For the past six years, members of Leonard Peltier's family have held an annual reunion in August, hoping that this would be the year their loved one could finally join them. But on July 2nd, their hopes were shattered once again when the 79-year-old Native American activist was denied parole for the umpteenth time after 47 years behind bars.
Peltier is serving two consecutive life sentences for his alleged role in a 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota that resulted in the deaths of two FBI agents. He has maintained his innocence throughout, and his case has become a cause célèbre among civil rights and Indigenous advocates, who accuse law enforcement of suppressing evidence and coercing witnesses to secure his conviction on first-degree murder charges.
Some even consider Peltier the longest-serving political prisoner in the United States. But his lengthy incarceration has exacted a heavy toll on his family, who have struggled to keep the fight for his freedom going while dealing with the personal and financial fallout.
Chauncey Peltier, Leonard's oldest son, was only 10 years old when his father was convicted. The time they have spent apart has left a deep chasm, with Chauncey admitting, My father doesn't know me, and I don't know him. Yet Chauncey has dedicated decades of his life to fighting for his father's release, even as the family faced harassment and financial hardship.
Peltier's daughter Marquetta Shields-Peltier, who was a toddler when he was imprisoned, has no memories of him outside of prison visits. She recalls the excitement and nervousness of meeting him for the first time at age 8, asking her grandmother, You think he loves me, grandma? The strain of the legal battle and Peltier's absence for major life events have taken a toll on Marquetta's mental health, leading her to seek therapy.
The family's struggles extend beyond the immediate Peltier clan. His sister Betty Ann has struggled with depression for most of her life due to her brother's incarceration, while his niece Pamela Bravo fears Peltier may not survive until his next parole hearing in 2039, by which time he will be 94 years old. Peltier's health has deteriorated significantly, with a range of serious medical conditions including kidney disease, diabetes, and a life-threatening abdominal aortic aneurysm.
Despite the hardships, the family remains steadfast in their fight for Peltier's freedom, hoping to see him recognized not just as a remorseless killer, as the FBI director has described him, but for his activism with the American Indian Movement and the broader struggles of Indigenous people in the United States. As Chauncey put it, His release would start the healing of what Native people have gone through for 500 years.
With the latest parole denial, the family's hopes were once again dashed, but they vow to continue their legal battle, appealing the decision and praying that Peltier may yet live to see the day when he can join them for their annual reunion, free at last.
