U.S. Government policies are hell-bent on the extinction of Native Cultures
There’s a whole generation of people out there who are completely unaware of what has happened to Leonard Peltier; that we have a political prisoner right here in the United States.
by Jane Waide
On June 26, 1975—during what Steve Kroft of “60 Minutes” called “a time of well-documented government misconduct against dissident groups, including the American Indian Movement”—a shoot-out occurred on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, resulting in the deaths of a young Native American man and two F.B.I. agents. Based on what has since been found to be questionable evidence and coerced testimony, Leonard Peltier, a young Native American man and member of The American Indian Movement (AIM), was found guilty of the deaths of the two F.B.I. agents and was sentenced to two life terms in prison.
36 years later, Preston Randolph, a young filmmaker who is passionate about human rights and dedicated to the long-sought exoneration of Leonard Peltier, is making a film. The project, entitled Wind Chases the Sun after Peltier’s native name, was released in late 2012. Randolph and co-producer Dan Battaglia intend to create a feature-length docudrama that brings to light the inconsistencies and biases which they feel led to Peltier’s conviction, subsequent imprisonment and most recently, denial of parole.
Preston cites his father and grandfather, both historians specializing in Native American culture, as primary influences in engendering his long-time interest in and commitment to Peltier’s case. He considers himself an activist and speaks with passion and conviction when he refers to the time during which these tragedies occurred on the Pine Ridge Reservation, a time that has come to be known as the “Reign of Terror.”
“I grew up learning about these topics and actually began my own research into Leonard’s case about 10 years ago. When the parole hearing came up in 2009, I wanted to be there. It was then that I realized how necessary it was to document this. As a filmmaker, I decided to take on this project and produce this film.”
This “Reign of Terror,” and the circumstances surrounding Peltier’s conviction, occurred amidst deplorable conditions of abject poverty on the reservation, with U.S. Government policies seemingly hell-bent on the extinction of Native Cultures. Even today, all this time later, the conditions of squalor and poverty on the Pine Ridge Reservation are unmatched anywhere in America.
Woven into the film’s larger story surrounding Leonard Peltier, is a smaller story of a young girl named Sandra Wounded Foot. She was last seen alive on the morning of August 14, 1976, in the company of Paul Duane Herman, Jr., a Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs Investigator. The events that followed tell yet another grisly and shameful story that supports the sad disregard for the lives of Native Americans during this time.
On August 16, two days later, her naked body was found in a remote area of the Pine Ridge Reservation. She had been shot twice in the head. Whatever other gruesome events occurred during this time, we will never know. Sandra Wounded Foot had apparently been beaten and raped. Herman pleaded guilty to a code violation and voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to ten years in the custody of the Attorney General. Randolph tells me this story and points to the disparity in sentencing between Native Americans and Whites.
Randolph has lined up an impressive list of notable talents to work on the film: actor Peter Coyote, a longtime friend and supporter of Leonard Peltier’s is expected to do the voiceover work for the film. Actress Q’orianka Kilcher, most recently known for her role as Pocahontas opposite actors Colin Farrell and Christian Bale in the film The New World, is contributing her time and talent toward making the film. Grammy Award-winning guitarist Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine, will be recording a new song for the film’s soundtrack. Guitarist Stevie Salas, who’s been a part of many notable bands, including having toured with Mick Jagger, will be working on the soundtrack along with composer Mark Brandon Hill.
Other films have been made in the past, since that time a multitude of documents and evidence have become available that clearly point to Leonard Peltier’s innocence.
“There’s a whole generation of people out there who are completely unaware of what has happened to Leonard Peltier; that we have a political prisoner right here in the United States. In an age of instant, electronic information, these same people are interconnected across the globe through innumerable social networks. Even as recently as 10 years ago, this wasn’t the case. We’re making this film to get the word out and create political pressure that will result in his (Leonard’s) release.
We’re not just skimming over the top of the case. We’re digging deeper and the results will no doubt be shocking to many people. The goal of the film is to spread the word about Leonard, have an impact and bring him home. That’s been our goal since day one.”
Wind Chases the Sun: www.windchasesthesun.com
