STRONG HEARTS

Copies of Strong Hearts, and additional information on Rod Coronado, are available from:

Rod Coronado Support Committee
3245 E. Patricia
Tucson, AZ
USA 85716

Also check out the Animal Liberation Frontline Information Service page on Rod, at

http://www.animal-liberation.net/

Welcome to Strong Hearts #1! For those of you whom I have yet had the pleasure of meeting, this should let you understand a bit about the thoughts and beliefs that have led me down this winding road with the present rest stop in prison. Why my own 'zine? Well, when I first entered prison about a year ago I was feeling a bit isolated from all I love. The earth, her animal people, crystal rivers, campfires, and my beloved friends, family and community members -- all were taken from me when I became known to the U.S. government as Prisoner 03895-000. Now as I live largely by my connections with the outside world through letters, books, newsletters and 'zines I want to give something back to all the beautiful people who have supported me on the path of resistance to the dark forces that plague our planet. Some of you have been friends since my early years with Sea Shepherd and Earth First! and others since my return to my homeland here in Arizona. Some of you I know only by your brilliant letters that keep my heart alive when others would attempt to break it by imprisoning me. Anyway, I'm drifting.

This 'zine is the product of thoughts and feelings that sometimes make me cry and other times leave me feeling like the happiest man on earth, even in here. Please pass this 'zine on to others you know, and feel free to reproduce it in any form. The animals I write about are those that I believe have yet to be conquered by Manifest Destiny, the people I write about are those I believe have accepted our responsibility to defend our earth, animals and people from the forces who are destroying all of creation. In some small way I hope this 'zine helps remind you that the battle is far from over, and far from lost. It's up to every one of us to do our part to ensure that future generations of humans and other animals are able to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, eat good food, and continue the dance that we call life. With that I leave you now to the freedom of your own thoughts.

May the Creator bless each and every one of us, the Children of Earth.

My job here in prison is with landscaping. I rake, sweep, water plants, and generally keep my designated area clean. It's very meditative and I work alone which means I think a lot to myself. There's a cactus wren nest I watch out for, and tarantulas, scorpions, mice, hummingbirds and grackles that call this place home and I try to make sure they get enough food and water. From where I work I can see Black Mountain, where my village lies and through the mountains, trees, plants and animals I can never forget why I'm here.

* The first time I saw a fur farm: fulfilling a promise to destroy the mink farm industry

* For Aslan
* Lab raids alter ways of research - Associated Press article
* Custer's Last Stand
* The Upside-down Flag as a Symbol of Indigenous Resistance
* Sovereigntists not Terrorists: Canada vs. Indigenous Nations
* Prisoners of War: the criminalization of indigenous resistance
* Cascadia Salmon
* Life sentence, no parole: animal-human relations
* Reflections on true friendship