Peltier and Trump in the news 

Journalism generally takes on two approaches: opinions in the form of editorials and columns, and written articles.

When sitting down to write an editorial, you must take a pretty strong stance on an issue important to all. State your case. Fight for it. Tell readers what is wrong and how to fix it. End it and move on.

But in the case of Leonard Peltier, it has been incredible to see how divided Indian Country is on such an important, harrowing case that extends back into the reaches of the 1970s and the American Indian Movement (AIM).

Leonard Peltier was no saint, in fact if you listen to stories about him from back then from the family of Annie Mae Pictou, also known as Annie Mae Pictou Aquash, you really start to rethink those Free Leonard Peltier bumper stickers.

Did he kill Pictou? No, the family admits, but he put a gun in her mouth on a few occasions, accused her of being an FBI informant, and, they say, was privy to her murder.

In other words, he didn’t stop it when he had the power to do so.

It was a long time ago, in 1975, so many memories have faded, but through the documentary entitled Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae, which was launched in November 2024, a clear picture has been painted of what happened back then.

The toughest part is Peltier stands for a much bigger movement of wrongly imprisoned men because they say he was innocent of killing two FBI agents (two other men were convicted of killing Pictou).

So, we have this hodgepodge of the wrongly accused, of a powerful Native rights movement, of abuse and murder, misogyny, racism and the colonial powers that exist around us, and people are trying to make sense of it all and figure out where they stand.

You think there’s a lot of misinformation now? Well back then it must have been hard to wade through all of it and come out on the other side of the truth.

Sadly, we don’t think the whole truth will ever come out, but we also believe there are other Indigenous men in prison - who shouldn’t be there - that a movement could have followed instead.

We will forever link the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls movement with Annie Mae. And never stop looking for more truth, even if it means blowing up perceived heroes in our midst.

The act by outgoing president Joe Biden of clemency, but not a pardon for Peltier, means he will be under house arrest for the remainder of his life, at 80 years old. 

It got us to thinking of the second coming of Trump, as the Donald took office this past Monday.

We are still baffled why so many of our people like him, follow his every word, make excuses for him, and, generally, adore a so-called leader who, frankly, doesn’t care about our people, the land, or our rights.

We don’t want them to choose Biden or Kamala Harris, either, because it’s not our system and we know when a snake with less venom bites you, it’s still a snake bite.

But we’re still in shock that such a louse could take office, who has so few redeeming qualities, who has already launched so many attacks on every corner of a country that’s either overjoyed at having him in office, or disgusted that voters could be that stupid to trust him.

Harris wasn’t a great choice to battle head-to-head with Trump, but Trump isn’t a great choice to lead your local Rotary Club, so electing him so gleefully in the most powerful office is, as some say, cringe.

What comes with someone like him is the right-wing ideology that attacks women’s bodies, LGBTQ+ lives, Indigenous rights, immigrants, and everything else that doesn’t line up with pseudo-Christian practices based on a book full of wide interpretations, inaccuracies, and lies.

Pardoning or commuting sentences across the board of all January 6, 2021, rioters could be one move that Trump will eventually pay for, but you can’t help but wonder what’s to stop him from similar reckless orders now that the giant man baby has taken his seat back.

Steve Bonspiel 

The Eastern Door