Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier will return home nearly half a century after being imprisoned for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents. President Joe Biden commuted Peltier’s sentence following decades of community-led advocacy. The White House stated that Peltier, 80 and in declining health, will transition to home confinement. The commutation is not a pardon, and Peltier has always maintained his innocence.
The National Congress of American Indians celebrated the decision, stating the case symbolized systemic injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples. Former FBI Director Christopher Wray opposed the commutation, calling Peltier a “remorseless killer” in a letter to Biden.
Peltier was active in the American Indian Movement (AIM), which addressed police brutality and discrimination against Native Americans. In 1973, AIM took over the village of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, leading to a 71-day standoff with federal agents.
Peltier admitted he was present and firing during the June 26, 1975, confrontation with FBI agents at Pine Ridge. Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were shot in the head at close range after being injured in a shootout. AIM member Joseph Stuntz was also killed. Peltier fled to Canada but was extradited to the U.S. and convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1977, despite defense claims of falsified evidence. Co-defendants Robert Robideau and Dino Butler were acquitted.
Peltier was denied parole as recently as July and wasn’t eligible again until 2026. His son, Chauncey Peltier, expressed shock and joy at the news. Peltier’s tribe, the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, has a home ready for him on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota.
Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Emery Nelson said Peltier remained incarcerated at USP Coleman, a high-security prison in Florida. His lawyer indicated his release date was tentatively set for February 18th.
The commutation follows decades of lobbying and protests by Native American leaders and others who argue Peltier was wrongfully convicted. Amnesty International considers him a political prisoner. Advocates for his release included Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Coretta Scott King, Robert Redford, Pete Seeger, Harry Belafonte, and Jackson Browne.
Law enforcement officers, former FBI agents, their families, and prosecutors opposed any reduction in Peltier’s sentence. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama also rejected Peltier’s clemency requests. He was denied parole in 1993, 2009, and 2024.
Biden issued a record number of pardons and commutations, including commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses and issuing a broad pardon to his son Hunter.
Outgoing Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet member, posted that the commutation signified a measure of justice long evaded by Native Americans. “I am grateful that Leonard can now go home to his family,” she said. “I applaud President Biden for this action and understanding what this means to Indian Country.”
