Showdown in Round Valley

interview with Lucille Lincoln and Lavena Lincoln

By Sara Jacobelli

On April 14, 1995, at approximately 6 pm, on the Round Valley Indian Reservation in remote Northern California, two men engaged in a shoot-out. Gene Britton, an Indian man, died, and Arylis Peters, an Indian man, was a suspect in that shooting. Around 10 pm on that same evening, Deputy George Robert Davis and Deputy Dennis Miller shot at two other Indian men, believing one of them to be Arylis Peters. That shoot-out killed Leonard “Acorn” Peters, the suspect’s brother, who was not wanted for any crime. Deputy Davis was also killed, perhaps in a burst of “friendly fire” by another deputy. Eugene “Bear” Lincoln, a Wailocki and Concow Indian, accused of killing a police officer, went on the run for his life. Despite a $100,000 reward and a massive police manhunt, Bear Lincoln was able to evade the authorities for four months. On August 16, 1995, he turned himself in at the San Francisco office of noted civil rights attorney J. Tony Serra, who has taken the case pro bono. Residents of the Round Valley Reservation lived under a state of siege during this manhunt, as children and elders were threatened, warrantless searches were conducted, and illegal curfews were enacted. An activist group, Round Valley Indians for Justice, was formed, and attorney Dennis Cunningham is handling a class action lawsuit for civil rights violations against reservation residents. Sacramento attorney Carlos Alcala is handling a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the children of Leonard Peters.

This case is yet another incident in the continuing genocide in the United States against native people. It is being compared to the incident at Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota in 1975, for which Leonard Peltier, accused of killing two federal agents, is still in prison based on what his many worldwide supporters call a frame-up. Bear Lincoln’s upcoming trial is expected to expose a massive cover-up and widespread corruption in Mendocino County. The mainstream press, especially the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat and America’s Most Wanted, slanderously portrayed Bear Lincoln as a cold-blooded killer. The head of Mendocino County’s Sheriff’s Department, Sheriff James Tuso, an elected official, declared Bear Lincoln a “convicted felon” and “armed and dangerous” on national television. The Lincoln and Peters families, who are trying to keep traditional Indian values, feel that the Brittons, who are more assimilated to the white, Christian culture, receive more favorable treatment from the police.

Since the Lincolns are my neighbors and I heard the gun-shots on that fateful night, I interviewed Bear’s mother and aunt on the Round Valley Reservation, to get their side of the story. This is the second largest reservation in California, composed of members of seven different tribes: Yuki, Wailocki, Pomo, Little Lake, Pitt River, Concow, and Nomolacki, who were all forced onto one reservation, originally Yuki territory, in the mid-1800’s.

Would you introduce yourselves?

Lucille: I’m Lucille Lincoln, Bear’s mother.

Lavena: And I’m Lavena Lincoln, Bear’s aunty.

Can you tell me what happened on the night of April 14, 1995?

Lucille: We were going home, up to Little Valley. We just drove back into town, and we saw all kinds of cop cars down at the high school. So we drove on home, I went to bed, and the kids were up cooking hamburgers. Then they came in and yelled, “There’s somebody shooting up on the ridge.” So we got in the truck, me and some of my kids and grandkids, and drove away. We saw a body laying in the road, and I said, “Look, there’s Acorn!” And I rolled down my window. Then these cops in the bushes start hollering, “Turn your fucking lights off!” Then they told me to get out of the truck and put my fucking hands up, every other word they used was dirty words. They handcuffed us, and told us to get in the police car. This one cop told me to run, and I said, “I can’t run, I’m crippled!” He grabbed me by the back of my coat and dragged me, and said, “Fuck the crippled, do the bunny hop then!” I fell flat on the ground, and said, “I can’t get up!” He said, “I’ll help you then!” And he stepped on my back and mashed me to the ground. Then this one cop said, “Let’s get the kids now!” And all the kids knelt down like they thought the cops were gonna shoot them.

Did the police search your house?

Lucille: Yes, they did. They did a lot of damage, smashing things up, throwing stuff around. They kept us away from the house for four or five days, they wouldn’t let me get my clothes, or Carlos (my son) get his insulin. They wouldn’t let me get back to my truck, either. Oh, I forgot to tell about my granddaughter, Belle (two years old). She asked the cops, “Are you going to shoot me?” I guess because she saw Acorn laying there dead. And today she’s still scared to death of cops.

Lavena: At the first Round Valley Indians for Justice meeting, the police wanted to talk to the group. We couldn’t let them stay, because all the children started crying, they were so afraid. They seen all of what the cops did. And it was so unnecessary.

Lucille: And also, when we went to stay on Tabor Lane with my sister-in-law, she couldn’t believe it when we walked in. She saw all the police cars go by. Then she heard all the shooting, and she said, “I thought they (the police) killed all you guys!” And she hugged and kissed each one of us, which she never does. She’s not, you know, that kind of person.

Why did the police shoot Leonard “Acorn” Peters?

Lucille: They said they thought he was Arylis, his brother.

Did they look alike? Were they similar in height and weight?

Lucille: No. Arylis was much heavier.

Lavena: They were both Indians, that’s all. The police were just gung-ho. They wanted to shoot somebody.

The police say Bear shot Deputy Davis? Who do you think shot him?

Lavena: Maybe this Deputy Miller, when he shot at Acorn, killed Davis by mistake. Or maybe he wanted to kill him, and found his time to do it. Davis was crazy, some say. He was known to carry an M-16 around and to drive around at night with his lights off.

The first shoot-out that night was between Arylis Peters and Gene Britton. The press has reported that there is a long running feud with the Lincoln and Peters families on one side, versus the Brittons. Is this true?

Lavena: No, that makes me angry. I think the press and the government want to keep us Indians down, keep us fighting. Only a few people were involved in that fighting between the families. Bear and Acorn weren’t involved at all. Bear belonged to the California Native Circle, and the Garden Society. He was involved with his horses, wanted to get the kids around here involved with horse-back riding. Acorn was busy raising his children. That makes me angry when I read about some feud. I know it bothers the Brittons, too. But we say, all that killing need not have happened. Sure, Arylis and Gene got in a shoot-out, and Arly beat him to the draw. But he would have surrendered, had they (police) handled it different. But they came on the reservation wanting to shoot, and here they killed Acorn, for no reason. Now his children have no father.

I heard people say there was a “Shoot to kill” order for Bear on the police radios? Was that true?

Lucille: Oh, a lot of people around here have scanners, they heard it.

Lavena: The police wanted to assassinate Bear.

Lucille: The cops wanted to kill him. I think because he was a witness, he saw them shoot Acorn.

It seems that anyone walking down that road that night, would have been shot by the police, would have been killed.

Lucille: Oh, yes. I think so. The neighbors close by, they said they never heard any warnings, like when they holler on that thing and say, “This is the police!” Or warning shots. Just a burst of automatic weapon fire.

Lavena: The police, they were just destructive. They just wanted to show what they could do. Like the Gestapo. That’s pretty close to it. And now, now we can understand what the people went through at Pine Ridge, at Wounded Knee. How these things happened back there. All that they must have gone through.

note: Approximately 10 pm on the evening of October 13, several weeks after this interview, Elvin “Pink” Peters, older brother of Leonard “Acorn” Peters was wounded in a drive-by shooting on the Round Valley Reservation. He suffered three gun-shot wounds to his legs. He is in stable condition. No arrests have been made.

Letter from Bear Lincoln

October 28, 1995

Hello Sara and Rob,

I’m doing fine, my spirits are still up. I’m happy with the way my case is going. I want to thank you both for all the time and effort you’re putting into the documentary and all the help you’ve been with my family and friends.

Well, you both might know by now that I’m starting a five day fast Nov. 4 through Nov. 8. Then I’ll eat on Nov. 9. I will be drinking liquids. So anyone that wants to join in can, it’s not mandatory to do all five days. Anyone can do one day or all five or whatever they can, it’s all volunteer.

The fast is for a good result in my bail hearing, and for solidarity among my friends and supporters. And for safety and well being. I know we all will benefit spiritually and physically, and we will become stronger through prayer.

I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve already done one fast in early October. I’m thinking of doing a fast once a month.

This battle I’m in is definitely a spiritual one, and the law enforcement community cannot stand against such spiritual power. They are so corrupt it makes me feel good to see them fall apart and be exposed.

I know my first fast was very effective, even if I can’t see the result right away. I know there are good things taking place that I’ll know about later. I’ve always believed that there was a lot of power in fasting and prayer. There are a few brothers in here that will be joining me in this fast, and we will be praying for their cases, too.

I was happy to know that Acorn’s kids had a good time in Berkeley. I often think about their welfare.

Well, Sara and Rob, I’m going to close for now. You’re both in my prayers.

Your friend,

Bear Lincoln

Donations for legal costs may be sent to:
Bear Lincoln Defense Fund
c/o J. Tony Serra
Pier 5
The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94111

The Last Acorn

For my dad, Leonard “Acorn” Peters
We will miss the smile
upon your face
when you left us
without a trace.

I cannot wait
‘til we meet again
because I’ll miss you forever
and evermore.

Bye,
your son,
Roger Peters (age 14)

Yuki Legend

One day a white man came into the valley riding a horse. The Indians were amazed at seeing their first white man and horse, and, being naturally friendly people, gathered round to see what had happened in their midst. They were not long in learning that this strange creature had the power of the Devil, for he pointed a stick at them and a big noise and smoke came out of it and an Indian died with a hole in his chest.

--Yuki Indian legend, from Genocide and Vendetta, The Round Valley Wars of Northern California, by Lynwood Carranco and Estle Beard, University of Oklahoma Press, 1981.