Ireland's OWN: History

 
8 November 2003
Leonard Peltier — The Man... The Myth...The Martyr

For those of you fighting for the freedom of Leonard Peltier, I can sympathize with the frustration and disappointment felt when, once again, Peltier was denied parole. The injustice is incomprehensible to those of us who wish to reside in a world where truth matters and responsibility is placed where it need be.

For those of you unknown to Leonard Peltier and his horrid plight, I hope you will read this column and join our cause.


Who is Leonard Peltier?

To many within the Native community he is a heroic martyr imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. To Amnesty International, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela, he is a political prisoner. To many in and outside of the Native community, he is a brilliant writer, painter, and Indigenous rights activist. And yet to the United States government, he is a cold-blooded killer of two FBI agents. Which is true?


Leonard Peltier, a citizen of the Anishinabe (Chippewa) and Lakota Nations, was born September 12, 1944 in North Dakota at the Turtle Mountain Reservation. He spent much of his childhood moving from copper mine to logging camps with his impoverished family, until his parents separated and he was placed in the US-operated Wahpeton Indian School - a place of strict discipline and policies of cultural assimilation. He left the school, living with his father at Turtle Mountain Reservation where the government implemented termination policies, forcing Native families off their reservations and into various cities and towns. The people protested, the government continued, and Peltier learned of activism and resistance.

By 1970 he was a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), traveling with Dennis Banks and participating in events such as the BIA takeover, the invasion of Fort Lawton, and the Trail of Broken Treaties (1972). In 1975 he was living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, assisting the Oglala Lakota people with community activities, religious ceremonies, and organizing security. Tensions were running high that summer due to intensive FBI surveillance, repeated arrests, more than 300 acts of harassment and the deaths of over 64 Native people -- most of which were AIM members. Residents endured drive by shootings, deplorable living conditions, poverty, conflicts with a non-traditional tribal government, and the highest murder rate in the United States.

On June 26 two FBI agents -- Jack Coler and Ronald Williams - entered Jumping Bull Ranch -- private property -- to arrest a young Native American man on what is said to be trumped up charges. At that time, many AIM and non-AIM supporters were camping on the property to offer support and protection to tribal elders. An exchange of gunfire between two vehicles caused Native people to scream they were under attack, igniting a gunfight between themselves and the FBI agents. When it was over, the two agents and one Native person were dead. More than thirty Native American children, women and men were surrounded by over 150 agents, police and SWAT team members.

Leonard Peltier was admittedly one of the Lakota engaged in the shooting exchange. He fled to Canada, was one of the 10 Most Wanted in America, and eventually arrested in early 1976. He was the only person convicted of killing the two FBI agents during a controversial trial held in Fargo, North Dakota. Sentenced to two consecutive life terms in a high security penitentiary, he is currently imprisoned at Leavenworth, Kansas.

What makes this convicted killer so controversial are the defenses claims of judicial misconduct - including the admitted falsification and withholding of evidence, the absence of witnesses, the coercion of witnesses, and the complete absence of -- and the manufacturing of -- forensic evidence.

Also held from the trial is the FBI's role in creating tension within the Native community via constant surveillance, harassment, intimidation, abuse, violence and death of over 60 Native American AIM members.

In 1991, Judge Heaney of the Court of Appeals of the Eighth Circuit, in a letter to Senator Inouye, said, "The United States government overreacted at Wounded Knee. Instead of carefully considering the legitimate grievances of the Native Americans, the response was essentially a military one which culminated in the deadly firefight on June 26, 1975 .... The United States government must share responsibility with the Native Americans for the ... firefight ...the government's role can properly be considered a mitigating circumstance. Judge Heaney, in this letter, (attached hereto), recommended clemency/commutation of sentence for Mr. Peltier as part of the healing process."

The only apparent evidence against Peltier is that he was among over thirty people who were at the Jumping Bull Ranch at the time of the killings and a shell casing found in the trunk of an agent's car. (It was later proven that the casing did not match a murder weapon.)

Prisoner of an unjust 500-year old war

Leonard Peltier continues to remain a prominent figure in Native culture and community. He persists with his activism work while serving two consecutive life sentences. His living conditions are harsh and he suffers with many health problems, but this beloved grandfather continues to help his people by assisting in annual Pine Ridge Christmas, donating to battered women' s shelters, and establishing scholarships and programs for Native youth. He is an accomplished artist, poet, and author. His biography "Prison Writings: My life is a Sun Dance" (St. Martin's Press, NY, 1999) remains a literary favorite.

"I have been reading in Leonard Peltier's book, and about an hour ago I spoke with him .... He is a remarkable person and the depth of his spirituality shows .... I would hope that the campaign to have him freed will succeed. I certainly support it very passionately .... Because it is a blot on the judicial system of this country that ought to be corrected as quickly as possible." -- , April 18, 1999

"Amnesty International considers Leonard Peltier to be a political prisoner whose avenues of redress have long been exhausted.... Amnesty International recognizes that a retrial is no longer a feasible option and believes that Leonard Peltier should be immediately and unconditionally released." -- Amnesty International, April 6, 1999

For more information on this case and to find out what you can do to join the cause, visit:

LEONARD PELTIER DEFENSE COMMITTEE PO Box 583 Lawrence, KS 66044 USA Tel 785-842-5774 / Fax 785-842-5796 http://www.freepeltier.org/

You can write to Leonard Peltier at: Leonard Peltier #89637-132 PO Box 1000 Leavenworth KS 66048


Stand with us and join the cause to release this innocent man from incarceration. He need not be a scapegoat any longer!

Terri Jean is the author of the daily inspirational, 365 Days of Walking the Red Road (Adams Media Corp, to be released June 2003). She is the director of the Red Roots Educational Project. To learn more about Terri Jean or the Red Roots Educational Project visit http://www.terrijean.com You can reach her at terrijean@bright.net

(Please note: Your letters, comments, suggestions, and questions are always welcomed and appreciated. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of emails I receive and my heavy work load, I am not always able to respond in a timely manner. Please be patient and I will respond as soon as I possibly can. )

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