The Eviction/Looking Cloud Connection

Before they destroy the evidence, I thought I would post it here. Seems like everyone is an artist; they each want to paint their own picture of reality. And I I ever wanted to do was to paint. Yesterday, I found myself confronted by a postmodern GOON squad who came to kick me out of my house, the one I am building, leaving me homeless, destroying the life I am building board by board so that I can have the place, space, and peace of mind to be able to paint. It’s odd how the timing of this really ties into my writing about Arlo. I am afraid. I didn’t know how to start this. Someone or ones really want to prevent me from writing any more about Arlo. Didier Dupont, a Frenchman, somehow got himself adopted by Arlo’s aunt. He is claiming to be the representive of the family for Arlo. However, Arlo’s family here on the reservation say there was never any meeting to decide on Didier to be the spokesman. He just kind of assumed the position. During the trial, he said very positive things about Rensch, Arlo’s court appointed lawyer. When the trial was over in a mere 4 days, Didier got Arlo to agree to getting Terry Gilbert, from the Center for Constitutional Rights as his attorney. Lucy Bull Bear and I go visit Arlo in jail. I bring along a couple of the articles I had written. I hold them up to the glass for Arlo to read. He is happy about it, and says to continue. Unknown to myself, Dider is not happy about it. And I do not want to do any French bashing here. They already have got a bad wrap. I mean French fries and all being turned into Freedom fries. Maybe the problem is a matter of roles. And who should have a starring in role in a play scripted by the FBI. I do want to make it plain and clear that Didier Dupont has a starring role in this melodrama. He is the self-designated representative for Arlo Looking Cloud and he has a piece of paper to prove it. As some of you might know, I have been taking up for Indian rights and fighting for Arlo Looking Cloud’s right to a fair trial and a right to have an attorney of his choice. I live on the Pine Ridge Reservation where I have lived for the past 12 years. I am an artist and I have a web site called www.lakotaperspectives.com. Initially I thought of having a web site as a place to sell paintings and prints from. I also have been writing articles and essays and have put them on my web site, for the past year. So it seemed logical to Lucy Bull Bear, Arlo’s cousin, to have me write something about Arlo, which I said I would. And I have been. My web master has been experiencing a little difficulty with his computer so the stories have not appeared on Lakota Perspectives. No one seems to have any information for Arlo. Has he fired Rensch? Has he got a new attorney? Most of all, are necessary steps being taken to see that important legal deadlines for retrial and/or appeal being met? Didier called me once, about a week after the trial. He is going on and on about some money, and that he doesn’t like the articles I am writing. So I interrupt to ask him about Arlo and his lawyers. Didier tells me that is none of my business. So I ask him, “What’s the point of this phone call? Why did you call me?” He seems quite discomfited by the question and tells me to stop writing. And this is supposed to be Arlo’s ‘brother’? But then Didier sent me a registered letter to help explain himself. In it he told me to stop writing or else he would shut down my web site and file a complaint against me. And he claims to be Arlo’s brother. It’s a billing problem, I am sure. Of course, Didier should speak his part and tell us what is going on. And my role in all of this is merely a clown, not to be taken seriously. Afterall, Didier went to John Around Him’s sundance this past summer, and with Arlo’s pipe, he proclaimed to the Lakota people on the Pine Ridge that he was going to dance for his brother Arlo, that Arlo was sitting in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, that he was going to dance for his brother Arlo. Impressive, that little Frenchman. And he really speaks Lakota too. Didier has blocked access to Arlo. He has been secretive and furtive. He has petulantly accused Lucy and Bernice of stealing money. He has made repeated threats against me. But worst of all, I think he is conniving with Rensch to cut a deal with the State in which Arlo gets a reduced sentence in exchange for manufactured evidence that would implicate AIM as ordering the death of Anna Mae. By the way, I have talked with Arlo, and he suspects this is what is going on. Last Sunday, Robert, Louise’s son drug a trailer house into my yard. He wanted me to move my pick ups so he could pull up to the utility pole. But I was very uncooperative in turning over the keys to him as he demanded. I asked for his authorization. He said he needed none other than his mother’s say so. I told them to get that trailer out of here, what they were doing is illegal, and that I would call the police. Which I did. And while I did that, Robert and the Janis who was driving the semi, hurriedly unhooked the trailer, shoved a few blocks under it, and took off. Wait, wait, waiting for the police. Then, with a flourish that would have made even Mel Gibsen proud, in drives the police along with Louise in another car, and two pick ups, containing Robert and the postmodern Goon squad. Up marches 2 police officers with Louise in between. I thought I had called the police, but obviously I was mistaken. Louise let the officers know that there job was to immediately remove me from my house so she could move in. She said that unknown to herself, I was building a house on her property. I asked her how she got this land, considering she wasn’t part of the original heirship. She said her mother had been moved from the badlands durring WWII, and was given this land, and she willed it to Louise. “Then how is it that Florence Hernendez was also moved out of the badlands and given this land?” I asked. “O, my mother took pity on them and let them live in a hole in the ground.” Louise told the police to remove me. She said she had a letter from the Superintendent which gives her the authority to have me removed. The police said they needed a court order. I asked about the trailer sitting there in my yard. “Where’s the paper work that gives Robert the right to pull a trailer into my yard?” Louise said that this was her land and that she could do anything she wanted with it. That she could come in at any time and no one could stop her. Police said that she would have to take it to court to have me removed. In the meantime they said I would have to put up with the trailer sitting there. The next day, Monday, I went to the Kyle courthouse to get a restraining order. Judge Lisa Cook stalled around the whole day. I went back to the courthouse Tuesday. Still the judge hadn’t issued a temporary restraining order as of 5:00pm. Wednesday, I went to Pine Ridge courthouse to get a restraining order. The clerk told me I couldn’t do that. Then I called Kyle court and told them to withdraw my petition for a restraining order. I just happened to see the Kyle clerk of court. I told her I wanted to withdraw restaining order. She said it was too late, that the judge Lisa Cook had already combined everything (meaning my restraining order and my eviction of which I was totally unaware of at that time) into one hearing set for May 7th, 2004. On the way back from the courthouse, I stopped at my neighbor’s place on 3 Mile Creek to see Shirley Red Star, grand daughter to Fool’s Crow. She gave me some commodities. Said she had been reading the Black Hills Peoples News, my taking up for Arlo. I told her about Lousie. She said that my cabin used to be a big bootlegging place, and no one living on the Creek wanted to see that happen again, which is how it would be if Robert moved in. And she told me that next time I should call her instead of the police. That she and her children would be down. As I was leaving, she said, “Keep writing. Your words are powerful. You tell our side, the Traditionals. We are good with spoken words and you are good with written words. They have power. Keep writing for us.”