I’d like to focus on the case of Leonard Peltier because, from my point of view, it gives a seemingly all-encompassing idea of what U.S Government-Native relations have been like for the majority of U.S History. Note that, by “case”, I don’t just mean the legal proceedings, I am referring to his story as a whole. As was covered in the slideshow present on November 6th, Leonard Peltier was convicted of the murder of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation. Since then, he has spent 46 years in prison. I will attempt to determine whether this sentencing was justifiable or correct. Instead, I’d like to present an argument meant to delineate how the life of Leonard Pelitier fits into a template with which the U.S government has condemned so many native Americans to equally bad or even worse fates. The template loosely goes like this: The U.S government attempts, and sometimes succeeds, in sealing away something from the Native American. This “thing” can be physical, but, especially in this era of U.S History, it’s Native identity. In response to this theft, the Native American resists, fights back. The “Great Father”, noticing their struggle and strife, “deals” with them. Sometimes this is imprisonment, sometimes it is death. Either way, regardless of whether the “dealing” is justified, the “Great Father” will never admit to wrongdoing. Leonard Peltier was born on the Turtle Mountain Indian reservation. As a child, he was forced to attend two white assimilationist schools. This is Step one. In his twenties, Leonard became a Native rights activist. He eventually joined AIM shortly before turning 30. At 31, Peltier traveled to the Pine Ridge Reservation in order to soothe political tensions. This is step two. FBI agents come onto the Pine Ridge reservation and get into a shootout with Peltier and other AIM activists. Peltier is sentenced to two life sentences in prison. This is Step 3. After nearly half a decade in prison, even when the prosecutor vouched for his innocence, Peltier has been refused parole, let alone clemency. Surely you see the template. It is disgusting to me how so many of these stories of injustice can be caused in such similar circumstances. I think Leonard Peltier will die in prison. In this case, the “Great Father” killed the oppositionist Native. He tends to do that.