John Boncore
John Boncore | |
---|---|
Native name | Dacajeweiah ("Splitting the Sky") |
Born |
January 7, 1952 Buffalo, NY |
Died |
March 12, 2013 61) Chase, BC | (aged
Nationality | American |
Other names | John Pasquale Boncore, John Boncore Hill, John B. Hill, John Hill |
Ethnicity | Mohawk, Cree, and Italian |
Occupation | Activist and actor |
Known for | Participation in the Attica Prison revolt, Gustafsen Lake Standoff, and attempted arrest of George W. Bush |
John Boncore (January 7, 1952 – March 12, 2013), also known as John Pasquale Boncore, Dacajeweiah ("Splitting the Sky"), John Boncore Hill, John B. Hill, and John Hill, was a political activist and actor who first garnered media attention for his role in the 1971 Attica Prison revolt in upstate New York.[1][2][3][4][5]
Personal life
Boncore was born in Buffalo, NY, to a Mohawk/Cree mother and an Italian-American father.[3][1] His father and eleven co-workers died in 1957 after entering a storage tank at U.S. Rubber without respirators.[1] Boncore's family fell into poverty thereafter and he and five siblings were later sent to foster care after being removed from their mother's care.[1] Boncore disliked foster care and ended up homeless. At the age of 19, he was sentenced to four years in Attica prison for robbing a store.[1]
In 1993, Boncore met Sandra Bruderer, a Cree woman whom he later married, at a First Nations/Native American sovereignty conference in Edmonton.[1] In 2001, the two self-published a co-written autobiography of Boncore entitled The Autobiography of Splitting the Sky: From Attica to Gustafsen Lake (ISBN 0-9689365-0-4).[1] Boncore also acted in roles in the TV series Men In Trees, Alice, I Think and Da Vinci's City Hall, and in the films The Last Rites of Ransom Pride (2010) and Deepwater (2005).[1]
Attica and political activities
Boncore was a leader in the Attica Prison revolt.[3][1] Although 43 people died during the five-day siege, including ten hostages taken by inmates, Boncore was the only person convicted of murder in the aftermath. Despite a legal defense mounted by famed attorney William Kunstler, Boncore was convicted in 1975 by a jury of the murder of prison guard William Quinn, whom he denied attacking as was claimed, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.[3][1] However, in 1976, Boncore was granted clemency by New York governor Hugh Carey.[1]
Boncore later joined the American Indian Movement and returned to the media spotlight during the 31-day Gustafsen Lake Standoff by First Nations land claims activists in British Columbia.[6] First Nations people and supporters had come to Gustafsen Lake to hold a Sun Dance on private property there, Boncore was the Sun Dance leader and when an eviction notice was served on the group he called for armed resistance.[6][7]
In 2009, Boncore was arrested while attempting to make a citizen's arrest of former US president George W. Bush in Calgary, Alberta.[3][1]
Death
On March 13, 2013, Boncore was found dead near his home on the Adams Lake Indian Reserve near Chase, BC.[2][1] Media reports indicate he is believed to have died on March 12, 2013, after falling on cement steps and possibly suffering a blow to the head.[2][1] The coroner's office dismissed foul play before a planned autopsy was conducted.[2] Boncore is survived by Sandra Bruderer, six children, and five grandchildren.[1]
External links
- Introduction to The Autobiography of Splitting the Sky by John Steinbach
- John Boncore at the Internet Movie Database
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Youds, Mike (March 20, 2013). "Native peace activist John Boncore found dead". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Foul play ruled out in death of Adams Lake man". Salmon Arm Observer. Black Press, Inc. March 21, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Associated Press (May 6, 2013). "John Boncore Dead: Attica Prison Rioter Dies In B.C.". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ↑ Hui, Stephen (March 22, 2013). "Indigenous warrior Splitting the Sky dies at 61". Straight.com. Vancouver Free Press. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ↑ Splitting the Sky. "About Me". The 'Splitting the Sky' Blog. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Shrubsole, Nicholas (October 2011). "The Sun Dance and the Gustafsen Lake Standoff: Healing Through Resistance and the Danger of Dismissing Religion". International Indigenous Policy Journal 2 (4).
- ↑ Matas, Robert (September 17, 2010). "Grappling with the complicated legacy of Gustafsen Lake". Globe and Mail. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
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