Two distinguished Indigenous leaders are urging President Joe Biden to release Leonard Peltier from prison and are making it clear that this issue will be a priority in the 2024 presidential election. Fawn Sharp, the president of the National Congress of American Indians, wrote a letter to Biden expressing her disappointment in his failure to take action on Peltier’s case despite his commitment to strengthening the federal government’s relationship with Native communities. In the letter, she appeals to Biden to commute Peltier’s sentence or support his petition for compassionate release.
In an interview with HuffPost, Sharp took a more direct approach, stating that Biden’s silence on the matter makes him complicit in the injustice faced by Indian Country. Suzan Harjo, another Indigenous rights advocate, also sent a letter to Biden, highlighting his history of fighting for justice and urging him to consider Peltier’s case with compassion.
Leonard Peltier, a member of the American Indian Movement, has been in prison since 1977 and is the longest-serving political prisoner in the United States. Peltier’s trial was marred by misconduct and lies, with prosecutors withholding evidence and coercing witnesses. Despite the lack of evidence against him, Peltier was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life terms.
Peltier, now 78 years old and in poor health, has consistently maintained his innocence. His case has received international attention and support from human rights leaders, including the Pope, Nelson Mandela, and Coretta Scott King. However, he remains imprisoned in a maximum-security facility in Florida.
Fawn Sharp emphasizes that Peltier’s case represents the broader history of injustices faced by Native people in the United States. She believes that now is the time for Biden to take action and release Peltier, especially considering the support Indigenous voters gave him in the 2020 election.
It remains unclear whether Biden has considered granting clemency to Peltier, as the White House has not responded to requests for comment. Time is running out for Peltier, and it is ultimately Biden’s decision whether to free an innocent man. Indigenous leaders are hopeful that he will make the right choice.
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