I went to hear legendary music stars Jackson Browne and 93-year-old Pete Seeger sing, and just to see the no-longer-singing Harry Belafonte, Peter Coyote, and Danny Glover. The rapper Mos Def and Michael Moore also put in surprise appearances. The most powerful performance, however, was by a Native American singer song-writer named Bill Miller.
The event was the Bring Leonard Peltier Home in 2012 Concert. I must admit I was more interested in the musicians than the politics. By the end of the four-hour teach-in and song-fest dedicated to the American Indian Movement (AIM), I was convinced that Peltier was a martyr to a run-amok government conspiracy that was going to either execute him or put him in jail for life for either killing or being part of a conspiracy to kill two FBI agents in 1975.
When I got home, I googled Peltier and found a much more complex picture. Peltier was no Gandhi or even Nelson Mandela. He was a revolutionary around whom people seemed to die.
Peltier was fleeing a warrant, and later acquitted, for the attempted murder of an off-duty Milwaukee police officer. Then later in 1975, Peltier, as a member of American Indian Movement, was at Pine Ridge in South Dakota when two FBI agents in unmarked cars were fired on. Over one hundred bullets from high-powered rifles hit the cars, seriously wounding the two agents, who were then finished off execution style with bullets to the head. After fleeing, Peltier was extradited from Canada apparently based on coerced and perjured testimony. While two others were acquitted because they said they fired because they feared for their lives, a defense that worked in the 1970s, the government learned from its mistakes and got a conviction. Numerous subsequent appeals have failed to yield a new trial.
At the time, Peltier gave himself at least three different alibis saying in each that he was not at the shooting. Other Indians, however, have said that he was the executioner. In 2002, an editorial appeared in the News from Indian County stating that a number of Indians, including AIM members, had told the editor that they had carried a heavy burden in knowing, but not revealing, that Peltier was the executioner.
What no one has ever heard from Peltier is remorse over the shootings of the agents. Most likely, they had wives who would never grow old with them, and children who would never again have fathers. Whether Peltier actually executed the two or not, he was there, and he was at least partially responsible for the widowing and orphaning of the two families. When I hear Peltier’s apology rather than his denials, I will have more compassion for him. It may be nice to be a plaster saint, but people are usually sinners.
“Peter, you put my life in jeopardy and you put the lives of my family in jeopardy by putting that bullshit in your books. Why didn’t you call me and ask me if it was true?”
Dean Butler, chastising Peter Matthiessen for including Peltier’s lone alibi, Mr. X, in his book, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. Peltier’s lawyer, Mike Kuzma, has recently admitted that the Mr. X story was “concocted.” Note: An AIM member, David Hill, reportedly played the role of Mr. X in a bogus video aired on American television.
“The two witnesses testified outside the presence of the jury that after their testimony at trial, they had been threatened by Peltier himself that if they did not return to court and testify that their earlier testimony had been induced by F.B.I. threats, their lives would be in danger.”
United States v. Peltier, 585 F. 2d 314,
U.S. App. Decision September 14, 1978.
“The motherf—er was begging for his life but I shot him anyway.”
Leonard Peltier, boasting in the Marlon Brando motor home about shooting Ron Williams, as heard by Dennis Banks, Ka-Mook Banks, Bernie Lafferty, and (soon-to-be-murdered) Anna Mae Aquash. According to the autopsy report, Ron Williams died with his right hand held up in front of his face; there were powder burns on his fingers.
“I seen Joe when he pulled it out of the trunk and I looked at him when he put it on, and he gave me a smile.”
Leonard Peltier, standing over the bodies of Jack Coler and Ron Williams, moments after their heads were blown off, commenting on Joe Stuntz wearing Jack Coler’s green FBI jacket taken from his car trunk, as quoted in Peter Matthiessen’s, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse.
“I didn’t think nothing about it at the time: all I could think of was, We got to get out of here!”
Leonard Peltier, reacting to Joe Stuntz wearing Jack Coler’s jacket, from In the Spirit of Crazy Horse. Peltier could hear the chatter over the FBI car radio from other agents who were racing to the scene and attempting to re-establish contact with Agent Williams in response to his frantic calls for help.
“… the greater probability is that you yourself fired the fatal shots… It would be unjust to treat the slaying of these F.B.I. agents, while they lay wounded and helpless, as if your actions had been part of a gun battle. Neither the state of relations between Native American militants and law enforcement at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation prior to June 26, 1975, nor the exchanges of gunfire between individuals at the Jumping Bull Compound and the law enforcement agents who arrived there during the hours after Agents Coler and Williams were murdered, explains or mitigates the crimes you committed… Your release on parole would promote disrespect for the law in contravention of 18 U.S.C….”
Leonard Peltier’s 1999 Parole Board, commenting on his aiding and abetting conviction.
“I never thought my commitment would mean sacrificing like this, but I was willing to do so nonetheless. And really, if necessary, I’d do it all over again, because it was the right thing to do.”
Peltier’s statement to supporters, 2/6/2010.
Watch inmate Peltier change his story in the video at http://www.americanindianmafia.com. Respect the truth, honor the fallen and don’t get fooled again. The truth is Peltier’s worst enemy!
Dear Mr. Simon,
After viewing your postings on the Internet about Leonard Peltier, it is clear to me that you are both very knowledgeable about the facts surrounding the killing of the two agents, and I suspect you have some personal skin in the game. While I do not, I think we would be in agreement about Peltier. First, he needs to “man up” and take responsibility for what he did to the two agents, and second, he needs to apologize to their families. After that, anything is possible. My guess, however, is that he will never accept guilt because of his popularity among his almost cult-like following. Unless he gets a commutation from President Obama, he may have doomed himself to dying in prison.
Nemo
Agreed. See aimmythbusters.com for more about the “Bring Leonard Peltier Home” concert.
Is Leonard Peltier even about Peltier and has it ever been?
Whoever wields the most power is most responsible, and mistakes/fatal error were made by all involved in the second battle at wounded knee, and continued to be ongoing. There were many who pulled the trigger that caused the death of these agents, all inclusive and especially what and who led up to this death… all are responsible for this death – and should not be the pay back by one individual as the responsible party. It is probably the arguing principal for “collateral damage” kind of thing. There were a number of deaths related to this battle, as well as injury, disappearance, as well as a cornucopia of false information, and keeping Peltier in prison or putting him there in the first place doesn’t change this. But it is worse case scenario, by making Leonard the issue instead of recognizing what the core dynamics/truths that manifested this uprising and continued struggle in the first place. It is an american panacea that puts people in prison to pretend that takes care of a “problem”. Leonard Peltier, no matter his personality does not deserve the LIVING DEATH SENTENCE of life in prison, no parole, for this crime committed by many. He does not. It is simply true that Mr. Peltier DID NOT receive a fair trial. His trial helped set a stage for the contemporary demise of our justice system. This continues to contribute to the loss of other personal freedoms because this part of our country’s history IS governments persecution of it’s citizens, which government wants to amend by the imprisonment of one man. The MO stays the same with Manning, Assange, Snowden, Hammon, Swartz(rip)… or ‘bad guys’ Hussein, bin laden, mcvey, etc…
Peltier was/remains vicim of time and place and much much much more. He was/is on the side of the people and that is who we have to listen to… is the people, not government telling us about the people (or media). We have to take the real side of the real people not the governments side right? btw, Peltier has some good company on his side, speaking of people.
Did he do it? Personally, I think not, seems to be a finely designed agenda for a scapegoat that I continue to see replayed today. To me, one persons guilt is not the issue here – there is more. It is way past time to release Mr. Peltier for a healing that this country is in desperate need of, and time for a different way of doing/thinking things. peace.