Ward Churchill Solidarity Network

Radio Host Dan Caplis Drops Suit Against Churchill Supporter Glenn Spagnuolo

DENVER, May 2, 2007—After more than a year and a half of stalling, 630 am KHOW afternoon talk radio show host Dan Caplis, of the “Caplis and Silverman” show, has dropped his civil lawsuit he had filed against Re-create 68 organizer and community activist, Glenn Spagnuolo. The lawsuit stemmed from remarks Spagnuolo made at a speech he gave on the University of Colorado’s Boulder Campus in support of Ward Churchill. During the speech, Spagnuolo stated that, “It is no surprise that Dan Caplis and the three stooges of Clear Channel, Boyles, Silverman, and Caplis, would attack the Ethnic Studies Department.”

. . . . click here to read full press release.

Reminder

National Emergency Forum to Protect Dissent and Critical Thinking: Why Ward Churchill Must Not Be Fired

Saturday, April 28 ~ 10:00am – 3:30pm
Muenzinger Auditorium EO50

Welcome

• Tom Mayer –- Prof. of Sociology, CU-Boulder 5mins

The Implications for Students and Faculty

• Aaron Smith, Ann-erika White Bird, Dave Staub — CU Students, Students for True Academic Freedom
• Elisa Facio — Assoc. Prof. of Ethnic Studies, CU-Boulder
• Dean Saitta — President of the Faculty Senate and Professor of Anthropology, University of Denver

The Impact on Indigenous Studies, Critiques of Empire

• Chris Mato Nunpa — Assoc. Prof. of Dakota and Indigenous Nations Studies, Southwest Minnesota State Univ.
• Matthew Abraham –- Asst. Prof. of English, DePaul University (Chicago)
• Jennifer Harbury (by video) –- noted attorney, author and activist for human rights reforms in Guatemala and the US

Lunch

• Remarks — Vijay Gupta, Member of CU-AAUP, Prof. of Civil Engineering, CIRES, CU-Boulder

Solidarity Messages with Introduction

• Reggie Dylan, Organizer, National Defend Critical Thinking Initiative

Keynote: “Drawing the National Connections”

• Alan Jones — Dean of the Faculty, Professor of Psychology/Neuroscience, Pitzer College

Followed by a roundtable with forum speakers

• Moderated and with opening remarks by Emma Perez, Assoc. Prof. of Ethnic Studies, CU-Boulder

Alumni Blackmail, Not Teaching, Determines Who Gets “Teaching” Award: Students Meet With Alumni Association To Protest Withholding of Award

On Friday April 13, CU students met with the Alumni Association representatives to protest the group’s refusal to give Prof. Churchill the award voted him by the students last year.  They were bluntly informed that the Alumni Association would not follow through because wealthy alumni had threatened to withdraw funding if the award were granted.

CU Students Present Petitions Protesting Attempt to Fire Prof. Churchill

April 11, 2007

University of Colorado at Boulder Students report:

The CU students who have organized to support academic freedom met at the UMC Fountain to rally in support of Ward Churchill. With signs protesting the University’s attack on Ward Churchill due to his unpopular 9-11 comments, we marched to administration offices to discuss with administration our demands. Press arrived with us and filmed the demands as well as the discussion with the liason who then received the petition to CU President Hank Brown with over 400 signatures demanding that Ward retain his position at the University. The liason then pretended our issues would be taken seriously and left.

All in all, it was a great event and a great start to our actions against the administration aT the University of Colorado at Boulder who seek to punish those who exercise their First Amendment Right.

Mobilizations at CU and Nationally Say: CU SHOULD NOT FIRE WARD CHURCHILL

Wednesday April 11, 12:00 p.m., UMC Fountain

Join Students and Faculty for Academic Freedom at the UMC Fountain, University of Colorado at Boulder, to march on Regents, demanding the CU administration stop its political witchhunt.

Thursday April 12, 7:00 p.m., G1B20 Duane Physics, CU-Boulder

Ward Churchill Must Not Be Silenced: Critique of CU’s “Investigative Report”

Featuring:

• Eric Cheyfitz, professor of American Indian Studies, Cornell Univ.
• Michael Yellow Bird (Hidatsa/Arikara), professor of Indigenous Nations Studies, Univ. of Kansas
• Emma Perez, professor of Ethnic Studies, Univ. of Colorado-Boulder

Flyer here.

Audio of Eric Cheyfitz discussing Ward Churchill on KGNU here.

National Emergency Forum to Protect Dissent and Critical Thinking: Why Ward Churchill Must Not Be Fired

Saturday, April 28 ~ 10:00am – 3:30pm
Muenzinger Auditorium EO50

Welcome

• Tom Mayer –- Prof. of Sociology, CU-Boulder 5mins

The Implications for Students and Faculty

• Aaron Smith, Ann-erika White Bird, Dave Staub — CU Students, Students for True Academic Freedom
• Elisa Facio — Assoc. Prof. of Ethnic Studies, CU-Boulder
• Dean Saitta — President of the Faculty Senate and Professor of Anthropology, University of Denver

The Impact on Indigenous Studies, Critiques of Empire

• Chris Mato Nunpa — Assoc. Prof. of Dakota and Indigenous Nations Studies, Southwest Minnesota State Univ.
• Matthew Abraham –- Asst. Prof. of English, DePaul University (Chicago)
• Jennifer Harbury (by video) –- noted attorney, author and activist for human rights reforms in Guatemala and the US

Lunch

• Remarks — Vijay Gupta, Member of CU-AAUP, Prof. of Civil Engineering, CIRES, CU-Boulder

Solidarity Messages with Introduction

• Reggie Dylan, Organizer, National Defend Critical Thinking Initiative

Keynote: “Drawing the National Connections”

• Alan Jones — Dean of the Faculty, Professor of Psychology/Neuroscience, Pitzer College

Followed by a roundtable with forum speakers

• Moderated and with opening remarks by Emma Perez, Assoc. Prof. of Ethnic Studies, CU-Boulder

CU Students Host Teach-In

March 6th, 5PM
Benson Earth Sciences
Room 180

Flyer here.

Shareef Aleem Acquitted! - Monday February 5, 2007

Almost exactly two years ago, Shareef Aleem attended the public meeting called by the CU Board of Regents to discuss Ward Churchill’s criticisms of U.S. foreign policy.  When the Regents refused to let the students speak, Shareef demanded to know why.  He was arrested and charged with assaulting an officer, a felony for which he faced up to 16 years imprisonment.

In 2006 Shareef’s first trial resulted in a hung jury, and the Adams County prosecutor insisted on re-trying the case.  In the second trial, which began last week, the jury deliberated most of the day Thursday and was sent home over the weekend.  This morning, they returned a verdict of NOT guilty.

The courage and faith of Shareef and his family throughout this ordeal — as well as the support from the community, the CU students and faculty who testified, and the lawyers who worked pro bono — are an inspiration to all who struggle for justice.

Support Free Speech - Support Shareef Aleem

Monday February 5, 2007
10:00 am
Adams County Courthouse
Div. G. - Room 404
1100 Judicial Center Drive
Brighton, CO 80601

Shareef Aleem, a Denver community activist, was arrested in February 2005 when the CU Board of Regents met to discuss the Ward Churchill “controversy.” While advertised as a public meeting, the Regents refused to let the hundreds of CU students and faculty who attended make any public comment.

When Shareef persisted in asking why the Regents weren’t letting the students speak, he was surrounded by CU police and arrested. Although there was much protest at the meeting, only one other person was arrested — a CU student who was charged with a misdemeanor. Those charges were ultimately dropped. Shareef, however, was charged with a felony assault on the police officer arresting him. As a result Shareef, who has several young children, faces up to 16 years in prison for defending the students’ right to speak to the Regents.

The prosecution is determined to make an example of Shareef, sending the message that community activists who support CU students and Ward Churchill will be crushed. Shareef’s first trial resulted in a hung jury. The case is now being re-tried in Adams County, and the jury is out. They began deliberating Thursday morning, and will finish on Monday.

Let the state know that we are not intimidated by such heavy-handed tactics. Come to the Adams County Courthouse at 10:00 am on Monday to show your support for Shareef, his family, and our collective right to freedom of speech and political dissent.

Indigenous Scholars and Allies Condemn CU’s Attacks on Ward Churchill as Attempts to Reinforce Mainstream Historical Perspectives and Undermine Indigenous, Ethnic and Gender Studies

* Updated 02/03/07

• Resolution From The Emergency Summit Of Scholars And Activists Defending Critical Thinking And Indigenous Studies, Lawrence, KS, September 29-30, 2006

If you would like to add your name to this resolution, send an e-mail to wcsn@wardchurchill.net. Please include name and identification as you would prefer it to be listed, and an e-mail address where we can contact you.

Think Critically: Emergency Summit Produces Cutting-Edge Analysis, Action Plans to Defend Ward Churchill and Support Indigenous Studies

The Emergency Summit called by Dr. Michael Yellow Bird and held in Lawrence, Kansas, September 29-30, successfully examined the targeting of Ward Churchill and other academics in the context of the national and international movements to silence and discredit scholars and activists who think critically about the manifestations of colonialism and contemporary expansions of empire.

The Summit was sponsored by the Center for Indigenous Peoples’ Critical and Intuitive Thinking and the Human Rights Research Fund, and endorsed by numerous scholars and activists. The sessions included insightful presentations by:

• Ward Churchill (Cherokee), professor, University of Colorado-Boulder
• Jennifer Harbury, attorney, author, and human rights activist
• Barbara Mann (Seneca), author and lecturer, University of Toledo
• Chris Mato Nunpa (Dakota), professor, Southwest Minnesota State University
• Russell Means (Oglala Lakota), activist, author and attorney
• Glenn Morris (Shawnee), professor, University of Colorado-Denver
• Natsu Taylor Saito, professor, Georgia State University College of Law
• David Stannard, professor, University of Hawai’i-Manoa
• Tink Tinker (Osage), professor, Iliff Seminary, Denver
• Haunani-Kay Trask (Kanaka Maoli), professor, University of Hawai’i-Manoa
• Sharon Venne (Cree), attorney and international indigenous rights activist, Edmonton
• Michael Yellow Bird (Arikara/Hidatsa), professor, University of Kansas

Several plans of action at the local, national, and international levels emerged to counter the attacks on Ward Churchill and other scholars who, after much struggle, have managed to make counterhegemonic perspectives accessible within mainstream education.

Stay tuned – information on emerging actions as well as recordings and transcripts of many of these presentations will be available soon.