Despite being out of prison Leonard Peltier is not free.
The Native American activist whose dubious murder conviction was a cause célèbre in the 1970s could not make it to the screening of his own documentary Free Leonard Peltier at The IFC Center in lower Manhattan. He had to join in via Skype because his 2025 presidential commutation has ordered him to home confinement after his near 50 year stint in federal prison.
“I’m still fighting for my total freedom,” he told the theater as he was broadcast on the screen. And that fight for freedom has been decades long. Theater staff passed out “Free Leonard Peltier” buttons. I overheard one audience member remark, “I wore one of these 40 years ago.”
Peltier was convicted in 1977 for the murder of two FBI agents. His supporters believe Peltier’s trial was a sham, scapegoating a prominent figure as retaliation against the Native community.
Peltier said of his half-century legal saga, “But this is not new for us Native people. This is old stuff. I grew up under these conditions.” He continued,”I’m glad I stayed strong. I could’ve gotten out a long time ago. All I had to do was give some names up, tell on people. You got the wrong person here.”
The film is a fascinating look at both the events that led to Peltier’s imprisonment and its clarion call for activists for many years. It skillfully recreates the day of the murders, giving this murky historical event more clarity with engaging visuals. Archival footage and a contemporary camera crew following the new generation of activists seeking his commutation tell the rest of the story.
Free Leonard Peltier is directed by David France and Jesse Short Bull. The film premieres on Netflix October 12.
