Leonard Peltier

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that Leonard Peltier has been in prison at Ft. Leavenworth more than 30 years for a crime that he and many supporters say he did not commit. In order to understand what actually happened that day and why many people consider Peltier a political prisoner, the writer notes that it is necessary to obtain an awareness of the historical context in which the incident took place and the government's attitude toward the American-Indian Movement. In this essay, the writer examines the historical context, looks at the two trials that were held in connection with the shootings and describes subsequent legal actions.

Outline:
Historical Context
The American Indian Movement

From the Paper:

"Three films have been made about the incident and the case: Incident at Oglala a documentary produced by Robert Redford (which this paper draws heavily upon), another documentary Warrior, and a fictionalized version Thunderheart. The film Incident at Oglala was based directly on a book written by Peter Matthiessen, In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, which describes the historical context and events that led to the shoot-out in 1975. The book was kept off the market for eight years until 1991 by a lawsuit that the FBI funded. Eight decisions later, the Supreme Court ruled that the book was free of libel, so it and the documentary are now available to the public. Although Peltier is known in foreign countries as a hero, and Amnesty International and others are fighting for him as a political prisoner, there is not much public awareness about him in the United States."

Sample of Sources Used:

• AIM web site: The international office of the Leonard Peltier Defense Committee. http://www.aimovement.org/peltier/.
• Bolelli, D. (2005). Have you thought of Leonard Peltier lately? American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 29 (1), 190-112.
• Incident at Oglala (1991). Film produced by Robert Redford, 90 minutes. Carolco International N.V. and Spanish Fork Motion Picture Company.
• No Parole Peltier Association web site. http://www.noparolepeltier.com/myth.html.
• Motives and Motivations--Leonard Peltier web site. "The Myth of Leonard Peltier." http://www.noparolepeltier.com/myth.html

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