My thoughts on Leonard Peltier's parole hearing.

Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier is again seeking parole after serving nearly 50 years in federal prison, following his conviction for killing two FBI agents in the 1970s.


I remember the incident and the ensuing news coverage. I'm glad not to have to be a decision maker in this case. I can see both sides of the issue and empathize with both Leonard Peltier and the victim's families.


Leonard Peltier was active in AIM, American Indian Movement, an organization founded to deal with issues of police brutality and discrimination against Indigenous people. AIM repeatedly made national news when it took over the village of Wounded Knee, on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.


On June 26, 1975, federal agents came to serve arrest warrants concerning treaty violations and self-determination, and two federal agents were killed.


Leonard Peltier is now 79 years old and in poor health and is seeking parole. It is difficult for me not to take his side in this effort. There has been and still is so much discrimination against Indigenous people in my state and in South Dakota. I remember, at the time, wondering if he was really guilty or if he served as a scapegoat for others. My guess is, he will not be paroled, as law enforcement, I believe, has more sway with parole boards than those seeking parole. It makes me sad to think of him dying in prison. So often convicts are also victims of a system that has wronged them. I'm not saying that gives anyone the right to take a life, but it is a circumstance, in my opinion, that should be factored into the equation.

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