Justice for Leonard Peltier

On January 20, Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier has had his life sentence commuted by outgoing US President Joe Biden. For nearly 50 years, much of it in solitary confinement, Peltier has been imprisoned for murder following a 1975 confrontation between the FBI and American Indian Movement (AIM) at the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota.  

The confrontation left 2 FBI agents (Ronald Williams and Jack Colder) and 1 AIM member (Joseph Stuntz) dead. Peltier has always maintained his innocence. Despite a lack of evidence of his guilt, Peltier has been denied a retrial and repeatedly denied parole. With his life sentence commuted; Peltier will be released from prison to serve the rest of his sentence from his home.  

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has long been an advocate for justice and human rights, including the release of Leonard Peltier. For years, CUPW has stood in solidarity with the movement calling for his freedom, recognizing the injustices surrounding his case. The Union is happy to see this day finally come, as Leonard Peltier’s release marks a significant step toward justice and reconciliation for Indigenous peoples and human rights advocates worldwide.