Talk:Leonard Peltier

Don't know much about this case, so I'll leave editing to the experts, but when quoting speeches, remember that it's considered good form to leave out repetitions and hesitations ("uh").

dudes, there is a gigantic hundreds of pages book about it. "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, by Peter Matthiessen". Some dont really like his book for various reasons i cant remember. I think it had something to do with him being a whitey outsider making his career and fame off some horrible tragedy... but its been a few years and my memorys fuzzy.

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The earlier bits about Oglala were actually correct, though I think this version reads better.  :-D Anyway, there was a film made about it called Incident at Oglala; I think that might be where the poster got his/her info in re: the woman who testified. She's on there saying that she'd never met Peltier and just said what they told her to. An amazing confession, really. I can't remember her name either, sorry. I suppose I'll have to watch it again; it's been several years since I saw it last. --KQ

-- I haven't seen it. Amazon.com listing for it: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00000I1L9/qid%3D1002073341/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F0%5F1/104-0763331-6922347

IMDB listing:

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0104504

-- looks like a nice piece of propaganda, and I say that from a completely Neutral point of view -- whether he's guilty, whether he's innocent, looks like the film has the ability to powerfully sway people's feelings on the subject.

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It's a good film but I wouldn't get it at that price. Kind of a B+ documentary, not as good as, say, Hoop Dreams or, um, Koyaanisqatsi, but well worth watching. And no, it doesn't make much attempt at NPOV. Look for it at your library, maybe? Or a bigger video store might have it; Robert Redford had some involvement with it (not directing, though). --Koyaanis Qatsi

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Issues the article could address, which I'll work on when I have time unless someone beats me to it:

• More details of LP's life if available.
• When and at what age LP joined the AIM, and what work he did for them.
• Circumstances surrounding the killings.
• Canada is a very large country. More specifically where did LP flee to?
• Name of the judge. More specific trial dates.
• More details of his supporters' arguments.
• Stated grounds for political prisoner status, at least for Amnesty, EP, and Dalai Lama.
• I vaguely recall hearing something about serious health problems, a couple of years ago. Something about dental problems, and not receiving proper health care for them. Bare facts and any reference to them by supporters.

Tualha 03:51, Nov 13, 2003 (UTC)

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What does "illegally extradited" mean? since extradition is a legal status, it seems to me that illegal extradition is logically impossible; either Peltier was legally extradited, or else he was not extradited at all, but peraps turned over illegally to the U.S. government. --- Dominus 19:15, 19 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Associates?

The article about the incident frequently refers to the suspicious men as "Peltier's associates". Clearly, this is making the assumption that Peltier was guilty and that these men were helping him with his escape, providing for a non-NPOV article. Is there another way to word this so that it does not refer to being related at all to Peltier while remaining grammatically correct? Thanks. :) -- TheWanderer

Irrelevant Political Fantasies

Removed from article; maybe it has some use elsewhere like WikiSource:

In 2004 he ran as a U.S. presidential candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party.

== Statement as Presidential Candidate ==

Leonard Peltier's Official statement as Candidate for United States President, 2004 2 November election:

Luther Standing Bear, a Sioux Chief, stated: "Out of the Indian approach to life came a great freedom – an intense and absorbing love for nature; a respect for life... and principals of truth, honesty, generosity, equity, and brotherhood as a guard to mundane relations." These values will guide me as president. I am a Native American, deprived of my language, culture, and traditions; yet, I have survived the genocidal government policies against Indigenous Peoples. I will ensure equal rights to liberty, education, employment, housing, and health care, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. I will work towards conflict resolution without the use of violence and ensure self-determination for all peoples. I live with injustice every day. Caged for over 28 years for a crime I did not commit, I am a political prisoner wrongfully convicted by a government that indisputably withheld and fabricated evidence, as well as coerced witnesses. No branch of government will correct this injustice. At the root of this injustice are the oppressive policies of the U.S. government against people of color and those with dissenting opinions. I pledge to eliminate such policies. I will abolish the federal death penalty and restore the constitutional protections which ensure justice for all people. Our environment is the essence of our life, but our government – in partnership with greedy corporations – haphazardly destroys it for the monetary benefit of a few. I will protect our environment to ensure our survival and the survival of our future generations.