CONSEJO INTERNACIONAL DE TRATADOS INDIOS

FROM PR NEWSWIRE NEW YORK  800-776-8090 TO BUSINESS AND RETAILING EDITORS:
SOURCE  American Indian Coalition on Institutional Accountability
10/17/2002

 

CONTACT:  Media - Lakota, Sammy Toineeta, Acting Minister for American
Indian Relations, United Church of Christ, +1-216-736-2194, or
fax, +1-216-736-2103, or toineets@ucc.org; or Estate of Crazy Horse,
Bob Gough, attorney, Rpwgough@aol.com, both for American Indian Coalition on
Institutional Accountability; or Gary Brouse of American Indian Coalition on
Institutional Accountability, +1-212-870-2316, or Cyngar9@cs.com/
/Web site:  http://www.iccr.org/

CO:  American Indian Coalition on Institutional Accountability
- NYTH019 --  0497 10/17/2002 10:31 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com

Calvert's Divestment From Liz Claiborne Praised By Indigenous Leaders

ROSEBUD, S.D., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Indian Coalition on
Institutional Accountability (AICIA) applauds the Calvert Social Investment
Fund's (CSIF) divestment of Liz Claiborne.  American Indian leaders and
representatives of the Estate of Crazy Horse have been in a long-standing
struggle with Liz Claiborne and J.C. Penney over their misuse of the "Crazy
Horse name.  Claiborne has refused to desist using the name on labels for
sportswear and J.C. Penney; a retail store that sells the product for Liz
Claiborne refuses to talk to representatives of the Estate of Crazy Horse.
"Crazy Horse" a revered spiritual and political leader should not be used in
such a manner.  It is a desecration of a historic leader and his legacy,"
states Chris Peters, Executive Director of the Seventh Generation Fund.
Sammy Toineeta, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe adds, "the Crazy Horse
name is so sacred to the Lakota, that we don't even give his name to our
children
     Liz Claiborne has offered only cosmetic changes such as pluralizing horse
to horses, or putting crazy horse in lower case letters.  Claiborne agrees
doing this with other cultural and spiritual icons like: Gandhi or Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., would not disguise their identity, yet this is what the
Company proposed to the Crazy Horse family as a compromise.  The Company told
the American Indian leaders that there was never a relationship with their
"Crazy Horse" product and "the Lakota Sioux leader."  "We found this statement
insulting and disrespectful to the American Indian leaders in the room," says
Dr. Charlene Teters, a member of the Spokane Tribe.  Distrust grew for Claiborne
when American Indian leaders discovered the company was secretly expanding  the
"Crazy Horse" fashion line to a men's clothing line while in dialogue to address
the issue of the Company's misuse of a family name.
"Crazy Horse" was a traditional Lakota leader who went to great lengths to
distance himself from European culture.  He refused to be exploited, insisting
no image of himself be taken, he did not drink, take drugs or wear European
clothing," explains the attorney for the Crazy Horse Estate, Bob Gough.  Mr.
Gough continues, "before his death he told relatives to lay him to rest in a
secret location and not to publicly speak of him or his name, for 125 years the
family has kept that sacred trust."     Seth Big Crow, administrator of the
Estate of Crazy Horse and a descendent states that, "Today corporations and
educational institutions willfully and purposefully use the name of "Crazy
Horse" without accurate information, understanding, consultation, permission or
consent and over the opposition of the tiospaye of Tasunke Witko, whose members
are the lawful holders of the right to his name."  Claiborne was caught in a
similar controversy with the Muslim community when it placed sacred Koran
scripture on the back pants pocket of women's jeans.  However Liz Claiborne
responded differently to the Muslim community agreeing to remove the offensive
jeans from their stores and burning them according to Muslim leaders
instructions.  "It appears Liz Claiborne has a double standard when it comes to
the American Indian community," remarked Marguerite Smith, a member of the
Shinnecock Nation.
     In a public letter to Liz Claiborne's CEO, Paul Charron, Religious and
Socially Responsible Investors informed the company's position was, harmful
to the legacy and memory of the Lakota Sioux Leader, harmful to the Estate,
and harmful to American Indians everywhere, particularly to American Indian
children and youth who see the name of one of their most deeply cherished
leaders commercialized and trivialized in suburban malls across the country."
The Estate of Crazy Horse is presently suing the owners of Arizona's Ice Tea,
who also make "Crazy Horse Malt Liquor" in federal court in South Dakota.
Happily not all corporations have taken the willful position of Arizona's Ice
Tea, Liz Claiborne and J. C. Penney's.  Just recently British Petroleum became
the third major corporation to discontinue using the Crazy Horse family name.
The giant oil company renamed its project, the largest oil reserve in the Gulf
of Mexico, to Thunder Horse when the company heard about the family's
objections.  Each of the three companies who have stopped using the name,
Stroh's Brewing Company, A & P Grocery Stores, and British Petroleum, have
resolved their issue with the family in a traditional settlement.  A traditional
settlement has consisted of compensating the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and the Estate
of Crazy Horse with a few braids of sweet grass and tobacco.
"This is clearly not about money," according to Gary Brouse, Director of
Equality and Indigenous Issues at the Interfaith Center on Corporate
Responsibility, "the family is looking for something more than monetary
compensation.  It is looking for good corporate ethnical behavior and respect
for American Indian culture, tradition and spirituality."   Mr. Brouse continues
by saying, "It seems to me that if anyone should understand the value of a
person's name and legacy, it should be Liz Claiborne her self."
     The American Indian Coalition on Institution Accountability, a coalition of
Indigenous organizations focused on the institutional social impact on the
American Indian community recognizes CSIF as an investment leader and the first
mutual fund to divest in apartheid within South Africa and also the first to
re-invest in a free South Africa.  Calvert's insight into the rights of
Indigenous peoples deserves our full support.  We are calling on others to
follow in Calvert's footsteps and support this action by letting Liz Claiborne's
CEO, Paul Charron, and Allen Questrom, J.C. Penney's CEO know how bad corporate
behavior will affect the bottom line.

    For more information use the American Indian Coalition on Institutional
Accountability's "Press Contact list."

American Indian Coalition on Institutional Accountability
    Gary Brouse
    212-870-2316
    cyngar9@cs.com

    Pohlik-lah & Karuk
    Chris Peters
    Executive Director
    Seventh Generation Fund
    Arcata, California
    707-825-7640
    Cpeters@genfund.org

    SPOKANE
    Charlene Teters
    Vice President
    National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media
    Santa Fe, New Mexico
    505-820-7874
    Cteters@org

    CHEROKEE
    Rebecca Adamson
    Executive Director
    First Nations Development Institute
    Fredericksburg, Virginia
    540-371-5615
    Radamson@firstnations.org

    LAKOTA
    Sammy Toineeta
    Acting Minister for American Indian Relations
    United Church of Christ
    Cleveland, OH
    216-736-2194
    216-736-2103 fax
    toineets@ucc.org

    Shinnecock
    Marguerite Smith
    Msmasesq@aol..com
    518-789-8026

    Estate of Crazy Horse
    Bob Gough, attorney
    Rosebud, South Dakota
    Rpwgough@aol.com

    Crazy Horse Defense Fund
    Phyllis Frederick
    Minnespolis, Mn.
    612-879-9165
    Phyllisfrederick@email.com

    OSAGE  
    Dr. Tink Tinker
    Professor of American Indian
    Cultures and Religious Traditions,
    Iliff School of Theology
    (303-765-3182)

    Annishinabe-Ojibwe Nation
    Vernon Bellecourt
    (612-721-3914)
    (aimgga@worldnet.att)