ACET Request Executive Clemency for Leonard Peltier

Post date: Apr 23, 2016 4:27:24 PM

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President: The Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes (ACET) is an organization of eleven sovereign American Indian nations of the eastern and southern seaboard of the United States. The organization is affiliated with the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the oldest and largest organization of tribal governments in the country (including the participation of a majority of the federally recognized tribes). Additionally, the ACET governing board includes three members of the NCAI executive committee and both co-chairs of the NCAI Task Force on Federal Acknowledgment. The Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes (ACET) joins its voice with organizations and individuals around the world in calling for executive clemency to be immediately granted to Leonard Peltier. While Mr. Peltier was convicted for the 1975 shooting deaths of two federal agents, US prosecutors have repeatedly admitted that they did not and cannot prove his guilt and appellate courts have cited numerous instances of misconduct in the case. This case has become a rallying cry for American Indian tribal governments and organizations and represents a history of egregious injustices committed against our people. Mr. Peltier was not afforded due process in an objective court. He has spent over four decades incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. Even from behind bars, he has become an inspiration to many, encouraging clean living and demonstrating positive community involvement through his writings and even through his moving artwork. While he is not responsible for the deaths of the federal agents, he has repeatedly expressed sadness over their deaths and the contentious situation which led to them.

Now over 70 years old, his health is deteriorating rapidly. Leonard Peltier has suffered from a stroke which is left him partially blind, a debilitating jaw condition leaving him unable to properly chew, diabetes, hypertension, and heart condition. In the name of justice, grant Leonard Peltier executive clemency.

Respectfully Submitted on Behalf of ACET