Peltier awarded human rights award by OFL

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February 6 marks the twenty-seventh year of Leonard Peltier's imprisonment term. He was convicted in the shooting deaths of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.

Peltier, along with citizens groups across the continent, have steadfastly maintained his innocence and on Dec. 5, 2001, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) named Leonard Peltier the recipient of its Human Rights Award for 2001.

A special honoring ceremony was held to symbolize the OFL's continuing commitment to justice for Leonard Peltier.

Frank Dreaver, founder, spokesperson and international co-ordinator of the Canadian Leonard Peltier Defense Committee accepted the award on Peltier's behalf.

Two thousand provincial delegates, as well as national labor representatives at the OFL's 6th Biennial Convention, heard Wayne Samuelson, OFL president, Ethel Birkett LaValley, secretary-treasurer, Irene Harris, vice-president, and representatives of the OFL Human Rights Committee, (which selected Peltier), pay tribute to the political prisoner for his lifetime of sacrifices for his people.

Tim Brown, OPSEU First Nations' representative on the OFL Human Rights committee, spoke of the increasing restrictions made by prison officials on Peltier's phone calls and introduced a film composed of still photos of Peltier interwoven with a song by Mohawk musician Robbie Robertson.

The song "Sacrifice", from his JUNO award-winning CD, Contact From the Underworld of Red Boy, incorporateed Peltier's voice so people were able to feel his presence through his words and image. Robertson said later the film, his personal gesture of solidarity with the award ceremony, spoke of the need for justice.

Ethel Birkett LaValley read an acceptance statement written by Peltier, which had a tremendous impact on the audience. In it, Peltier congratulated the Canadian labor movement and the OFL for taking a leadership role in human and civil rights, and for recognizing the importance of solidarity and brotherhood.

"When working people unite to make a better society and world, hope for all of our futures can be embraced," he wrote.

"The [Leonard Peltier Defense Committee] in Canada is developing a national coalition on my behalf, and I am pleased to hear of the growing number of unions and labor leadership that have joined."

A motion to reduce Leonard Peltier's sentence has been filed. A hearing could be scheduled as early as this spring. The motion argues that Peltier's sentence should be reduced because the original trial judge was unaware of evidence proving Peltier did not shoot the agents. The Leonard Peltier Defense Committee believes a reduction would translate into Peltier's immediate release through parole.