Free Leonard Peltier

(Murder on the Pine Ridge Reservation)

Today’s partial entry from Heather Cox Richardson:

“On the clear, cold morning of December 29, 1890, on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, three U.S. soldiers tried to wrench a valuable Winchester away from a young Lakota man. He refused to give up his hunting weapon. It was the only thing standing between his family and starvation, and he had no faith it would be returned to him as the officer promised: he had watched as soldiers had marked other confiscated valuable weapons for themselves. 

As the men struggled, the gun fired into the sky.

Before the echoes died, troops fired a volley that brought down half of the Lakota men and boys the soldiers had captured the night before, as well as a number of soldiers surrounding the Lakotas. The uninjured Lakota men attacked the soldiers with knives, guns they snatched from wounded soldiers, and their fists.”

Does lightening strike twice? You must be the judge. On the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975, AIM (American Indian Movement) were protecting their people from federal agents as well as corrupt tribal governments. In one such skirmish on the Pine Ridge two FBI agents were shot dead. Three Native people were tried on the weak charges. Two stayed through the trial and were found not guilty. The 3rd, L:eonartd Peltier decided to run to Canada. Later, he was arrested and forced to return to a different district and a vindictive judge who threw the book at him. Leonard has been in federal prison all these years.

The government won't give him a new trial because they know they would lose. Leonard's only hope is a presidential pardon. Bill Clinton had a pardon on his table for Leonard as he was leaving office but then, 400 FBI agents marched in front of the White House and Clinton rescinded the pardon. But he did pardon a wealthy tax cheat who had contributed to his campaign.

I have wanted to write a song about Leonard for years but the lyrics were no where to be found. Then in October of last year, the moment of divine Inspiration visited me and my song lyrics rolled out. I immediately recorded it and sent it to the group in Rapid City, South Dakota. Within a few hours, I received a message asking me to come to Washington to perform the song. They told me that had been marching across the country and were due to arrive on November 11.

I had no choice with an invitation like that. My songs are that important to me. They sing my thoughts. I drove 7 hours to Washington in the wee hours and later in the day, returned home. Leonard however, remains imprisoned. His time has all but run out. Leaders across the globe have petitioned the president's office to release him. He is now about 80 and in poor health. His time is ending. President Biden knows all about this tragedy.

Here is my song.