BELCOURT, N.D. — Supporters of prominent Native American figure Leonard Peltier are preparing to receive him back in his North Dakota hometown on Wednesday, following his release from a Florida prison where he had been serving a life sentence for the 1975 murders of two FBI agents.
At the age of 80, Peltier is anticipated to engage with family and supporters at a local events center in Belcourt, which is located just south of the Canadian border on the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians’ reservation.
“We are thrilled about this moment,” expressed Jenipher Jones, one of Peltier’s legal representatives, shortly before his release. “He is feeling optimistic. He embodies the spirit of a warrior.”
The decision to commute Peltier’s life sentence to home confinement was made by then-President Joe Biden, which facilitated his release from the Coleman penitentiary on Tuesday. Peltier had been convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and given two consecutive life sentences as a result of a clash on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota back in 1975.
During the incident, FBI agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams lost their lives. Although Peltier admits to having fired shots during the encounter, he maintains that he was not the one who fatally shot the agents. Many among Native Americans view him as a political prisoner, asserting that his conviction was unjust and rooted in his advocacy for tribal rights while being affiliated with the American Indian Movement.
Opposition to Peltier’s release has come from some law enforcement groups over the years. While Biden weighed his options toward the end of his presidency, former FBI Director Christopher Wray sent a communication to the president, labeling Peltier as “a remorseless killer” who should remain incarcerated.
In a statement regarding the commutation, Biden highlighted that various individuals and organizations supported Peltier’s release, citing the lengthy time he had already served, his advanced age, and his role as an influential leader among Native Americans.
