Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier welcomed home to North Dakota: "I'm so proud of the showing and support"
After spending nearly 50 years in prison, Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier has returned to North Dakota and a community event welcomed him home on Wednesday.
Peltier was released from a high-security prison in Florida Tuesday morning and returned by plane after his life sentence for the 1975 killings of two FBI agents was commuted by President Joe Biden in the final hours of his term. The 80-year-old will serve out his sentence in home confinement.
The celebratory welcome was hosted by NDN Collective and held in Belcourt, North Dakota at the Sky Dancer Event Center.
"We made a commitment to free Leonard Peltier and bring him back to his homelands – this is us fulfilling that commitment," said Nick Tilsen, Founder and CEO of NDN Collective. "We are welcoming Leonard back home in a beautiful way to thank him for his legacy by feeding the people, thanking everyone who fought for him for years, and honoring those who fought for his freedom but are no longer with us."
Though Peltier acknowledged being at the scene and firing a gun from a distance, he said he fired in self-defense.
A woman who claimed to have seen Peltier shoot the agents later recanted her testimony, saying it had been coerced.
Former FBI Director Christopher Wray called Peltier a "remorseless killer" and called his commutation "an affront to the rule of law" in a letter to Biden.
The commutation was not a pardon for crimes committed, something Peltier's advocates have hoped for since he has always maintained his innocence.
"I spent 49 years straight in prison, for something I didn't do," said Peltier at his homecoming event on Wednesday.
Former FBI Director Christopher Wray called Peltier a "remorseless killer" and called his commutation "an affront to the rule of law" in a letter to Biden.
"This is a historical day, it really is," said his niece Shannon Cartwright at the homecoming event on Tuesday. "Not just for us as a family but the Native people."
"I'm proud of the position I've taken," said Peltier. "I've helped fight for our rights, for our survival."
Moved to tears by the loud cheers of the crowd, Peltier said, "I'm so proud of the showing and support you've given me. I've still got a lot of restrictions, but it's better than being in a cell."
