Leonard Peltier: American Indian Leader

Leonard Peltier: American Indian Leader
September 1997

Leonard Peltier is a leader of the American Indian Movement who has been imprisoned since 1975 for the killings of two government agents during a period of intense organizing and government terror on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Peter Matthiessen's book In the Spirit of Crazy Horse exhaustively details the trumped up evidence used by the federal government in Peltier's trial as well as the horrendous conditions on the Pine Ridge Reservation which led to the uprising. The Peltier Defense committee puts out a regular journal "Spirit of Crazy Horse" detailing work of the various groups supporting Peltier and developments in his clemency case. They have also produced a booklet, "The FBI Files," obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and trial testimony relevant to Peltier's case (all these are available at the Civic Media Center).

The Campaign to Free Leonard Peltier is gearing up for a two day lobby campaign in Washington, DC on October 21-22. Currently the Justice Dept is sitting on (3 years now) Peltier's clemency appeal. Across the nation and around the world over 150 support groups are working on this campaign. This includes 6 in Florida, and we'd like to see a seventh right here in Gainesville. With that in mind, the Civic Media Center will host a showing of the video "Warrior--the story of Leonard Peltier" by Suzy Bear. 'Warrior' is a well-crafted documentary telling who Leonard Peltier is, with interviews and firsthand accounts of his life and struggles for justice for native people.

The video screening of 'Warrior' will be Wednesday, Sept 17, at 8:00pm. A donation will be asked at the door to both support the non-profit Civic Media Center and to be sent to the October 21-22 lobby campaign by the Peltier Defense Committee to support their work. Come to the CMC at 1021 West Universtiy Ave on Wednesday, Sept 17 at 8:00pm. You'll know who Leonard Peltier is and learn what his case tells us about our Justice Department and our country.