PELTIER: JUNE 26, 1975; 43 YEARS LATER

Dear Supporters:

Forty-three years ago today, June 26, 1975, FBI Special Agents Jack R. Coler and Ronald A. Williams were performing their lawful duties on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation following who they believed was a fugitive. (Footnote 1)  What they encountered was an unprovoked attack by Leonard Peltier and other AIM members. One of the eyewitnesses to this attack, Ron Williams, was on the Bureau radio describing exactly what was about to happen. The Agents were caught in an open field and deadly crossfire. Severely wounded, both Agents were then summarily executed. 

Leonard Peltier escaped to Canada after a confrontation with Oregon State Troopers. On February 6, 1979, Peltier, then on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, was arrested by the RCMP and later extradited to stand trial in Fargo, North Dakota. Peltier was convicted and on June 2, 1977 was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. On July 20, 1979 Peltier participated in an armed escape from Lompoc federal prison during which guards were fired upon. He was arrested, convicted and received an additional seven consecutiveyears.  At an August 20, 2009 hearing, Peltier was denied parole and extended for an additional fifteen years until 2024. On January 18, 2017 President Obama denied Peltier’s clemency petition. (Fn. 2)

Over the years Peltier has maintained his innocence, claims to be a “political prisoner” and has made all manner of public statements that only reinforce his unrepentant and remorseless guilt. Peltier’s long standing and only real alibi, that the phantom Mr. X killed the Agents, was proven to be an unmitigated lie. (Fn. 3)

A simple solution to address Peltier’s claims is to thoroughly review the history of Peltier’s conviction and sentence: A conviction and sentence that has never been altered after numerous appeals, even reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. Offering just a few of those facts, please see some important reminders. (Fn 4)

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”

Ed Woods

Footnotes:

1) Honoring the Fallen:  http://wwwnoparolepeltiercom-justice.blogspot.com/2018/05/honoring-fallen.html

2) Clemency denied: http://wwwnoparolepeltiercom-justice.blogspot.com/2017/01/peltier-thank-you-president-obama.html

3) The lie of Mr. X: http://www.noparolepeltier.com/lie.html

4) Important reminders: http://wwwnoparolepeltiercom-justice.blogspot.com/2018/03/peltier-important-reminders.html

PELTIER'S FIRST ESCAPE PLAN............PART 4

Dear Supporters:

A brief review:

In 1979 Peltier claimed that a government assassination plot followed him from Leavenworth to Lompoc penitentiary in California and that he had no alternative but to escape, which he did, with shots fired at prison guards, only to be captured five days later, disoriented, in the woods.

Flash back to February 1976; Peltier fled to Canada after the murders of FBI Agents Coler and Williams in June 1975, narrowly escaping being caught, (and was slightly wounded), by an Oregon State Trooper, but eventually made it to Small Boy’s camp near Hinton, Alberta where he was ‘snitched-out’ by the old man “Yellow Bird” and arrested by the RCMP. Peltier was housed in the ‘observation ward’ at Oakalla Prison, Burnaby, British Columbia where he tried desperately, and did get the attention of, Amnesty International, which was gaining some traction in an effort to be moved into general population to make an escape more feasible. (Please see previous Blogs dated, February 5^th, 19^th,  & March 12^th.)

Peltier has not responded to requests to answer a few simple and straightforward questions about his first escape plan, so we’ll continue from here:

Peltier hatched a plan, neatly writing out the details in a small note; he needed a jeweler’s wire snuck into the prison, maybe through “some good Indian brothers who get open visits,” and added some codes; that if successful with obtaining the escape tool, “your baby has got a new tooth,” and when someone was found who could get the jewelers saw into the prison, “your baby has two new teeth,” and finally when the escape plan was in place a final message that Peltier was “going to buy me a pizza tonight.” He also needed a “car (placed) south of the parking lot on a residential street, just in case.”

Presumably, some of the ‘coded’ messages would be sent with the regular mail. Imagine the mailroom screening personnel seeing that Peltier would be buying a pizza? Like that wouldn’t raise a flag or two? Inmates generally don’t have pizzas delivered. Anyway…great secret code.

The next problem was how to sneak the note out of Oakalla to someone he trusted.

AIM at that point, and with what’s left of that motley crew still to this day, are a paranoid lot and suspected many in their ranks as being ‘agent provocateurs’ (informants). AIM justice was simple; suspicion, put a gun in her mouth as a polygraph substitute; still not convinced, a ‘trial’ of opinionated guilt, a fatal sentence and then getting shot in the head and dumped in a ditch on the Reservation. They suspected Anna Mae Aquash as such only to find out she remained loyal to her AIM brothers and was not an informant. Too late though.

 

Now, how to get the escape plan note out of Oakalla to someone he trusted, a brother perhaps, a real family member, yes, maybe, Russell Peltier.

Actually, this had been Peltier’s second attempt to get word to conspirators on the outside. Peltier added a request to contact the other person with the first note to make sure it didn’t get into the wrong hands.

Prison inmates are being transferred in and out all the time, and Oakalla was no exception. Peltier found a willing courier and the neatly handwritten note was slipped to a fellow ‘observation ward’ cellmate. Maybe the guy was a “little mental(ly) disturbed, (but) slip him a $5.00 bill so he’ll have some pocket change,” the note suggested.

Another question for Leonard Peltier: 

Is any of this starting to sound vaguely familiar?

And the best part is yet to come…

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”

Ed Woods

P.S.

In a 4/2/13 release Peltier and the LPDOC are showing exactly how desperate they’ve become:  “We are asking for something special. We want you to HAND-write a letter or postcard, put your voice, your prayer, your demand in physical evidence form. The electric petition medium has not proven very successful, for Leonard, and in some ways easier to ignore.”

Very special…handwritten notes…making demands? Physical evidence? The evidence of Peltier’s guilt is already well documented in the public record and it’s not easy to ignore.

WHAT? ANTI-SEMITE?

What? Anti-Semite too?

Since Blogs, by their very nature are more casual and conversational (unlike formal Editorial Essays), I have to toss this back at the LPDOC; those few amorphous folks remaining who think they speak the truth on behalf of “Political Prisoner” Leonard Peltier. You know, the same folks who hide behind the smoldering campfire and are afraid to put a name to their work product.

Aside from the fact they keep dropping my email address from their email list (or perhaps they just don’t send out “press releases” anymore), they responded to a recent NPPA Essay #54 (http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#finished) and it’s related Blog (July 12, 2010: and yes, it was post-dated to mark the one year anniversary of last year’s USP Lewisburg event where Peltier faced the music once again, http://www.noparolepeltier.com/debate.html#paroledenied).

As for dropping the NPPA email address, and a heads-up challenge to the Peltier cohorts, there’ll be more on that later….

The current issue surrounded correct quoting and the treatment of First Americans.

So, I’ll ask anyone to please reread the latest quote and simply ask a follow-up question of the anonymous LPDOC author…

I said, “This writer (me) subscribes to (noted historian) Ambrose’s conclusions; based on years of intelligent research, and properly summarize the devastation of the Native American historical experience.”

So, again, what part of “the devastation of the Native American historical experience” don’t you quite understand? The recognition of what happened should be clear, and the cause of what happened was placed in its proper historical perspective. The “world view” definition does not—repeat, does not—somehow redefine American history, especially from the likes of the ineffective and totally anti-American United Nations. There are political prisoners around the world; Leonard Peltier is not America’s.

The LPDOC continues to imply that based on nothing more that an extreme hatred for anyone who recognizes Peltier’s guilt (along with the sham and fraudulent fundraising, the adulteration of a proud Native American history, and the myth that Peltier’s murderous actions and conviction are somehow politically motivated), goes on to say:

“But Ed, no doubt is also a Holocaust denier.”

Holocaust denier? That’s their conclusion? Call Peltier guilty and you’re a racist and now an anti-Semite? Apparently “they” haven’t read much of what’s on the NPPA website…shame on them for that because an awful lot of other people have.

On a personal note, I have quite an extensive library in my study: on one of the several history related shelves there are (about 2 ½’ worth) of books related directly to Israel and the Middle East conflict. I have been an unwavering supporter of Israel for decades.

For those few who remain, if there’s any doubt about Peltier’s guilt and complicity (yes, aiding and abetting as well) please see paragraph #10 of the previous NPPA Blog entry dated July 12th. He’s as guilty as sin and many former Peltier supporters understand that.

Explain that damning little piece of fact straight from, in a manner of speaking, the horse’s mouth. Miraculously, and much to the chagrin of Peltier supporters, Peltier wasn’t in Seattle that day…go figure.

We can’t have a meaningful discussion on Peltier’s guilt (or feigned innocence) if the facts don’t matter. But then again, that’s what the folklore, myth and Peltier misinformation are all about.

So, anonymous writer, and the amorphous LPDOC, take ownership of your efforts on Peltier’s behalf, show a little backbone and take ownership of your advocacy.

“In the Spirit of Coler and Williams”
Ed Woods

P.S. In preparation for the next NPPA Blog, please view the iconic modern American film classic, A Christmas Story.

(Next parole reconsideration hearing, July 2024)