi, weary from war peacefully surrendered himself to Governor Isaac Stevens. He was taken by night to Governor Stevens's Office in Olympia, where he was brutally murdered by unknown assassins the morning of November 18, 1856. HONORING CEREMONIES 9:30 AM- 8107 Steilacoom Blvd, SW @ "Physical Fitness Center" @ (-Chief Leschi Monument). 12.5 mile run. * All runners and walkers must sign waiver for the Event. 11:30 AM Grandview Early Learning Center (3508 E. Grandview). 1.5 mile walk. 11:30 AM St. Leo's Church Parking Lot (710 S. 13th St.).12:00 Puyallup Tribal Cemetery- 5.0 mile walk.1:00 PM. Chief Leschi School (5625 52nd St E., Puyallup, WA). Lunch will be served. Chief Leschi drummers and singers will greet runners, a "Victory Lap" around the school with the arriving runners. Kids and families are encouraged to participate! 2:00 PM Speaker's Panel, singing and drumming. The event is Drug/Alcohol and Violence Free!Let's be safe! Obey authorities and stay together, and off the main roadway as much as possible. Wear bright clothing and dress warm! Sponsors: Nisqually Tribe and Puyallup Tribe, and Tacoma Catholic Workers. Contacts for participation and volunteers: For runners (call and make arrangement (if needed) for transport to Steilacoom site) -Cecelia @ 253-389-9115, Walkers-Connie @ 253-593-0232 #525, Catholic workers-Bill Bichel @ 253-627-4374, Chief Leschi School Eir @ 253-445-6001 ext. 3134 or Teresa # 3061, Nisqually-Jean Sanders @ 360-456-5221 ext. 1179. Parking: 2nd highest upper lot @ Emerald Queen Casino. Elder's please park @ " Church of the Indian Fellowship", @ Puyallup Tribal Cemetery (above EQC) (transport available up the hill to gravesite.) Rides will be available from St. Leos, to gravesite, and to School and back to cemetery and St. Leo's Church. Honor Chief Leschi On the 150th Anniversary of his Death Chief Leschi of he Nisqually Tribe was hanged outside Ft. Steilacoom on February 19th, 1858. In a second trial a territorial court at the insistence of the territorial governor, Issac Stevens, sentenced him to hang for the death of a regular army soldier. His first trial ended in a hung jury. There was no actual proof that he was at the scene of the solders' death. Besides this it was a time of war between the tribes and the militia of the settlers. In reality Chief Leschi won the enmity and hatred of Issac Stevens for refusing to sign the Treaty of Medicine Creek of 1854 and for warning other tribal leaders not to go along with the treaty. The treaty took away millions of acres of land from the tribes and restricted Native Americans to reservations. The original treaty removed a good many of the tribes from access to their rivers and their fishing livelihood. Chief Leschi and his brother, Quiemuth, spoke and acted for the dignity and survival of their people against the greed and ethnic cleansing that the governor was fostering among the settlers. After the war between the tribes and the militia volunteers Leschi and Quiemuth became hunted men. Leschi was betrayed by a relative and imprisoned. Quiemuth came from hiding to support his brother. He was captured and confined to a room in the governor's house where he was mysteriously murdered that night. Chief Leschi and Quiemuth gave their lives willingly for their people whom they loved. Leschi taught that there was land and food enough for the tribes and the settlers as long as greed and prejudice did not take over. Though subjected to juridicial violence, he died in the peace of the creator. We honor Leschi as a prophet and as a leader who gave his life for standing for justice for his people. We also come in the spirit of repentance for failing to stand by those who follow in Leschi's tradition of acting for justice. In 2004 Chief Leschi was exonerated and found not guilty by a panel of jurists that included Supreme Court Justice, Gary Alexander, and County Executive, John Landenberg. All people are invited on this day of remembrance, February 19, 2008, to join in any or all of the following events: At 10 a.m. there will be gathering at the stone marker that indicates the place of Leshi's hanging. The marker is at the Oakbrook Shopping Center at 8107 Steilacoom Boulevard. A 12 mile honor run to Chief Leschi School will leave from here. There will be a prayer gathering at Chief Leschi's grave in the Puyallup Tribal Burial Grounds at 12 PM. Bus transportation to the grave site will be available in the St. Leo's parking lot at 710 So. 13th street and will leave at 11:15 AM. Those wishing to join the youngsters at the Grandview Day Care Center at 3520 Grandview Avenue to walk ½ mile to the grave site can meet them at 11:30 AM. After the graveside service there will be a 4 ½ mile Peace walk to the Chief Leschi School. Those not joining the walk can continue by bus transportation to the Chief Leschi School. Lunch will be provided at the Chief Leschi School which will precede a speaker's panel at 2PM Bus transportation will take participants back to the St. Leo's parking lot. Contacts: Connie McCloud 253-593-0232 ext. 525 Cecelia LaPointe Gorman 253-383-4908 Bill Bichsel 253-627-4347 Jean Sanders 360 456-5221 ext. 1179 For e-mail copies of fliers please send an e-mail to: bix.tacoma@gmail.com |
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