Opinion ID: 527561
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: crazy horse

Text: A. Its Contents 34 Crazy Horse is a long work divided into three parts. The first part surveys the conditions on the Reservation and the rise of A.I.M. The author makes clear from early on that the F.B.I. and the federal government are regarded as villains by some Indians. He writes that heretofore press coverage had been one-sided, Crazy Horse at 196-97, and sets out to tell these Indians' side of the dispute. Introductory Note at 557. 35 The book presents the views of members of A.I.M., that the F.B.I. targeted them for harassment because the F.B.I. associated A.I.M. with communism and other leftist ideologies. The author reviews A.I.M.'s occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973 and the resulting prosecutions of Dennis Banks and Russell Means. According to the book, Price supervised a witness, Louis Moves Camp, at their trial. Later, Moves Camp's testimony was entirely discredited. Eventually, the book relates, all charges against Means and Banks were dismissed by the trial judge for government misconduct. In dismissing the case, the court criticized the prosecution and the F.B.I. on the record for their conduct with regard to Moves Camp's perjury. Crazy Horse at 99 (quoting Judge Nichol directly). 36 Later chapters in the first part discuss conditions on the Reservation in between the occupation of Wounded Knee and the 1975 shootout. The book details violence on the Reservation, criticizing Bureau of Indian Affairs (B.I.A.) police and the F.B.I. Crazy Horse at 132 (quoting Al Trimble, former Superintendent of the B.I.A.). 37 The second part of Crazy Horse begins with two chapters devoted to the 1975 shootout. The first details the incident from the perspective of the Indians who were there. The second describes events as portrayed in the F.B.I.'s records and reports. Matthiessen acknowledges that obtaining a neutral view of events is difficult. [T]he public had to choose between the propaganda of the authorities and the rhetoric of the A.I.M. spokesman, neither of which gave an accurate account of what had happened. Crazy Horse at 195. In sum, two F.B.I. agents went onto the Jumping Bull property on the Reservation. A shootout began during which the agents were wounded. Someone advanced and executed them at close range. The encampment was surrounded, and during subsequent shooting, an Indian was killed. 38 The rest of the second part of the book concerns itself with the investigation and trials of the suspected killers. The book quotes Reservation Indians, describing the course of the investigation. These quoted accounts sometimes portray Price as harassing local citizens. See e.g. Crazy Horse at 227-29, 243-44, 247. The F.B.I. focused on four suspects in the agents' killings. One was never tried. Two of the suspects, Butler and Robideau, were acquitted of the charges by a jury in Cedar Rapids. Leonard Peltier was convicted in a subsequent trial in Fargo, after extradition from Canada. His conviction was affirmed by this Court. United States v. Peltier, 585 F.2d 314 (8th Cir.1978), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 945, 99 S.Ct. 1422, 59 L.Ed.2d 634 (1979). In the extradition proceeding, the government used the now discredited affidavits of Myrtle Poor Bear, a witness supervised by Price. Crazy Horse includes the comments of Judge Ross of this Circuit during the oral argument of Peltier's appeal, criticizing the conduct of the F.B.I. in securing Poor Bear's affidavits. Crazy Horse at 372. The book also discusses the discovery of the body of a Jane Doe, later known to be Anna Mae Aquash, an A.I.M. member whose murder remains unsolved. Price is criticized with respect to the investigation of her death. 39 The third part concerns the post-conviction incarceration of Leonard Peltier and returns to consider at greater length earlier themes regarding the economic condition of the Indian people. It includes interviews with the three men tried for the murders, Peltier, Butler and Robideau. Finally, the book argues for a new trial for Peltier based on government misconduct and using documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Peltier's subsequent appeal based on these documents was denied by a district court, and we affirmed. United States v. Peltier, 800 F.2d 772 (8th Cir.1986) (per Heaney, J., denying a new trial), cert. denied, 484 U.S. 822, 108 S.Ct. 84, 98 L.Ed.2d 46 (1987). B. Preparation 40 Peter Matthiessen has written at least eighteen other books, one of which received the National Book Award in 1978. Matthiessen's preparation was extensive, as the number of documents in the exhibits demonstrate. Primary sources included court transcripts, court decisions, F.B.I. records, congressional investigations, legislative resolutions, books, articles and personal interviews. The text and footnotes in the book explain the background and sympathies of quoted sources. See, e.g., Crazy Horse at 459-60. He also consulted with journalists of varying dispositions, and examined the fruits of their investigations. Matthiessen Affidavit at 7-8 (April 21, 1987). In addition, Matthiessen lists other sometimes conflicting sources for information about the same events. Crazy Horse at 577-79. 41 Though there was disagreement over the author's economic explanation of government policies, no one Matthiessen circulated the manuscript to indicated that any statements regarding Price were inaccurate. Moreover, Matthiessen indicates that he excluded from his manuscript unfavorable information about Price that he discredited. Matthiessen Affidavit at 9, 172. The author explained his one-sided selection of material to the reader: 42 Although this book argues and supports the cause of the traditional Indian people and their allies and their long struggle with U.S. Government, I originally wished it to include as many views as possible on both sides of the question. I discovered, however, that federal judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement personnel are rarely willing to comment on a case that is still being contested; also, their essential views are everywhere throughout the text, in field reports, memos, trial transcripts, court rulings, and many other documents, and any attempt to balance the argument with official comment would sink an already long book under the weight of rhetoric and repetition. 43 Crazy Horse at 577; see e.g., id. at 497-98 (unsuccessful attempts to interview the United States Attorney). C. Tone 44 Books can be written in a variety of styles, often telling stories or asserting viewpoints. Crazy Horse does both, mixing legends, news accounts and social criticism with the retelling of personal interviews. It is dedicated for all who honor and defend those people who still seek to live in the wisdom of Indian way. Many of the events are retold in the words of the participants. The author adopts some of their general preconceptions about others, and Matthiessen reports Indian versions of events. See e.g., id. at 250 (pistol whipping), 67-83 (Wounded Knee occupation). 45 While the author is frank about his sympathies, he also, with regard to nearly every important incident, presents contrary views. Often, even the statements Price challenges are made with cautionary language. See e.g., appendix to this opinion, paragraphs 10(o) (alleged, disputed), 10(i) (suspicions), 10(m) (suggestions), and 10(s) (speculations). Nor does Matthiessen always espouse specific claims. 46 The author also managed to locate and interview David Price. As Matthiessen explained, Fairly or not, Price had come to personify the most cynical abuses of the F.B.I.'s regressive attitudes toward Indians, and it seemed important to hear his side of the story. Crazy Horse at 460. Once Price began talking, the author warned him that my sympathies in the Pine Ridge confrontations lay with the traditional Indians. 'The Indian situation deserves sympathy,' Price assured me, reverting to a soft and thoughtful tone, 'but it's hopeless. All the F.B.I. was trying to do was to stop the Indians out there from killing each other.'  Id. at 462. Price repeatedly indicated that he knew that he was blamed for a lot of bad acts, and that his reputation had already been spoiled. Id. at 461 (I got worked over extremely heavily to say the least    I've just had too many ringers thrown at me.), 465 (Don't take it from me, because I'm supposed to be this heinous villain....), 470 (Without the allegations, I would be nobody.). 47 Price also took the opportunity to level allegations of his own. He accused A.I.M. of planning the ambush to get press attention. He said he thought the planner was not an Indian but would not name names. Id. at 467. He suggested that a particular Indian was involved in or had knowledge of Anna Mae Aquash's murder. Id. at 469-70. He also criticized the acquittal of Butler and Robideau. Id. at 468. 48 At the end of the conversation, the author concludes the report of the interview with mixed comments about Price: 49 To judge from his speech, David Price is not a stupid man, but one whose intelligence is severely limited by preconceptions--either that, or he is a liar who not only believes but is angered and moved by his own lies. Despite his awful sentimentality--about Myrtle Poor Bear, about the idealism of his fellow agents--his outrage about Ron Williams's death is genuine; and he does not whine about his villain's role, but seems to accept it in the line of duty. 50