TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT
American Indian activist Leonard Peltier waits for justice,
both for himself and his people
By Ellen Marie Hagsten
The Monday night Academy Awards were a triumph for may
entertainers. The success of "Dances with Wolves" could mean
a success for a race of peoples as well.
Native Americans got a chance to portray their real
lives on the big screen and to show there is no shame in
being Indian.
Leonard Peltier, a Native American, said that prior to
American Indian Movement and the occurrences at the Second
Wounded Knee in 1973 to 1976, many Indians took no pride in
their heritage
"Now. People are claiming even the slightest amount of
Indian blood in them," Peltier said.
Leonard Peltier is a Native American of the Oglala
Nation. He is serving two life sentences for the murder of
two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.
The agents' deaths came under the resulting tension of
three years of terrorism towards members of the Lakota Nation
by tribal leader Dick Wilson and his Guardians of the Oglala
Nation Squads [GOONS], which caused at least 342 Indians
deaths.
The Maneater had a telephone interview with Peltier at
Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas. He spoke a bit about the
original trial, his subsequent attempts to get a fair
retrial, and the plight of Native Americans on the
reservation yesterday and today.
Peltier said Wilson's GOONsquads were the worst of their kind
and while similar groups exist, "most places really don't
have that kind of opposition," he said . "It's more subtle."
Peltier maintains that he is not responsible for the
agents deaths and that the FBI subsequently obtained his
conviction through numerous fraudulent means.
"I didn't kill those agents...I'm not guilty," Peltier
said.
The only goal by Indians during the violence at [Oglala]
was to protect the residents that they thought were under
attack, he said.
His followers have repeatedly tried to get him a new
trial.
Since the Maneater's last story on Peltier, his case has
returned to North Dakota. Federal Judge Paul Pension, who
presided over the original trial has come out of
semi-retirement to retry the case.
"Judge Paul Pension wouldn't have come out retirement
unless he ment to retry me," Peltier said.
Defense lawyers submitted a recusal, calling for Judge
Benson to pass on the case because of his bias. The defense
maintains that Pension was too "polluted" by the FBI during
the original trial to properly preside again.
Bensen denied the claims and refused to give up the
case. He has, however, left the defense time to appeal his
decision to the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals, said a
spokeswoman for the Peltier Defense Committee.
Peltier said he is also bothered by a relationship
Benson and Prosecuting Attorney Lynn Crooks have outside
their professional commitments.
The defense also contends a Writ of Habeas Corpus,
maintaining that Peltier was never told of the exact charges
against him.
Peltier talked about how difficult it is to be
questioned by Crooks. "It's very hard for me to keep control
of myself, especially with him."
Crooks and Peltier attack the case from very different
angles.
During the Feb.4 hearing in Topeka, Kan., Crooks
repeatedly asked why Peltier and his defense hadn't called
certain witnesses at the original trial.
"These people [witnesses] didn't;'at have anything to
say," Peltier said."He interviewed them and he knows that."
And Crooks "didn't respond to any of the issues."
Crooks even said before the Eighth Circuit Court in 1985
that the prosecution couldn't prove who shot the agents.
Peltier said that now he is trying to back down on that
statement.
"I hope the Circuit Court of Appeals will be different,"
Peltier said.
After 15 years of imprisonment, Peltier said, "I'm not
more optimistic or more pessimistic about my imprisonment."
At least now, he said, this case has been documented by
history and is in many law books.
Peltier who paints in prison, said his works mirror his
struggles as am American Indian and his pride in his native
heritage.
"I'm trying to record the Indian activists of my
generation as well as the leadership of a hundred years ago."
Among AIM's accomplishments are the recognition of some
tribes and past violated treaties, as well as affecting a
change in some of what Peltier calls "anti-Indian" laws, he
said.
He said many wrongs are still unchanged.
He still receives letters from members of many tribes
who are "honored to talk to me" and understand the importance
of the trial and the things AIM did, he said.
The lives of Native Americans today aren't better.
"Life on the reservation hasn't changed whatsoever," Peltier
said. "Poverty and alcoholism are still very high."
Their state of existence explains many of their
attitudes. Peltier said in almost any Indian community, at
least 98 percent of the people are anti-government and would
like to break from the United States.
Much of this attitude comes from relations with
outsiders. Peltier said non-Indian people were racist in
their attitudes toward Native American people at the time of
his original trial and often are today as well.
Incidents of racism from non-Indians and the state of
Native American affairs today "create racism from both
sides," he said. "We try to restrain ourselves from becoming
bigots."
The solution to the problem is education. Thus the goal
for Indians today is to "educate the public that Indian
people still exist and practice their culture,literature and
religion."
"Outside people have to be come more educated," he said.
They need to work to educate themselves."
Peltier said individuals like those on the MU [Missouri
University] campus can "make it possible for my freedom by
educating themselves and taking an interest in this case."
About the future of his case, Peltier said,"I've fought
so long without having to kiss anyone's butt."
The FBI will do whatever they deem necessary with this
case "even if it means keeping some one innocent in Jail," he
said This is their only choice since "they could never
convict anyone." But this case will remain "a very bad mark
on their record." He said.