October 26, 2018 Hello ,
Today, I had planned to tell you the story of a courageous World War II spy who parachuted into France and secretly radioed out intelligence on
Nazi troop locations.
The 23-year-old woman, Pippa Latour, made a significant contribution to the success of the Normandy invasion.
Pippa was brave, skilled and resourceful. She put her life on the line and her story deserves to be told.
She is reluctant herself to tell it because of the devastation and carnage she witnessed, which was often the result of her spying. More on Pippa's war time accomplishments in the weeks to come.
Today, I just didn't have the heart for it, so I'm re-running a story I sent you a couple years ago. Thanks for your understanding. The Power of Non-Violent Resistance Billy Frank Jr. grew up on the Nisqually river in Western Washington, becoming an expert fisherman as a youngster. He knew every current of the river and every creature that made its home in the delta. The Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854 had guaranteed Billy's Nisqually and other native tribes in the region the right to fish in their "usual and accustomed places." But at age 14, Billy was arrested by state fish and
game wardens as he cleaned the steelhead he'd netted for his family's supper.
Billy knew then he’d have to fight for his right to fish, for his the culture and his heritage. But that would wait until he served his country as a U.S. Marine during the Korean War.
When he returned, things hadn't changed. His boats and nets were confiscated, he lived like an outlaw, fishing at night, always on the lookout for men in uniforms.
He was "chased and tear-gassed, tackled, punched, pushed face-first into the mud, handcuffed and dragged soaking wet to the country jail."
Billy Frank Jr., photo courtesy of the NW Indian Fisheries Commission.
Billy Frank Jr. was arrested 50 times fishing on the Nisqually River over next thirty years. He spearheaded a long-term civil disobedience movement aimed at restoring Northwest Coast Salish treaty
rights.
There would be protests at the state Capitol, a full-scale riot on the banks of the Puyallup River in 1970, myriad lawsuits and finally a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1979 before the so-called 'fish wars' in Washington were resolved.
Following that victory, Billy Frank Jr. led conservation efforts to restore and protect Puget Sound,
worked to unite local tribes and became a national voice for Indian Country.
After his death in 2014, President Obama posthumously awarded Frank, Jr. the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor that can be given a US civilian.
“He saved the salmon that had fed his family for generations,” President Obama said. “He was
spat on, shot at, chased, clubbed and cast as an outlaw, but Billy kept fighting because he knew he was right.”
Billy Frank, Jr. was a man of courage and perseverance, instrumental in creating more justice for Native tribes.
His words are more important now, than
ever.
“I don’t believe in magic.
I believe in the sun and the stars, the water, the tides, the floods, the owls, the hawks flying, the river running, the wind talking.
They’re measurements. They tell us how healthy things are. How healthy we are. Because we and they are the same. That’s what I believe in.”
About his
strategy through
the long battles for tribal treaty fishing rights, Billy Frank, Jr. quipped, "[I'm] not a policy guy, I'm a getting-arrested guy."
God, give me courage, I think it's coming to that.
Standing Up Against Hate received a starred review this week! That is a huge deal for authors! I'm doing the happy dance.
The STARRED review
from School Library Connection will appear in the January/February 2019 issue. Here are the highlights. "Farrell settles in to explain with depth and precision the fight black women faced both in and out of the military as World War II surged.... In addition to the deft writing, images are presented every few pages....The book is a gem for the nonfiction shelves that profiles an underrepresented narrative in American
history."
Just in case you missed it when I mentioned this before, you can pre-order the book now here... Read a great book? Have a burning question? Let me know. If you know someone who might enjoy my newsletter or books, please forward this e-mail. I will never spam you or sell your email address, you can unsubscribe anytime
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To find out more about my books, how I help students, teachers, librarians and writers visit my website at www.MaryCronkFarrell.com.
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