In the final hours of President Joe Biden’s term, he granted Leonard Peltier clemency through commutation, allowing him to serve his life sentence at home on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota.
This moment marks a significant step toward justice, but it also reflects the broader struggle for fairness and healing that Indigenous peoples have faced for centuries.
Just as Peltier fought for the rights of his people, I too grew up on the San Manuel Indian Reservation, where I witnessed firsthand the challenges so many Native Americans still face today. As the first and only California Native American legislator, I carry with me the weight of my people’s history. The centuries of displacement, discrimination, and disenfranchisement we have endured.
It is a history that continues to play out in the lives of Native American people across the country. As we look toward the future, it is essential to recognize that the fight for justice for Peltier is not just about one man; it is about the collective fight for fairness, dignity, and healing for Indigenous peoples.
Leonard Peltier was convicted in 1977 for the deaths of two FBI agents during a shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. This unfortunate loss took place when tensions were high across the nation between the U.S. government and Native American activists addressing civil and treaty rights. Issues from the heightened tensions and trial led to calls from human rights organizations and activists for a review of the case. The trial itself was far from fair, and over the years, numerous legal experts have continued to demand justice for Peltier.
For many of us, Peltier’s story is deeply personal. Like him, I have been impacted by the boarding school experience. At the age of nine, he was forcibly removed from his grandmother’s home and sent to the Wahpeton Indian School, more than 300 miles from his family. My own grandmother, Martha Manuel Chacon, was sent to St. Boniface in Banning, where she endured similar trauma. The boarding school era remains one of the darkest chapters in our history, where young Native American children were stripped of their identities in the name of forced assimilation.
The emotional scars from that experience have lasted generations. For some survivors, the trauma led them to advocate for change, something Peltier did through his active involvement in the American Indian Movement (AIM).
As a member of AIM, Peltier fought for the rights of his people in the face of federal neglect and abuse. It is no secret that AIM’s activism, particularly in the 1970s, drew the displeasure of the federal government, and Peltier’s conviction has long been seen as part of a larger effort to suppress Native resistance.
While I have had the privilege of serving my community as a legislator, I am aware of the ways in which Native voices are often marginalized, both in our state and across the nation.
During my time as a legislator, I have had to educate my colleagues on the historical atrocities committed against California’s first people, atrocities that are often dismissed or minimized. In many ways, our struggles today are echoes of those injustices, as evidenced by Peltier’s case.
It is easy for some to dismiss Peltier’s case as a moment in the past. But for Native American people, it is not just history; it is a living, breathing example of the injustice we continue to face. Over 40 years in prison, often in solitary confinement, have taken a toll on Peltier’s health.
While the United States has made strides in recent years to address some of the historical wrongs committed against Indigenous communities, such as the recognition of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and the push for truth and reconciliation regarding federal boarding schools, much work remains.
We had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the first Native American serve in the presidential cabinet, Deb Haaland, as secretary of the interior. I myself am now entering my fourth term as the first and only California Native American legislator. Yet, despite these victories, we are still confronted with the harsh reality that Native Americans continue to face systemic inequities and discrimination.
Granting clemency to Leonard Peltier is more than a personal victory—it is a statement to the justice, healing, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. While we have made progress in recognizing the rights of Native communities, there is still much more work to be done. I urge all to continue pushing for justice and accountability for all Indigenous people. The fight for Leonard Peltier is a fight for all of us.
James C. Ramos represents the 45th Assembly District and is chair of the California Native American Legislative Caucus.