It has been four months since Leonard Peltier left the federal prison walls behind him and returned home to Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa reservation.
In 1977 Leonard was convicted for a crime he didn’t committed, a murder of two FBI-agents, and he spent almost 50 years behind bars.
Though he is not totally free now (Joe Biden executed a communication and Leonard is now in house arrest for the remaining of his life), Leonard says it’s wonderful to be home again.
Leonard is angry for many things. Like for loosing so much time with his family, the wrongful conviction, and how society has been treating his people over the years.
“Goddamn right I’m bitter”, “Otherwise, I would have been guilty. Only the guilty would not be bitter…” “I’m pissed off, not only what they did to me, but what they did to my people…”.
Leonard says that he has no regrets for standing up for his people. He would do it again.
”I would stand up for them again today, if it cost me the rest of my life”, ”I don’t care. I believe what we were fighting for…” Regarding future activism Leonard says he is too old to be out in the streets. But ha can fight for the liberation of his people in other ways.
Leonard health has improved greatly since he left the prison. When he left prison he could barely walk, and he thought he was going to die. That was why he shouted, “I beat the bastards”, “They expected me to die in prison…” when he was released.
He doesn’t any longer have to take medication for diabetes, he is soon up for eye surgery, and his heart condition has improved greatly. “I’m starting to walk good now. My voice is still a little messed up, but I’m able to speak a lot better now, and I don’t feel as tired and constantly in pain”, “I think I’m starting to pull out of it…”
Read the whole interview at: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/06/24/leonard-peltier-gives-interview-after-release-from-prison
