Peg Millett is considered a heroine for her unwavering commitment to act against the destruction of the earth's dwindling diversity of plants and animals. In May 1989, she was arrested by the FBI with Dave Foreman, Mark Davis, Ilse Asplund, and Marc Baker in a widely publicized Earth First! sting operation. The 'Arizona 5' were accused of conspiracy to sabotage nuclear power plans, an allegation that was never substantiated.
In 1991, the well publicized two month trial was interrupted mid-stream with the announcement of a plea bargain. The charge of sabotage was dropped by Federal prosecutors, as well as charges of vandalism against Canyon Uranium Mine, near the Grand Canyon, and the Central Arizona Project. However, Millett was convicted of "aiding and abetting in the malicious destruction" of ski lift pylons on the San Francisco Peaks, in Northern Arizona, a deed she undertook to protest the desecration of native American sacred lands. She was sentenced to three years in prison. She served without parole and was released in August 1993.
Millett's history of environmental activism, little of it unlawful, began while majoring in natural history and liberal arts at Prescott College in Arizona. Although she did not join any organizations, she became educated about wildlife and forestry issues.
In 1985, two years after receiving her B.A. from Prescott College, she attended the Round River Rendezvous sponsored by Earth First! and became an active member. A majority of her work for the group was arousing public awareness of environmental issues through media outlets.
Today, Peg Millett is busy singing her activism. She gives concerts and lectures on social and environmental issues for colleges and universities, as well as nonprofit organization such as the International Native Forest Network, Nuclear Resistor, Earth First! and California Sage. She sings to sustain the soul, to hold out hope, to name sadness, to inspire, to call to arms, to worship the forest and to grieve. The songs are about the forest, the beauty of wild things, the loss of the West, how a bird sounds, the feeling of the cool of the day and about the ugliness that corrupts people's souls.
Many of these songs accompanied Millett during her activist activities: "When I was able to do demonstrations, singing would help keep people awake when we protested for sixteen to twenty-four hour stretches at logging or uranium mine sites. Singing helped lighten the load and helped keep hearts strong. When people are singing together, it's really powerful."
In January 1995, Millett released her second recording on CD and cassette, Clear Horizon, on her Hidden Waters Music label. Her first recording, Gentle Warrior, released only on cassette has sold more than 1500 copies.
Here are more things people have said about Peg and her music.
You can buy Peg's CD Clear Horizon or cassette tapes Clear Horizon and Gentle Warrior directly from her at Hidden Waters Music, PO Box 2544, Prescott, AZ 86302. (520) 776 5953. The CD is $17 and tapes are $12 postage paid.
This interview with Peg was published in Earth First! Journal. Here's the second part.Here's an article about Peg from The Lumberjack at Humboldt State University, Arcata, California.
For more information about the FBI's sting operation against Earth First! see the fourth article in this issue of Computer Underground Digest.
And here's the home page of the Earth First! Journal.
