Native American Activist Leonard Peltier Asks Obama for Clemency

By Angela Bronner Helm, The Root

31 May 16

The 71-year-old AIM member, who many believe has been unfairly jailed for more than 40 years, petitioned the president for a pardon in March.

n 1977, Native American activist Leonard Peltier was put behind bars, where he has remained in federal custody for 40 years, for the murder of two FBI agents.

Yet, many have denounced Peltier’s  incarceration as a farce with a trial filled with shaky evidence at best, and an abuse of power by a vengeful FBI at worst.

The New York Daily News, which obtained an exclusive interview with Peltier, reports that Peltier, like many Indian activists at that time, was already on the FBI’s radar long before his confrontation with them because of his involvement with the American Indian Movement, or AIM.

Years later, the bureau would admit to illegally surveilling and infiltrating groups like AIM (as well as Weather Underground, Black Panthers, the Black Liberation Army and others) through its controversial counter-intelligence program, known as COINTELPRO.

Peltier, 71, has always insisted he was innocent in the 1975 altercation that left two FBI agents dead.

Peltier admits he was at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota during the June 26, 1975 shootout, but says he did not fire the shots that killed FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams.

Through the years, Peltier’s case has been a bit of a cause celebre including supporters as far-flung as David Geffen, Nelson Mandela, U2, Mikhail Gorbachev and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, as well as human rights organizations like Amnesty International.

“I’ve given the same answer for 40 years. I didn’t do it and I won’t say that I did. I won’t betray my people like that, I won’t betray my culture,” said Peltier, whose refusal to admit guilt has caused him to not be paroled in all these years.

“I was at Pine Ridge that day. I did exchange fire with the authorities who were shooting at us—but I didn’t kill those agents,” Peltier told the News.

The outlet reports that Peltier is next up for parole in 2024 and that he suffers from diabetes, prostate problems, botched prison surgeries and an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

“I am prepared to die here. I would prefer it be back at my home, but I’m a realistic about my chances,” he said.

Peltier also continues to hold out some hope that he may get a pardon from the current president. A petition for clemency was sent to the White House in late March. Letters asking for support are making the rounds in Congress, according to the report.

Peltier got close to a pardon in 2001, when outgoing President Bill Clinton seemed to be on board, but backed down after the protests of 500 current and retired FBI agents. Clinton on his last day in office, however, did pardon fugitive financier Marc Rich, who was among the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted, to many people’s chagrin.

In 2009, President George W. Bush denied Peltier clemency.

“Whether people believe I did or didn’t do it, the fact remains I have served 40 years,” said Peltier.

We shall see if President Obama thinks that he deserves to be pardoned.