Leonard Peltier Archives - Native Organizers Alliance

Welcome home, Leonard

February 18, 2025/in Current Events, In The News, Indian Country News, Our Work/by Shea Vassar

In one of the last acts of his presidency, President Biden freed Leonard Peltier — a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the longest serving Native political prisoner in U.S. history. And today, February 18, 2025, Leonard was was released from federal prison.This is thanks in no small part to our collective activism, sending hundreds of thousands of messages to the White House urging the president to act on behalf of freedom and justice. With your help, NOA was able to send 135,491 letters asking for Leonard’s freedom and gather 142,184 petition signatures. Our hearts are full for Leonard Peltier, his family, and all of Indian Country as he is finally granted freedom after nearly 50 years behind bars.

photo by Angel White Eyes / NDN Collective

Leonard’s incarceration came to symbolize the injustices Native peoples face in defending our lands and civil and inherent rights. His resilience has stood as a testament to the enduring strength of Native peoples in the face of systemic racism and oppression. Throughout his incarceration, Leonard remained unwavering in his commitment to defending Indigenous rights. He has inspired activists worldwide to stand up to governments and systems that marginalize people of color.

His lifelong advocacy for Native rights and justice will continue encouraging Indigenous activists for generations. Today, we celebrate not just Leonard’s long overdue freedom, but an Indigenous movement he helped create.

Over the past nearly 50 years, international leaders including Pope Francis, Saint Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama, and Coretta Scott King have called for Leonard Peltier’s release.

Our activism, alongside generations of leaders, led seven U.S. senators and 26 representatives to sign a letter late last year urging President Biden to grant clemency. And our calls for action led to this moment.

President Biden Commutes Sentence for Leonard Peltier

January 20, 2025/in Campaigns, Current Events, In The News, NOA Insights, Press Releases/by Jennifer Fairbanks

NOA’s response to Leonard Peltier’s parole denial

July 3, 2024/in Current Events, Indian Country News, Opinion, Press Releases/by Jennifer Fairbanks

Indigenous Leaders Call for Compassionate Release of Leonard Peltier

April 16, 2024/in Current Events, Our Work, Press Releases/by Shea Vassar

For Immediate Release: April 15, 2024

Rapid City, SD – In light of the severe health conditions and medical needs of longtime Indigenous political prisoner Leonard Peltier, NDN Collective and Native Organizers Alliance are asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to free Peltier through compassionate release.

“At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, Attorney General Merrick Garland stood in front of hundreds of Tribal leaders and committed to make Native American civil rights a priority to the Biden administration,” said Nick Tilsen, President and CEO of NDN Collective. “Supporting the compassionate release of Leonard Peltier after nearly five decades of imprisonment would be a clear signal that he intends to make good on that promise.

“Peltier’s civil rights were violated repeatedly throughout his prosecution and imprisonment. His continued incarceration should be considered cruel and unusual punishment,” continued Tilsen. “Will Attorney General Garland be known for being humane and releasing Leonard Peltier, or for letting him die behind bars on his watch? One of these choices will absolutely be a part of Garland’s legacy. Given the recognition of the many prosecutorial and constitutional violations from every level of those involved in his prosecution, the only morally and legally sound action is to release Leonard Peltier now. Every single moment matters.”

“We are asking the Department of Justice to support the compassionate release of Leonard Peltier,” said Judith LeBlanc, Executive Director of Native Organizers Alliance. “As the longest-serving political prisoner in the United States, Leonard has become a symbol of resilience. At a time when democratic values are being questioned, the DOJ should take action as he nears the end of his life and allow him to return to his family and his ancestral homeland. We implore the DOJ to grant Peltier compassionate release.”

NDN Collective has been actively organizing for the release of Leonard Peltier for years, including leading a caravan from Rapid City, SD to Washington, DC last year where they rallied outside the White House.

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NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change, we are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms.

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Press release originally published here: https://ndncollective.org/indigenous-leaders-call-for-compassionate-release-of-leonard-peltier/

Tag Archive for: Leonard Peltier

For Immediate Release: April 15, 2024