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Could Peltier Be Freed in December?
To this day, when I think of a good place, I think of that muddy creek meandering through cottonwoods and scrub grass.
In the summers, when the blistering sun dried to a crisp brown the grass on the slope leading to the creek, my cousins and I would race each other down to the creek. There, we'd take off our shoes and jump into the brown water. We'd swim for a while and then get bored and throw mud at each other.
We never knew the history of that place on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Not really. We knew shots had been fired there once. That two men, white men, government men, had died in the shootout. We could see the bullet holes in the white stucco of a house left standing on the land.
It wasn't until many years later, as a college student, that I learned the bloody history of the Jumping Bull ranch, the haven of my childhood.
I had heard Leonard Peltier's name as a child. He was a warrior. A man who had sacrificed himself for the people. Who sat in a jail cell for a crime he did not commit.
In college, I learned others knew his name as well. Archbishop Desmond Tutu knew him and believed he should be freed. Amnesty International called him a political prisoner.
To John Trudell, the explanation for Peltier's imprisonment is simple.
"The government could never allow the truth to come out," the former American Indian Movement chairman said recently in an interview. "Peltier's imprisonment ... is about the government using the conviction of Peltier as a cover-up."
Trudell believes the FBI inserted an operative into AIM's ranks and that the operative was responsible for starting the June 26, 1975, shootout on the Jumping Bull ranch near Oglala, S.D., that led to the deaths of two FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ron Williams, and AIM member Joe Stuntz.
The FBI deliberately attacked the AIM camp at the ranch, expecting reinforcements from a nearbly BIA swat team, Trudell said.
"But the BIA swat team didn't come," he said. "So the plan went wrong. That's why I think they lean this heavy on Leonard because they don't ever want to explain what happened there."
Of course, others take a different view of that tragic day's events.
The FBI has long maintained Coler and Williams were chasing a dangerous robber named Jimmy Eagle onto the ranch when they came under fire from Peltier and other AIM members. The department believes its two agents were killed execution-style by an assault rifle-wielding Peltier.
What's certain is this — three men died at the Jumping Bull ranch that day.
And a fourth, a 63-year-old Anishinabe-Lakota man has spent the past 32 years and 86 days behind bars.
But in just a few months, Peltier will get a rare opportunity for freedom.
For the first time in 15 years, Peltier will get a full hearing before the U.S. Parole Commission in December. However, Friends of Peltier believes his hearing is more likely to occur in early 2009 because of the commission's schedule for parole reviews that it plans to hold at the United States Pentitentiary in Lewisburg, Penn., where Peltier is currently imprisoned.
The hearing will lead to a full reassessment of Peltier's case, according to Friends of Peltier.
Of course, other avenues of release exist for Peltier, including a possible presidential pardon by exiting President George W. Bush at the end of the year.
What does Trudell think of the chances of Bush freeing Peltier?
"Every step of the way, they broke their own laws so I don't see them letting him out as an act of goodness because they've shown no acts of goodness the whole time through."
Regardless of whether Peltier is freed, there's one thing I know for certain: My memories of the place where his road to imprisonment began will never be the same.
I can never return to that meandering creek where I spent sweltering summers playing in the muddy water, blissfully ignorant of history, without thinking of the four men who lost their lives and freedom that terrible day.
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Comments?
Educated Apache
Mainstream society is very funny. I studied Justice and graduated with the degree. Studied AIM, Leonard Peltier, Malcom X, MLK, all the activist of history. I always felt that Peltier was a scapegoat, set up by the government. I wish he could get out, and I know he would teach our youth about our traditional ways, but I don't think anyone can ever tell the American society their wrong. I have met many in mainstream culture that go around the TRUTH, its our fault being here in this country, "oh, weren't you Indians already killing each other", "We should get rid of reservations" "Lets protect the good ole' boy", "throw the keys away and lock 'em up", but you know what they think they have thrown the key away from us, but our Indian brothers are relearning their culture and history in prison, its not good, but who will teach them out here. I have yet to meet a an Indian who will tell me the truth about our history. I think we need to be grateful to Peltier for the sacrifices that he's made, thanks to Trudell, you are an inspiration, thanks to all the True Indian educators that teach without so much money in their pockets, these are the true Indian people, that teach from the heart. Not too many of our peole know about the real Indian heroes, the Geronimo, Cochise, Victorio, Manuelito, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse or present day. I think mainstream society is scared to hear the Truth, and someday they will have to listen to our history told to them by our people, and what will they do then?
Pardon a pipe dream.
Leonard will never be released, whether he was the trigger man or not, he has the unfortunate luck of being made the scapegoat by the Am. govt. and the FBI, which in particular seems to have a vendetta against Lakota stemming from this incident.
One example of this is a childhood friend of mine who in the late 1980's got into an argument with a unknown caucasian man in a bar in SD. Tempers escalated into a physical confrontation and my friend "tuned the guy up." Shortly thereafter my friend was arrested and charged with and convicted of assaulting a federal law enforcement agent (i.e FBI). At no time during the confrontation in the bar did the man identify himself as a federal agent or according to witnesses attempt to de-escalate the situation. Subsequently my friend was sent to the minimum security facility in Yankton, SD, but then without warning or explanation he was transferred to the federal penitentiary in McAlester, OK. This was only discover then my friends brother went to visit him and was told that he had been transferred.
On an even more personal level I remember visiting family over by Red Shirt on Pine Ridge as a young child (circa 1978), when someone saw cars approaching the scatter site, they immediately turned off the lights and made us hide and stay away from the windows for fear that whom ever it was might harm us. Only at the last moment did police lights come on, and we heard voice and they even banged on the door asking if anyone ws home. We stayed hidden until they left afew hours later. I never found out whether it was federal or tribal law enforcement that came to my relative's home, just that whomever it was could and might of harmed us.
As to the person asking Kevin about petitions, I also remember that Peltier supporters were asking then-Pres. Clinton in Dec. 2000 for a pardon and that about 500 members of the FBI marched on the White House demanding that he not do so. Further that then Senate Dem. Leader Tom Daschle also wrote a letter asking the Pres. not to pardon Peltier.
So if the supposed liberals Democrats wouldn't do it in 2000 I don't think the current administration will either. Peltier will probably die in prison as an example of what the Govt. will do to Lakota & other people of Native Nations if they get too uppity.
Warrior please
Well I can tell it almost summer. The same tired talk about Peliter, opening up old wounds. Peliter is where he belongs, in jail.
You report, "That two men, white men, government men, had died in the shootout". Those two men have names. Jack R. Coler and Ronald A. Williams. They were FBI Agents, with families. As you make the point of Peliter, being held in jail. You can at least mention Coler and Williams.
You and I will not see eye to eye on Peliter. Peliter murdered Coler and Williams. Your quote: "He was a warrior. A man who had sacrificed himself for the people". Your mention of the words "WARRIOR" and Peliter in the same sentence is a joke. Your comments makes a mockery of REAL WARRIORS in Indian communities. Peliter is a THUG and a common criminal. He is now an old man who has NEVER taken responsibility for his actions. You can lay the blame on this and that, but until Peliter takes reponsibility for his actions ... he should remain in Prison.
I am shocked you hold up this common criminal to young people as a role model (Warrior) ... I think you have a twisted view of what it is to be a Warrior.
Oh and by the way, I am a American Indian, born and breed ... but of course I am NOT Lakota, so I guess I am NOT a real Indian ....
Could Peltier Be Freed In December
You were there to see Leonard Peltier pull the trigger RIGHT? It's obvious that you don't know the facts, because(if i'm not mistaken) the FBI stated in court, under oath, they don't truly know who shot these 2 fbi trespassers on SOVEREIGN LAKOTA LAND.
I read the paper, watch the news were trespassers get shot on other people's lands almost daily. but if it's a FASCIST GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE then the laws change. HUM???
Submitted by Anonymous: I would tell you what i think of you posting this biggerish anonymously, but i don't think the great HUMAN BEINGS who run this site would let it stay up for the masses to see, so i'll leave you with 5 letters for you to figure out. F.U.P.O.S.
Could Peltier Be Freed In December
I didn't post this anonymously.I don't know why it's shows anonymous, because i logged in? today has been very strange.
MJFitch
leanord peltier's release
kevin,
is there a possibilty of getting petitions signed for his release throughout indian country? or contacts made with all the tribal leaders to write letters of support and forward them to dennis banks so he and the others who are walking could include these letters with the manifest they intend to take to dc. also, what about writing letters to the state govenors and the us congressmen and senators? i would like to see leanard released.
#
Seeking Peltier's release
Anonymous,
First, here is a link to the Friends of Peltier page describing how you can help (that information is at the bottom of the page and include hot links you can click on):
http://www.freepeltiernow.org/LEGAL/PAROLE.htm
From that page, here is a link to an online petition for Peltier's release:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/parole2008/
Also on that page, there is a form letter you can sign and send to the U.S. Parole Commission, which is the agency that will decide in December or in January whether to free Peltier.
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