Leonard Peltier after being released from prison Feb. 18, 2025. Credit: NDN Collective.
“Today I am finally free! They may have imprisoned me but they never took my spirit!”
What seemed an impossibility became reality on Feb. 18, as Native political prisoner Leonard Peltier walked out of Coleman Federal Penitentiary a free man. He exited Coleman no longer in a prison uniform but proudly donning a traditional ribbon shirt.
With the weight of almost 50 years of prison lifted from his shoulders, Leonard beamed with happiness, his triumphant fist in the air in the photograph released by NDN Collective. The Indigenous-centered collective led a tremendous campaign in the last few years to win Peltier’s freedom.
After a healing prayer ceremony and first meal as a free man, Peltier flew home to North Dakota accompanied by NDN Collective’s executive officer Nick Tilsen and Holly Cook Macarro, government affairs officer for NDN.
Peltier relished the warmth of his community — despite -20 degrees weather — as he and his caravan were greeted by many dozens of people of Belcourt, North Dakota, who lined the road to greet him. Peltier is now home, where he will live in a home provided by NDN Collective on the lands of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, (Ojibwe).
The morning before his release on Tuesday, some 30 supporters gathered outside the northern Florida prison, reminiscing on the years of struggle for Leonard’s freedom. Ray St. Clair, White Earth Ojibwe, traveled from Minnesota.
Carrying his eagle staff, he said, “I came down to see Leonard get out today. It’s the culmination of many years of prayer and a lot of struggle to try to get this man out.”
“I didn’t think this day was ever going to come, St. Clair continued. “Many, many people, all walks of life, I believe that every color on this planet prayed for this man to get released. It is a good day for Indian country.”
His doubts about Peltier’s gaining freedom were not unfounded. The FBI waged an unrelenting campaign of revenge against Peltier, falsely accusing him of the killing of two FBI agents during a shoot-out on June 26, 1975 known as the “incident at Oglala,” on Pine Ridge Reservation. A Native man, Joe Stuntz, was also killed but his death was never investigated.
The FBI targeted Peltier after his two co-defendants were acquitted of killing the FBI agents on grounds of self-defense. But because Peltier had escaped to Canada before trial, he was not tried at the same time. He was convinced that as a Native man he could never receive a fair trial. His prediction proved true.
The FBI now turned their guns on Peltier, determined that he “has to pay,” being the last remaining defendant. Peltier was extradited from Canada under false claims by the FBI. Witnesses’ lives were threatened and coerced by the FBI to give false testimony. The ballistics evidence presented at his trial later proved to be falsified.
Kevin Sharp, attorney and former Chief Judge of the U.S. District for the Middle District of Tennessee, represented Peltier for five years in his clemency appeal starting in December 2019.
In his statement, he said, “Unquestionably, the death of two FBI agents and a young Native American was a tragedy, only further compounded by the nearly 50 years of wrongful incarceration for Leonard Peltier. Misconduct by the government in the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Peltier has been a stain on our system of justice. Leonard’s step outside the prison walls today marks a step toward his long overdue freedom and a step toward reconciliation with Native Americans.”
One president after another turned down Peltier’s clemency appeals, despite worldwide support by millions of supporters over the years.
The people never stopped fighting for his freedom. Peltier never gave in, never stopped speaking his truth.
