Or was it a mistake? The opinion of all sources outside of the Federal Government indicate that this case smells of a dirty, foul cover-up by the authorities of the United States. Remember that this was the late 60's and early 70's; a time of tremendous turmoil and great distress for this country. Various "social reform" movements were arising that challenged the values, attitudes, norms, and conscience of mainstream America. The government turned to the F.B.I., a pillar of middle America's values, to look into and disrupt the activities of these so called "radical" groups.
One of these groups was the American Indian Movement or AIM for short. Leonard Peltier was a member of AIM as an activist and as a ceremonial pipe carrier. He was at that time a young native man with strong beliefs in following the traditional ways handed down to him from his forefathers. One of these beliefs, a belief that he was as one with his natural environment, led him and his fellow AIM members into a direct confrontation with an old nemesis, the United States government.
On the Pine Ridge Reservation the U.S. government was illegally leasing uranium mining rights to private corporations in direct violation of Federal law. To cover this up, the government installed a puppet tribal council that granted approval to these illegal leases. In addition, this puppet governing body organized a goon squad to suppress any opposition to these illegal actions. In response to the above actions, traditional Lakota elders, called on AIM for help in mid-1975. Leonard Peltier and several of his AIM brethren responded to this plea and set up a peaceful camp at Pine Ridge.
Despite the fact that this camp was non-violent, the U.S. government considered AIM a threat to their control of the illegal activities going on at Pine Ridge. The F.B.I. was dispatched to the scene at the "request" of the puppet council to expel AIM from the reservation. It is amazing how fast the F.B.I. took action at this request. For over two years prior to AIM's arrival at Pine Ridge a string of shootings and firebombings resulted in many people being wounded and in the deaths of over 66 traditional members of the Lakota tribe. In the face of all this violence, the F.B.I. had taken no action nor even raised a finger to investigate these murders.
However, on June 25, 1975 the Pine Ridge Reservation was turned over to the authority of the F.B.I. This action was approved in a secret meeting of the Justice Department in Washington D.C. After this approval, federal agents moved into the area where AIM had set up it's camp. The following day, June 26, two unmarked vehicles of the F.B.I. raced into the AIM encampment in a manner used by the goon squads to carry out drive by shootings at Pine Ridge. AIM members responded by defending themselves from what they interpreted as a hostile action taken by unknown parties upon their persons. In other words, they believed that they were acting in self-defense. This act of self-defense resulted in a firefight, in which one member of AIM and two F.B.I. agents were killed.
It is for this act of self-defense that, to this day, over 20 years latter, Leonard Peltier remains unlawfully imprisoned. To avenge the deaths of two of their agents and as a means of carrying out the break-up of AIM at Pine Ridge Reservation, the F.B.I. had to have a scapegoat; "two Federal agents had been killed and someone has to pay for it". Unfortunately, this turned out to be Lenord Peltier. Knowing that the authorities would be looking for him and his friends, Peltier fled the country to Canada. In a massive campaign involving personal slander, break-ins, burglaries, illegal wiretaps, and falsified evidence the F.B.I. built a case against Mr. Peltier. With all these false affidavits Leonard Peltier was extradited from Canada to face trial. This trial was held in a small racist town with a known racist judge presiding over his trial. The end result was that Mr. Peltier was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life terms for murder.
Over the years, Mr. Peltier's lawyers have disproved the governments case, yet his appeals have continuously been turned down. While campaigning for election in 1992 future President Bill Clinton promised "to look into" the Lenord Peltier case, "hinting" that if he were elected a pardon might be in the works. Presidential clemency seems to be Mr. Peltier's only viable option to gain freedom at this point in time.
However, this seems to have been only another broken promise by an official of the U.S.. government to the Native People of this country. The U.S. government has a long history of breaking promises made with the indigenous peoples of this country. For a country that proclaims the moral principals of justice, freedom, liberty, and human rights to the rest of the world, the central issue of this case shows that these rights as promised are afforded only to white mainstream America.
On February 6, 1996 demonstrations were held in front of F.B.I. offices and U.S. Embassies to protests Mr. Peltire's continued imprisonment. A "20 years of injustice" action was held here in Ukiah. This affair was entitled a "Spiritual Awareness Through Community Education". Its focus was on a comprehensive profile of the social indignities and legal injustices concerning the aboriginal natives of the U.S. This gathering was sponsored by THE VILLAGE OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES OF THE AMERICAS and THE UKIAH SUN HOUSE. The event was run in conjunction with the Leonard Peltier Support Network and co-sponsored by Round Valley Indians For Justice, Human Rights Monitoring Project, and The Mayan Prayer Group. Special logistical assistance was provided by The Mendocino Environmental Center.
This event featured a wide range of guest speakers. Community Organizer Margene McGee was the master of ceremonies for this event. Judi Bari led off the speakers with a rousing account of the events that took place the day of the shoot-out at Pine Ridge Reservation. She went on to further explain how the F.B.I. conducts it's investigations and the dirty tactics that they employ to find "evidence" on an individual. She also reviewed the case of Geronimo Pratt an activist for the Black Panther Movement. Mr. Pratt was framed for a murder by the F.B.I. in a manner similar to how Leonard Peltier was convicted. All the information Ms. Bari provided had a personal reference to what she has gone through surrounding the suspicious nature of her own case. The next speaker was Coralee Simmons of the Round Valley Indians For Justice. Ms. Simmons told the account of the Eugene "Bear" Lincoln incident. Mr. Lincoln is accused of murder in a case that is strikingly similar to the Peltier frameup. She also related how Leonard "Acorn" Peters died at the hands of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department. Following Ms. Simmons was Carmen Christy, who outlined the activities of AIM and other movements that were taking place in the early 1970's. She noted that the F.B.I. (and the Bureau of Indian Affairs) are responding to the incident in Round Valley just like they dealt with similar incidents of the 70's. She ended her talk with a personal account of how the authorities can abuse their power without having to account for themselves. The Human Rights Monitoring Project gave a speech about what they have done to address this issue of accountability. They are monitoring and reporting on how governing bodies of this hemisphere are treating their citizens in regards to civil rights. The closing was given by Michael McGee. He also commented on how governments need to be held accountable towards the people they represent. The emphasis of his talk was of how easy it is for a government to turn from a "democracy" into a "police state". That it is up to us to act as individuals and in groups to ensure that what happened to Leonard Peltier does not happen to the rest of us.
In December of 1995 Lenord Peltier's parole hearing officer had given a positive recommendation that Mr. Peltier be granted his parole. However, on March 21, 1996 the Federal Parole Commissioner in Washington D.C. denied Leonard Peltier's parole once again. The stated reasoning behind this judgement is that "Leonard Peltier shows no remorse for his crime ". The government wants him to admit to the F.B.I.'s version of the case before they turn him free. The Commissioner in his ruling also recommended that Mr. Peltier be denied another parole hearing until the year 2008. However, his case must by law come up for review every two years. In these reviews the lawyers for Leonard Peltier must come up with new evidence to prove that he is "worthy" of parole. This is a clever ploy by the government to keep Mr. Peltier imprisoned since his lawyers have disproved every aspect of the case against him. In a related piece of news the parole officer who originally recommended parole be granted was fired from his position; a statement of just how far the authorities are willing to go to keep Leonard Peltier falsely imprisoned.
In response to this decision, the Northwest Leonard Peltier Support Network is organizing an INTERNATIONAL MARCH ON THE BORDER FOR JUSTICE FOR LEONARD PELTIER AND THE FIRST NATIONS. This is scheduled for June 8, 1996 at 12:00 noon in Blaine, WA, with a rally at 1:00 P.M. at the Peace Arch on the U.S./Canadian Border. The focus of this rally is to highlight the facts that "Civil Rights" do not apply to Leonard Peltier or others in similar positions. That the moral values this nation proclaims have been denied to the indigenous people of this country. That this government has continually violated these moral principals to fulfill a wanton desire of greed. This rally is being held to show that the U.S. government is not seeking the truth, but instead it is trying to suppress the truth. The only real truth of this matter is that the government (and corporate America) wanted the Lakotas to give up their claims to the Black Hills, and to turn over a section of Pine Ridge Reservation that contained uranium.
This rally is a chance to let the world know how the United States government really operates; how greed at any cost is of the main importance, that the rights of the people come second when there is money to be made. However, this dreadful course of events can and must be changed. That we must take a stance to end the 500 years of social injustices endured by the indigenous people of the Americas. This change can take place only through a united voice of the people demanding that the inalienable rights of the constitution be extended to all.
This is an opportunity to show unity for this purpose. To show the government of the U.S., that the power does not lie within their hallowed halls, but that the power lies with the people of this nation. That we the people are making a statement of solidarity. A statement to show that we are the conscience of this country; since our government has shown that it has none.
Above all we must not let Leonard Peltier and what he stands for be forgotten. That he followed a personal moral law, an ancient code of his traditional elders, that placed living in harmony with the Mother Earth and nature above all else. For believing in these values and in fighting for the truth he remains imprisoned; let us not forget this and let it not come to pass from our conscience.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1997
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited