Peltier, Leonard (1944–)

Early Years

Peltier was born September 12, 1944, on the Anishinabe/Chippewa Turtle Mountain Reservation in Grand Forks, North Dakota, to Leo and Alvina Peltier. His bloodline is predominantly Ojibway (Chippewa) and Dakota Sioux. He was also adopted in the traditional Indian way by the Lakota Sioux. His parents separated when he was four years old, and he then lived with his paternal grandparents. From 1953 to 1956, he was forced to attend the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) Wahpeton Indian Boarding School. He returned to the Turtle Mountain Reservation in 1957.

While on the reservation in 1958, Peltier observed his first Sun Dance and attended a political meeting regarding the government's plans to “terminate” the reservation—ending its recognition of the tribe's sovereignty and withdrawing services. These two events inspired Peltier to work for justice on behalf of his people, to work toward eliminating the extreme poverty he saw among Indian peoples, and to preserve tribal customs. During the 1960s, he joined the fight for civil, human, and Indian rights. Peltier became involved in Indian fishing rights, which was a key impetus leading to the establishment of AIM, as were the government's termination and relocation programs.

The American Indian Movement

AIM was established in Minneapolis in 1968. The movement concentrated on achieving justice for American Indians by demanding that the U.S. government honor previously signed treaties. In 1969, AIM activists occupied the abandoned federal prison on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay area from November 1969 through June 1971 to bring attention to their plight. Although Peltier was not involved in this action, it inspired him and acted as a model for his future activism.