Vol. 73/No. 34      September 7, 2009

Peltier, 64, had a full parole hearing for the first time in 15 years July 28 at the Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, federal prison where he is incarcerated. Peltier will not be eligible for another hearing until 2024 when he will be 79.

Peltier, an Anishinabe-Lakota, became involved in the American Indian Movement in the early 1970s. He went to Pine Ridge, South Dakota, to assist local people under attack by goons organized by the Pine Ridge Tribal Council headed by Dick Wilson.

With covert backing from the FBI, Wilson was carrying out a campaign of violence, including beatings and killings, against those in opposition to his policies. In the two years prior to the shootings of the two FBI agents, more than 60 Native Americans on the Pine Ridge reservation were killed. During this time the reservation had a higher ratio of FBI agents to citizens than any other area in the country. Despite this no killings or beatings were ever investigated.

Peltier’s trial was riddled with FBI misconduct and judicial impropriety. As late as 26 years after his conviction the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit admitted, “Much of the government’s behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and its prosecution of Mr. Peltier is to be condemned. The government withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These facts are not disputed.” This included suppression of potentially key ballistics evidence that could have led to Peltier’s acquittal. Nevertheless, all appeals of his conviction and sentence have been turned down.  
 
 
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