Leonard Peltier

Leonards Journey

This will be an on-going work on Leonard's life. I have started today by posting the parole decision.
Leonard Peltier spend 34 years so far in one or the other Federal Penitentiary, convicted of a crime he did not commit and even the now retired Director of the FBI is saying that they have no idea as of who killed those two Agent's.
Little by little I will write about Leonard and his Journey so far. Please, if you have something you like to add, feel free to use my guest book to do so.
Please brows the Book selection on the bottom of this page and check out what Amazon has. These books will explain in more depth the events leading up to this.
Anyone interested in Leonard, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and Wounded Knee II should have In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. The book,s Leonard wrote himself will go more into details about him and his life in Prison.

Parole Denied

Friday August 21st 2009

AP: Peltier denied parole
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Today at 2:13pm
American Indian activist denied parole
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley says imprisoned American Indian activist Leonard Peltier has once again been denied parole.
Wrigley says the next scheduled hearing for Peltier is 2024, when Peltier would be 79 years old.
Peltier is serving two life sentences for the execution-style deaths of FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams during a June 26, 1975, standoff on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
He was convicted in Fargo, N.D., in 1977. He has claimed the FBI framed him, which the agency denies, and unsuccessfully appealed his conviction numerous times.
Peltier had a full parole hearing for the first time in 15 years last month at the Lewisburg, Pa., federal prison where he is being held.
Defense attorney Eric Seitz declined comment on the U.S. Parole Commission decision Friday, saying the Justice Department had not informed him.

Attorney Seitz responds to denial of Peltier's parole

Friday, August 21, 2009

The Bush Administration holdovers on the U.S. Parole Commission today adopted the position of the FBI that anyone who may be implicated in the killings of its agents should never be paroled and should be left to die in prison.
Despite judicial determinations that the unrepentant FBI fabricated evidence and presented perjured testimony in Leonard Peltier's prosecution;
despite a jury's acquittal on grounds of self-defense of two co-defendants who were found to have engaged in the same conduct of which Mr. Peltier was convicted;
despite Mr. Peltier's exemplary record during his incarceration for more than 33 years and his clearly demonstrated eligibility for parole;
despite letters and petitions calling for his release submitted by millions of people in this country and around the world including one of the judges who ruled on his earlier appeals;
and despite his advanced age and deteriorating health, the Parole Commission today informed Mr. Peltier that his "release on parole would depreciate the seriousness of your offenses and would promote disrespect for the law," and set a reconsideration hearing in July 2024.

This is the extreme action of the same law enforcement community that brought us the indefinite imprisonment of suspected teenage terrorists, tortures, and killings in CIA prisons around the world and promoted widespread disrespect for the democratic concepts of justice upon which this country supposedly was founded.

These are the same institutions that have never treated indigenous peoples with dignity or respect or accepted any responsibility for centuries of intolerance and abuse.

At his parole hearing on July 28th Leonard Peltier expressed regret and accepted responsibility for his role in the incident in which the two FBI agents and one Native American activist died as the result of a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Mr. Peltier emphasized that the shootout occurred in circumstances where there literally was a war going on between corrupt tribal leaders, supported by the government, on the one hand, and Native American traditionalists and young activists on the other.

He again denied -- as he as always denied -- that he intended the deaths of anyone or that he fired the fatal shots that killed the two agents, and he reminded the hearing officer that one of his former co-defendants recently admitted to having fired the fatal shots, himself.

Accordingly, it is not true that Leonard Peltier participated in "the execution style murders of two FBI agents," as the Parole Commission asserts, and there never has been credible evidence of Mr. Peltier's responsibility for the fatal shots as the FBI continues to allege.

Moreover, given the corrupt practices of the FBI, itself, it is entirely untrue that Leonard Peltier's parole at this juncture will in any way "depreciate the seriousness" of his conduct and/or "promote disrespect for the law."

We will continue to seek parole and clemency for Mr. Peltier and to eventually bring this prolonged injustice to a prompt and fair resolution.

Eric Seitz - Leonard Peltier Attorney
11:00 PM

Parole Denied: A Second Exclusive HPR Interview with Leonard Peltier

Published Aug. 27, 2009

Parole Denied: A Second Exclusive HPR Interview with Leonard Peltier
by Pamela Sund

The following interview with Leonard Peltier took place by telephone on August 25, 2009. It is a follow-up to the August 11, 2009 High Plains Reader interview which was published as Peltier awaited the parole decision from the U.S. Federal Parole Commission. Once again, Peltier spoke to HPR from the federal penitentiary in Lewistown, Pennsylvania.

Pamela Sund for HPR: Good morning, Mr. Peltier. How are you?
Peltier: Well%u2026 still hanging in there.

It must have been devastating to be denied parole. Can you describe your response?
It's despressing%u2026 it's just very, very depressing.

How did you find out about the parole denial?
Some guys here heard it on the news%u2026 first one inmate%u2026 then two others, and they told me.

You mean the courtesy of notifying your attorney, who would then notify you, wasn't part of the process? That doesn't seem right.
Courtesy?... no%u2026 it was the three inmates who told me.

Do you feel defeated?
Of course I do, personally, yes, but I am not giving up. We are the victims here. What I mean is that the public has to ask, who made them [presumably, prosecutors and FBI agents] more powerful than the Constitution of the United States? They just made stuff up and the public needs to know this. There was something about bodily harm [in the parole documents]... how can they just make things up? I am no more guilty than my co-defendants who were acquitted. Also, when I was convicted, ten years was a life sentence, but it looks like they want me to do 50 years or longer. [Peltier has served 34 years in federal prison.]

U.S. Attorney Drew Wrigley wrote a long letter to the Fargo Forum opposing your release during the hearing deliberations. Was this appropriate?
No. He didn't come up here and say what prosecutor Lynn Crooks said about the case%u2026. Remember, we talked about what Crooks said%u2026 there were false statements made, but Wrigley didn't say what Crooks said. ["The government does not know who killed our agents nor what part Leonard Peltier had in this, if any."]

What is the next step in the legal process?
Why don't you do an interview with Bruce Ellison? You should interview my attorneys%u2026 talk to them, and I will try to do a follow-up interview with you. I really need people to help out%u2026 even with pocket change if that's what it takes. I don't have any big supporters right now, though I have lots of support. I talked with Peter Matthiessen and they've talked with the Kennedys and others%u2026 so there is still lots of support%u2026 I don't have many minutes left%u2026.

What can HPR readers who support your release do to assist you? And did you feel you were accurately represented by the last HPR interview and article?
Peltier: Yes, it was very accurate%u2026 thank you, thank you. Supporters can help the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee. The committee has many needs%u2026.

Note: Peltier was tried and convicted in Fargo, North Dakota in 1977 in connection with the deaths of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Controversy has clouded the validity of Peltier's conviction, which has been labeled unfair and unjust by Amnesty International and many other human rights organizations. Those who signed petitions supporting his release from prison include The Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev and many others.
HPR intends to publish ongoing interviews with Leonard Peltier and Leonard Peltier's attorneys. The Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee is located in Fargo, North Dakota. For information contact 701-278-2968 or visit the website at http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info. The paintings of Leonard Peltier are on exhibit at the Spirit Room, 111 Broadway, Fargo, North Dakota, through September 2009. Telephone: 701-237-0230. Proceeds from the sale of Leonard Peltier paintings fund humanitarian efforts and the Leonard Peltier Defense Offense Committee.

Questions and comments: pamelasund@cableone.net

Amnesty International calls for Peltier's immediate release

Today at 7:52am www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/usa-denial-parole-leonard-peltier-after-more-32-years-prison-disappoint

USA: Denial of parole to Leonard Peltier after more than 32 years in prison, disappointing
21 August 2009
Amnesty International today regretted the US Parole Commission's decision not to grant Leonard Peltier parole despite concerns about the fairness of his 1977 conviction for murder. The organization called for the immediate release on parole of the activist, who is serving two consecutive life sentences and has spent more than 32 years in prison.A prominent member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), Leonard Peltier was convicted of the murders of two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, during a confrontation involving AIM members on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota on 26 June 1975. While Leonard Peltier admits having been present during the incident, he has always denied shooting the agents at point blank range as alleged by the prosecution at his trial. Amnesty International recognizes the seriousness of the crime for which Leonard Peltier was convicted. However, having studied the case extensively over many years, the organization remains concerned about the fairness of the process leading to his conviction, including questions about evidence linking him to the point-blank shootings and coercion of an alleged eye-witness.One of Amnesty International's concerns is that Leonard Peltier's extradition from Canada in 1976 -- where he had fled following the shootings -- was secured on the basis of the coerced testimony of an alleged eye-witness which the FBI knew to be false. The witness, Myrtle Poor Bear, later retracted her testimony that she had seen Leonard Peltier shoot the agents but the trial judge did not allow her to be called as a defence witness at his trial. Other concerns include the withholding by the prosecution of evidence, including potentially key ballistics evidence that might have assisted Leonard Peltier's defence. "The interest of justice would be best served by granting Leonard Peltier parole," said Angela Wright, US Researcher at Amnesty International. "Given the concerns around his conviction, the fact that appeals before the courts have long been exhausted and that he has spent more than 32 years in prison, we urge the Parole Commission to reconsider its decision."The parole hearing, which took place over four hours on 28 July, was the first full parole hearing to be held in the case since 1993. In addition to the concerns about the fairness of his conviction, parole was sought by Peltier and his lawyer based on his good conduct record in prison and arrangements made by the Turtle Mountain tribe to receive him into their community on his release. Background InformationLeonard Peltier is an Anishinabe-Lakota Native American who was a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), an activist group involved in promoting the rights of "traditionalist" Indians during a period of intense conflict in the 1970s. In the two years prior to the confrontation in which the agents were killed, more than 60 Indians on the Pine Ridge reservation had been killed, allegedly by paramilitary squads connected to the tribal government, without anyone being brought to justice for the crimes. AIM members who had come to the reservation to assist "traditionalists" opposing the tribal government were also allegedly threatened. Relations between AIM and the FBI were also tense, with accusations that the authorities had not done enough to protect those at risk on the reservation. The confrontation in which the two FBI agents were killed took place after the agents entered the reservation with an arrest warrant for four people and started following a van. A fire-fight ensued. Evidence was presented at trial to show that the agents received multiple shots and were quickly disabled before being shot dead at point-blank range.Two other AIM leaders, Darelle Butler and Robert Robideau, were initially charged with the agents' murders and were tried separately: no evidence was presented to link them to the point-blank shootings. The jury acquitted them after hearing evidence about the atmosphere of violence and intimidation on the reservation and concluded that, arguably, they might have been acting in self-defense when they were involved in the exchange of gunfire. Following their acquittal, the FBI renewed its efforts to pursue Leonard Peltier, who had fled to Canada. At his trial, the prosecution alleged that the rifle which killed the agents belonged to Peltier. During post-trial investigations, the defence team discovered a teletex message suggesting that the rifle in question contained a different firing pin from the one used to kill the agents; this was raised on appeal and an evidentiary hearing held at which the significance of the teletex was contested by the government. On appeal, the government also argued that sufficient evidence had been presented to the jury at trial to show that Leonard Peltier had "aided and abetted" the killings even if he had not been the actual killer. However, Amnesty International believes that the outcome may well have been different had Peltier been able to challenge the ballistics evidence linking him to the fatal shots more effectively.
____Amnesty International, International Secretariat
1 Easton Street
London WC1X 0DWU.K.Censored news reporter Brenda Norrell http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Ben Carnes: Next First Step for Peltier

Today at 10:07am

Next First Step. . Message from Ben Carnes LPDOC - Leonard Peltier
By Ben Carnes
LP-DOC Natl. Spokesperson
I wish to offer my personal thanks to everyone for your continuous work and dedication. I was at my computer Friday morning when my google alert brought me the first news of the denial, and then I received an email from Wanbli containing the same news. It was like the dam busted, I received several hundred within the first hour and a half from many of you expressing your sense of outrage at the injustice done to Leonard.
One of my friends wrote something to the effect that a new movement was born today. I really want to see this and so does Leonard, I know we can all agree the White House needs to feel it.
So what is it going to take? It is going to take everything we got - 101%! And trust me - this kind of commitment demands sacrifices and you will be challenged for your stand on this principle. When Leonard was convicted, the late Lew Gurwitz stated, "This is a case that is not going to go away!" Lew lived his words traveling and sleeping in his car to create the awareness of this case. When he passed on, his brother Shep took up the cause. There are many of us who have been here supporting Leonard for years.
Last year, we made a commitment to do what we can to bring Leonard home before his birthday next month. We have less than three weeks to really put our hearts into this, and some of us have personal responsibilities and burdens to overcome and it comes down to making some hard decisions. It isn't going to be easy. So as a National Branch Support Group Coordinator, I want to ask everyone if they would consider again forming a branch support group in your area. We have a lot of organizing and networking to do with the clock ticking.
We have to overcome the media turning a blind eye to Leonard's plight. They are more than happy to spread detrimental news of his parole, as you have noticed recently. Let's turn this into something positive for us, each of you can write letters to the editor in your local respective paper. Sit down and write a letter expressing your disgust and outrage.
As most everyone has heard, the White House phone lines were shut down today immediately after the news came out. The fact they shut down the lines is proof of how they were overwhelmed. You know that was brought to the presidents' attention. I hope he leaned back in his chair and looked out the window of the Oval Office, and really thought that day about Leonard Peltier. And how much he obviously means to the people to shut down his hi-tech phone system.
And relatives, we only flinch! We've known the system has not treated Peltier fairly in the 33 years of his imprisonment. Imagined what would happened if we shouted? So yes, we need a revitalized and disciplined movement, not only for Peltier or other native prisoners, but also for all of us.
Once, we were a movement of people who traveled around the country to help put out fires of racism, greed and abuse. We have learned a lot from those days of protesting, civil disobedience or conducting roadblocks and occupations of government offices some valuable lessons. We also know that we are now in the day of hi-tech surveillance capabilities and out of control police powers. We don't need more people going to jail. The government is doing a good job as it is, so be mindful of what you do and say, but always speak from the heart and act with your conscience. Don't allow oppression to silence your voice of dissent - not now.
When there is a call to action, we can be more effective in organizing in our own communities, you know what resources are available to you there and it is going to take solidarity actions across this country, including developing media contacts, mainstream/alternative, in your locale. That is a good place to start because we will grow in numbers quickly, whereas, if we attempted to travel across country at great expense, then we may cut our participating numbers down dramatically.
Those of us who have been doing the work had to start alone or we might have had help, but we all started somewhere. We had to, just as we have to keep building this up. So for now, go to http://www.whoisleonardpeltier.info/ and fill out the application to form a Leonard Peltier Branch Support Group (city or state), and then Monday morning, your first action is to ring the phone off the hooks at the White House, and start recruiting your friends and other organizations to follow this course of action. Do this as often as possible throughout the day, everyday.
We've been saying that we wanted to start a prairie fire of outrage to the Oval Office of the White House for Peltier, and now we have cause. Leonard Peltier should not have to spend one more birthday in prison for something the government admits they cannot prove.
Offer your prayers to the Creator to give you guidance, then join this international movement for our brother and lets bring him home.
Email completed application:
bencarnes@eaglecouncil.com & wanbli@gvtc.com.
We've got some work to do now.
In the Spirit of Crazy Horse and Leonard Peltier,Ben CarnesCensored news reporter Brenda Norrell http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com

Crazy Horse

His dying words

I was not hostile to the white man.
We had buffalo for food, their hides for clothing and we preferred the chase to a life of idleness, bickering and jealousies to the frequent periods of starvation at the Agencies.
But the Gray Fox came out in the snow and bitter cold to destroy my village. All of us would have starved and frozen where it not for the ponies we recaptured.
Then Long Hair came. They say we massacred him but we had to defend our self from being massacred. We fought to the death to prevent or own death.

June 26th 1975 (short version)

Jumping Bull Property, Pine Ridge, South Dakota," What has really happened on this fateful day?"

It was a quiet morning. The night before Storm after storm was moving through the area and tornado like winds kept the occupants of the little camp about 400 yards south-east of the Jumping Bull House, awake.
That morning just about everyone in camp was sleeping in. Dennis Banks had left for Custer, Jean Bourdeaux and her friend Lynn where busy cooking oatmeal over a campfire. The sun was out and it looked like it was going to be a pleasant day.
Grandma and Grandpa Jumping Bull had left already to go to a Steer Auction in Nebraska, their visitors, a Young family by the name of Ivis and Angie Long were up and about,their kids playing outside the house and mom washing dishes. She later described to hearing what she thought was firecrackers and she went to check on the kids. What she seen made her blood run cold and grab her kids to run away as fast as she could; two strange cars were parked in a pasture just below the compound and two white men where aiming their guns at the compound shooting away.
In the compound, everyone hugged the ground, bullets flying over them.
By time the group in the compound realized what is happening at least 20 shots had been fire. Then shoot's came back at the two white men from the compound. Everyone was grabbing guns and firing back at what they thought was a GOON raid. Dino Butler and Norman Brown, staying in a Tipi outside of the compound, ran up the hill toward the shooting, dodging bullets all the way.
By that time more cars where coming up the hill and women and children in th compound ran away the other direction as fast as they could.
Confusion all around.
Roadblocks had been set up already and some of the people got held there and Helicopters where flying over soon after the firefight started.
One of the two original white men was seen crawling through a car and then pass out from loss of blood, his partner was seen stripping of his white shirt and putting his gun down. Why he took of the shirt is still unknown, but within a few minutes of that, some people approached the car and killed the white men at close range.
Nobody really knows who the people had been that approached the car, perhaps it was an old score that was settled, perhaps it was fear of everyone getting killed that day, nobody knows for sure.
The firefight was over a quick as it had begun and confusion, fear and death was all there was.
The compound was surrounded by FBI, SWAT-Teams, BIA police, BIA Swat,State Law Enforcement and Non-Law Enforcement comprised of local white farmers and GOONS. The word was that more Law Enforcement was on the way from Denver and Minnesota.
At 1:30pm, more shot rang out and a young Joe Killsright fell dead to the ground.
The men and Woman left at the compound knew then that their time had come. The feared that all of them would be killed and many there seen it as another Wounded Knee 1891.
At that time, Leonard Peltier, Bob Robideau, Dino Butler and Wish Draper had been loading up Peltiers were loading things in a van in order to make a run for it until they realized that the van was almost out of gas and they would not make it through the first roadblock with it.
About 20 men, woman and children set out into a southerly way, praying all the way that they will not encounter anymore bullets.
They got away and everyone agrees that it was with the Creators help and the Spirits protection.
Who shot those two FBI Agents is unknown, but Leonard is paying for it wit his Life in Prison.

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Peweli Peweli Aug 21, 2009 @ 10:42 pm

I am so disappointed that Leonard was not given this chance to live his life out with his family on the land of his people. I can't help but cry for the shame of it all. I have no words to express my feelings.

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Blog of the life of Leonard Peltier

Leonard Peltier

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