Chief Leschi's name restored 
Washington: After two trials filled with dubious testimony, withholding evidence, and ignoring the law, Nisqually Chief Leschi was hanged for the murder of militiaman A.B. Moses on Feb. 19, 1858, in Steilacoom, Wash. Over time, the Nisqually people's attempts to clear Leschi's name failed. Then, in 2001, the last living male descendant of Leschi, 69-year-old Sherman Leschi, met his relative Cynthia Iyall. ''Sherman and I were sitting quietly in his living room..." said Iyall. "We'd been discussing Leschi's history and the wrongfulness of it all. He turned to me and he said simply, 'I have a project for you. It should have been done a long time ago.' He was talking about exonerating Leschi. People talked about pardoning Leschi but he felt a pardon suggested Leschi was guilty and he wanted none of that.'' In 2004. a new court convened with Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court Gerry Alexander presiding. There were nine witnesses for the defense and one hostile witness for the prosecution. The judges unanimously voted to clear the name of Chief Leschi and offered apologies to him, his family, his tribe and their children, other tribal peoples, and to the state of Washington. Now the healing has begun. "Stories have been passed from generation to generation of Leschi's bravery and leadership. The truth as presented today will finally clear the record and allow our leader and his people to rest,'' said Nisqually tribal Chairman Dorian Sanchez.
Speech Radio News--Chief Leschi Exonerated!: http://switchboard.real.com/player/email.html?PV=6.0.12&&title=20041222&link=http://www.fsrn.org/news/audio/20041222.ram
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096410104
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