Leonard Peltier, a notable indigenous activist, is finally returning home after nearly 50 years of incarceration for his alleged involvement in the 1975 murder of two FBI agents. Much to the dissatisfaction of many law enforcement personnel, President Joe Biden saw fit to commute Peltier’s sentence. Peltier’s case had been long championed by certain community groups who cited his imprisonment as an illustration of the United States government’s unjust treatment of Native Americans.
In making the announcement, the White House claimed that Peltier, who now approaches 80 years of age and has declining health, is set to transition to home confinement. His advocates hastily celebrated this controversial development, despite it not being a complete clearance of Peltier’s dubious record. This move has rubbed salt in the wounds of law enforcement agents who staunchly believe the indigenous activist should remain behind bars to serve his full sentence.
Of course, the National Congress of American Indians brushed away the dissenting voices, marking Biden’s move as a ‘historic decision’, a phrase they seldom use when it comes to predicaments of actual justice. They believe that Peltier’s case symbolizes ‘systemic injustices faced by indigenous people’. Yet, this viewpoint seems grossly uninformed, considering Peltier’s heinous crimes.
Ignoring the pleas from former FBI Director, Christopher Wray, President Biden reduced Peltier’s sentence. Wray resolutely maintained his stance on Peltier, labeling him as a ‘remorseless killer’. In a confidential letter directed to Biden earlier this month, Wray plainly voiced out his profound objection, urging the president not to act. Nevertheless, the President chose to side with a convicted killer.
Peltier, notable for his role in the American Indian Movement (AIM), which has been contending with issues of police brutality and discrimination against Native Americans, became infamous following a notorious incident in 1975. AIM grabbed national attention when it seized the small community of Wounded Knee on the Oglala Lakota Nation’s reservation in South Dakota, leading to a tense 71-day standoff with federal agents.
On June 26, 1975, Peltier was part of a fiery confrontation on Pine Ridge reservation with FBI agents assigned to serve arrest warrants amid disputes over indigenous treaty rights and self-governance. Wounded agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were executed at close range, with AIM member Joseph Stuntz also losing his life during the fiery encounter.
Fleeing to Canada, Peltier was eventually extradited back to the United States, where he was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1977, ignoring defensive arguments of purportedly falsified evidence. It is unsurprising that he was denied parole, considering his heinous atrocities. His co-conspirators, Robert Robideau and Dino Butler, curiously, were not found guilty of the same actions.
Peltier has remained incarcerated without parole as recently as July, and wasn’t slated for eligible parole consideration until 2026. However, Biden chose to ignore these facts, opting to commute his sentence instead. The President’s actions have left many law enforcement agents and families of the victims disillusioned, further eroding trust in his administration.
To add insult to injury, Peltier’s tribe, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, has readied a home for him on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota. Peltier, a convicted murderer with a cloud of controversy surrounding his case, is ironically seen by some as a ‘political prisoner’. High-profile supporters such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, civil rights icon Coretta Scott King, and actor-director Robert Redford have wrongly advocated for his release.
Despite the outcry from law enforcement, former FBI agents, victims’ family members, and prosecutors, Biden bent to pressure from these misguided activists and celebrities. Democratic Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama previously rejected Peltier’s clemency requests, demonstrating their commitment to preserve justice. Unfortunately, this is not a sentiment shared by the current administration.
Mike Clark lambasted the commutation, describing it as a ‘cowardly act’. The thoughts of the victims’ families seem to mean little to the President, as they must grapple with the painful fact that a man they see as a remorseless murderer is now heading home, while their loved ones were denied the very same right.
Signaling a disturbing pattern, the Biden administration recently announced another widespread commutation for close to 2,500 individuals arrested for nonviolent drug offenses. A move that has further stirred up cries of disgust from law-abiding citizens and law enforcement agencies as the President continues to overlook the importance of safeguarding law and order.
The outgoing Interior Secretary seemed to ignore the implications of this decision, claiming that it symbolized ‘justice’ that has long eluded Native Americans. As if letting a convicted murderer walk free could bring justice to anyone. ‘I am grateful that Leonard can now go home to his family,’ she stated, omitting the fact that to the families of the agents, their loved ones will never be returning home.