WHEREAS,
the ____________________________________ supports justice for
all people of all nations; and
WHEREAS, Leonard Peltier, in upholding Indigenous goals—those of
securing and protecting the rights of American Indians or First
Nations—was wrongfully convicted of murder for the June 26,
1975, deaths of two agents of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation; and
WHEREAS, since trial, it has been revealed through the use of
the Freedom of Information Act that Leonard Peltier was
convicted on the bases of fabricated and suppressed evidence in
violation of his constitutional rights—affidavits used to arrest
and extradite Peltier were false and Peltier's shell casing did
not match the bullets that killed the agents—and, according to
the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in 2003: "…Much of the
government’s behavior at the Pine Ridge Reservation and its
prosecution of Leonard Peltier is to be condemned. The
government withheld evidence. It intimidated witnesses. These
facts are not disputed"; and
WHEREAS, in a decision filed by the Eighth Circuit Court of
Appeals on December 18, 2002, it was stated that the sentences
imposed "were imposed in violation of [Peltier's] due process
rights because they were based on information that was false due
to government misconduct”; and
WHEREAS, Leonard Peltier has nevertheless served more than 30
years in prison since his arrest on February 6, 1976; and
WHEREAS, although Leonard Peltier maintains that he did not kill
the agents, he has openly expressed remorse and sadness over
their deaths; and
WHEREAS,
Leonard Peltier has no prior convictions and has advocated for
non-violence throughout his prison term, been a model prisoner,
and received excellent evaluations from his work supervisors on
a regular basis; and
WHEREAS, Leonard Peltier continues to mentor young Native
prisoners, encouraging them to lead clean and sober lives, and
has used his time productively, disciplining himself to be a
talented painter and an expressive writer; and
WHEREAS, Leonard Peltier contributes regular support to those in
need, e.g., coordinating an annual holiday gift drive for the
children of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and donating his
paintings to charities including battered women's shelters, half
way houses, alcohol and drug treatment programs, and Native
American scholarship funds; and
WHEREAS, Leonard Peltier is widely recognized for his good deeds
and in turn has won several awards (including the North Star
Frederick Douglas Award; Federation of Labour (Ontario, Canada)
Humanist of the Year Award; Human Rights Commission of Spain
International Human Rights Prize; and 2004 Silver Arrow Award
for Lifetime Achievement); and
WHEREAS, Leonard Peltier, in 2009 and for the sixth consecutive
year, also was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize; and
WHEREAS, worldwide, numerous and respectable law, religious, and
political groups—including Amnesty International—and eight Nobel
Peace Laureates (Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela
among them) and noted individuals such as the late Coretta Scott
King, widow of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., have
called for Leonard Peltier's release; and
WHEREAS, Leonard Peltier is now over 65 years of age—a
great-grandfather—and suffers from partial blindness, diabetes,
a heart condition, and high blood pressure and now faces other
emerging health issues.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the ___________, ASSEMBLED IN
__________ ON __________ supports freedom for Leonard Peltier in
the form of an immediate grant of Executive Clemency.
Sponsored by:
_________________________________
Approved Date is (DATE) by (COMMITTEE)
Certified by Committee Chair:
____________________
Ratified in Plenary Session, Ratified Date
is (DATE)
Ratification certified by:
_________________________
