fbpx
facebook app symbol  twitter  linkedin  instagram 1
 

On Friday, October 8, 11 members of Congress sent a letter to President Biden, United States Attorney General Merrick Garland, Director of Federal Bureau of Prisons Michael Carvajal, and Southeast Regional Director of Federal Bureau of Prisons J.A. Keller requesting the expedited release of and clemency for Leonard Peltier. 

Leonard Peltier, a tribal citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, was arrested and convicted for the murders of two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences and has served more than 43 years in federal prison. He suffers from diabetes and an abdominal aortic aneurysm. He is 77 years old today. 

“Biden has an obligation to release Peltier based on the treatment of our people,” said International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee Board Member Jean Roach to Native News Online. “If we want to make reconciliations with Native people, release Peltier. There is no justice for Native people if there’s no justice for Peltier.” 

Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.

Fearing oppressive government retaliation, Peltier fled to Canada. While in Canada, two others, Dino Butler and Bob Robideau, were charged with the murders of the FBI agents and tried separately. Their case was eventually dismissed due to lack of evidence. Peltier was eventually apprehended and extradited from Canada based on an affidavit that cited Peltier admitted he shot and killed the two FBI agents. The witness who made the statement to secure Peltier’s extradition later admitted she was coerced by the FBI. 

Peltier’s trial was also riddled with evidentiary concerns. The witness who gave the statement to the FBI citing Peltier admitted to her he shot and killed the agents and later admitted she was coerced and was not permitted to be called as a defense witness. The defense later discovered that the government withheld evidence, including ballistics evidence, and argued that if made aware of the additional evidence the outcome may have been different. 

Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark maintianed Peltier was not given a fair trial by the U.S. government.

“I think I can explain beyond serious doubt that Leonard Peltier has committed no crime whatsoever. But if he had been guilty of firing a gun that killed an FBI Agent, it was in defense of not just his people but the integrity of humanity from domination and exploitation,” U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark said.

Friday’s letter was signed by Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL), Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), and Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM).

“Given the combination of this overwhelming support, the constitutional issues underlying Mr. Peltier’s prosecution, and his status as an elderly inmate with severe underlying health conditions, we believe it is highly appropriate that BOP prioritizes the expedited release of Mr. Peltier. We therefore request that Mr. Leonard Peltier receive an expedited release and be granted clemency.”

Individuals and groups who have also called for Mr. Peltier’s release include Amnesty International, the National Congress of American Indians, the late Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Mikhail Gorbachev, Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Parliament, the Belgian Parliament, the Italian Parliament, the Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rigoberta Menchú, and seven other Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Former U.S. Attorney James H. Reynolds, who oversaw Mr. Peltier’s original conviction, has written to President Biden requesting clemency for Mr. Peltier. Last year, Chair Grijalva co-led a similar clemency request letter with then-Representative Deb Haaland, now Secretary of the Interior.

He’s the longest serving political prisoner in the United States.

“He has serious medical conditions,” said Roach. “He’s been in there long enough and it’s time for him to come home.”

“As a survivor of the 1975 Oglala firefight and member of the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee, I urge everyone, every tribe, to pass resolutions supporting his freedom,” said Roach.
Read the letter in full here.

More Stories Like This

Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. Briefs
US Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
11th Annual Native American Youth in Agriculture Leadership Summit
Chickasaw Man Named Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations

Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions

At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.

The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.

Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.

This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.

We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.

Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.

Levi headshotThe stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.

Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.

Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher

 
 
About The Author
Author: Darren ThompsonEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Darren Thompson (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe) is a staff reporter for Native News Online who is based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Thompson has reported on political unrest, tribal sovereignty, and Indigenous issues for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Indian Country Today, Native News Online, Powwows.com and Unicorn Riot. He has contributed to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Voice of America on various Indigenous issues in international conversation. He has a bachelor’s degree in Criminology & Law Studies from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.