Hello, everybody Running River here. I wanted to, know, share my enthusiasm on Leonard Peltier being released from the federal penitentiary. President Biden, before he left office, gave him a pardon, releasing long time activist and civil rights leader in the American Indian Movement. So, I just want to definitely spread my love, and show how, and share how, in the prisons, it really, really uplifted our hearts in here.
A lot of the indigenous prisoners, we’ve been feeling, you know, we’ve been down, and we needed that little spark of hope, and hearing that Leonard Peltier was freed, and President Biden actually went through with agreement to free him—because I understand that it was in the making—and there were many talks and many people who supported and pushed for Leonard Peltier’s freedom.
There was a lot of people that were pushing for it. So, seeing that President Biden, before he left, actually granted that pardon, man, really, really touched and affected us in the prisons you know, for the better. We’re, we’re very grateful. We’re very — we’re using that as motivation to keep up the dream for self determination for Indigenous people here in the prisons and we’re very energetic.
And I was able to hear a speech that Leonard Peltier did since he’s been free; how he spoke about changing the name of the American Indian Movement to American Indigenous Movement and that couldn’t be more right, because know, as Indigenous people of this land we know that we’re not Indian. No, we’re not from India. We were here on this land, and our ancestors were here on this land, so it’s only right that we would change and correct these false narratives that were put on the people of this land and really let people know who we are and and who our ancestors and those before us, that call this land home.
My happiness at hearing of Leonard Peltier’s release — And I’ve even dedicated a book to him. And in my last book, Forgotten Nation: the Making of a Movement, which you can find on Amazon, I made sure I put in there to Free Leonard Peltier so I’ve been real vocal in the freeing of Leonard Peltier. And I use the energy of him being free now to promote the Two Eagles Lodge and the lawsuit that I put on the Department of Corrections here in Pennsylvania for sweat lodges to bring about rehabilitation for incarcerated prisoners here in Pennsylvania.
I used his story, and the stories of a lot of other leaders. to propel and bring about that win here in Pennsylvania. So, I just wanted to share my happiness, my gratitude, and and let it be known that we’re going to use that moment to keep things going here in Pennsylvania, especially on the Indigenous prisoner front. So, I want to thank everybody and everybody know show your support for Leonard Peltier out there as he out there. Know he may, he may need some things, some gifts, some money or stuff like that man, reach out and support American Indian Movement and support the Indigenous prisoners here in Pennsylvania. Thank you.
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
