Some of the quotes included in the book:
“It has always been the same. They always have two plans, a peace plan and a war plan. Our grandfathers told us this. If they don’t get their way with the peace plan, then they bring the soldiers. It’s no different today.”
– Noble Red Man (Matthew King), Oglala Lakota Elder, 1980 — from the intro to Part III, "The FBI on Pine Ridge, 1972-76"
“We in AIM were never perfect, but the whole idea of us pursuing violent tactics, or attempting to bring about some sort of violent revolution is completely false. The violence in which AIM as an organization was involved was entirely imposed by the federal government, by the FBI and other agencies, because of the federal government’s absolute refusal to abide by its own laws.”
– Dennis Banks, co-founder of the American Indian Movement (AIM), Native American activist, teacher, and author
“One of the most important things AIM has always tried to do is to help the United States government live up to its own constitution, and its own treaty obligations, which it has always refused to do, and still refuses to do. I find it to be the ultimate irony that we Indians have been getting killed for upholding the U.S. Constitution, by the very government which is supposedly based on it.”
– Russell Means, Oglala Dakota activist, prominent member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), international indigenous rights activist, writer, and actor
“Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of the day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period and pursued unalterably through every change of ministers too plainly proves a deliberate, systematical plan of reducing us to slavery.”
– Thomas Jefferson, from the intro to Part I, "The FBI as Political Police: A Capsule History"
“The purpose of this new counterintelligence endeavor is to expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize the activities of black nationalist, hate-type organizations and groupings, their leadership, spokesmen, membership, and supporters…”
– J. Edgar Hoover memo establishing the “black nationalist – hate groups” cointelpro, 1967 – from Chapter 2, "The Cointelpro Era"
“…prevent the coalition of militant black nationalist groups…prevent militant black nationalist groups and leaders from gaining respectability…Prevent the rise of a black ‘messiah’ who would unity and electrify, the militant black nationalist movement. Malcomb X [sic] might have been such a ‘messiah;’ he is the martyr of the movement today. Martin Luther King, Stokely Carmichael and Elija Muhammed [sic] all aspire to this position. Elija Muhammed is less of a threat because of his age. King could be a very real contender for this position should he abandon his supposed ‘obedience’ to ‘white, liberal doctrines’ (nonviolence) and embrace black nationalism. Carmichael has the necessary charisma to be a real threat in this way.” [emphasis in original].
– J. Edgar Hoover memo elaborating on his instructions for the “black nationalist – hate groups” cointelpro, early 1968 – from Chapter 2, "The Cointelpro Era"
“AIM’s most militant leaders and followers are under indictment, in jail or warrants are out for their arrest. But the government can win, even if no one goes to jail.”
– Colonel Volney Warner, 1974 – from the beginning of Chapter 12, "Other Political Abuses of the Judicial System"
“In Nazi Germany…first they put the Communists and Jehovah’s Witnesses in concentration camps, but I was not a Communist or a Jehovah’s Witness so I did nothing. Then they came for the Social Democrats, but I was not a Social Democrat, so I did nothing…Then they arrested the trade unionists, but I did nothing because I was not one. Then they arrested the Jews, and again I did nothing because I was not Jewish. Then they came for the Catholics, but I was not a Catholic so I did nothing again…At last they came and arrested me, but by then it was too late…no one was left to speak up.”
– Pastor Martin Neimoller, 1965 – from the intro to Part IV, "We Will Remember"
“It is just my personal feeling, but many [U.S. citizens] are going to have to accept some blame too, because it’s their federal government…the white Americans are guilty of apathy and self-indulgence to the extent that they have allowed inhumanity to thrive in this country.”
– John Trudell, AIM National Chairman, 1977 – from the intro to Part IV, "We Will Remember"
“FBI officials said a principal way to neutralize individuals was to show they were violating Federal, State or local statutes.”
– House Report to the Committee on the Judiciary, FBI Domestic Intelligence Operations – Their Purpose and Scope: Issues That Need to be Resolved – from the beginning of Chapter 11, "Perjury and Fabrication of Evidence"
“The FBI will fabricate and suppress evidence in order to tie [radical political] leaders up in the courts and in prison. The FBI also encourages agents to lie; one FBI memo stated that ‘it is immaterial whether facts exist to substantiate the charge. If facts are present, it aids in the success of the proposal [to neutralize ‘individuals’ through the courts]…but disruption [of legitimate political organizations] can be accomplished without facts to back it up.’”
– Jim Messerschmidt, The Trial of Leonard Peltier – from the beginning of Chapter 11, "Perjury and Fabrication of Evidence"
“…I ended the case [the Wounded Knee Leadership trial] with the firm conviction that the Government would go to any end…in order to convict Mr. Banks…[T]he total disregard of truth and fairness in the Government’s attempt to ‘get’ Dennis Banks ‘by hook or crook’ did not stop at the doorstep of the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s office was an active participant. The Court was intentionally deceived…The fact that both the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office were active participants in this pollution of justice convinced me there was a systemic, in addition to an individual, desire to convict Mr. Banks by means well beyond those which were ethical and fair. After all, in other cases in my district I had both FBI agents and these attorneys before me regularly. But the willingness to lie and fabricate and withhold evidence was only exhibited against Mr. Banks and his AIM co-defendent. And it was exhibited with a vengence…If my experience has taught me anything, it is that the past is a good indication of the future. The broad and pervasive nature of the FBI and prosecutors’ misconduct in 1973 and 1974 reflected patterns and beliefs that were deeply held. I doubt they would be easily abandoned.”
– Letter from The Honorable Fred Nichol, U.S. District Judge, to Kenneth S. Stern, November 17, 1987 – from the end of Chapter 12, "Other Political Abuses of the Judicial System"