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Incident at Oglala: The Leonard Peltier Story

Incident at Oglala: The Leonard Peltier Story

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Every American needs to watch this documentary.
Review: A factual account of how a group of Native Americans managed to annoy the feds until some killings happened. True story of the framing of Leonard Peltier. All the original players in the Wounded Knee stand-off are interviewed here. A real history lesson. A must-see!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A True American Tragedy
Review: After viewing this move I was amazed at the lengths the federal governmet would go to take the wind out of the sails of the American Indian Movement. Of all the uninvestagated, unsolved killings on the reservations, the law went over board to convict anyone for the killing of the two white agents. When the first trial got away from them, they loaded the deck for trial of Leonard Peltier.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Far-Fetched Propaganda from a James Bond Director
Review: Alas, poor Leonard Peltier. He has been unjustly framed by that agency of evil, the FBI. Now you can experience the real, behind-the-scenes story of what really happened at the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975. God bless Robert Redford and the makers of this film, and God help poor, unfortunate Leonard Peltier.

Gimmee a break. This is audience manipulation at its most chillingly effective. The FBI may be evil and racist, and the Native Americans in this film were treated unfairly, but only half the story is told here, and most of it is radically subjective. Completely hypothetical re-enactments of the incident, a la Unsolved Mysteries, destroy any hope of fairly treating this material. The only law enforcement official appearing on the video insists that he wants these men to pay with their lives. Were all interviewed authorities as bloodthirsty as this? Or as "unfair" and "corrupt" as the judge?

Granted, this film is a gigantic commercial for Peltier's freedom, and as such does its job. But I never liked commercials; I don't want to be sold a product that's hyped up with sentiment and dramatic musical scores unless I'm positive it is the truth. Personally, all hope of getting hooked by Michael Apted's line disintegrated with the introduction of the devious "Mr. X." His inclusion self-destructs the film's persuasiveness, and anyone with an ounce of common sense will be skeptical as to Peltier's refusal to name Mr. X due to some b.s. code of honor.

If you're willing to bellyflop into Apted's biased concoction, the film will convince you -- just as Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will" influenced thousands of Germans to support the roasting of Jews as a national pasttime. When dealing with propaganda, one must be a bit skeptical. Oh, and didn't Michael Apted direct the latest Bond film, "The World is Not Enough," among others? Uh-huh, I thought so. I'm afraid Leonard Peltier is a poor James Bond, with all due respect to the manipulative mastery of Apted.

Try comparing and contrasting a variety of stories to form what really happened to Peltier and his friends. And if you're in the mood to fall for a brilliantly constructed documentary, rent a Riefenstahl Nazi pic. -- Mr. X

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Earth is Weeping
Review: As you probably already know, this film concerns the blatantly unfair trail and conviction of Leonard Peltier, for the alleged crime of murdering two FBI agents at the Pine Ridge Reservation in 1975. The documentary begins by putting the incident in its proper perspective by showing that the Pine Ridge Reservation, at that time, had one of the highest per capita murder rates in the entire US, with the vast majority of those crimes, even today, still filed as "unsolved" (Check out Ward Churchill's "Indians are Us" and Agents of Repression for a detailed account of the killings in question). In fact, from 1973 to 1976 at least 69 Aim members and supporters were murdered'and not one person was ever convicted, or even investigated, for these brutally horrific crimes. Why were these deaths not investigated you may ask. It is because the victims were primarily American Indians involved with AIM who were actively involved in the struggle to retain the lands lawfully granted to them in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 against the federal gov't and the corrupt, unelected BIA administration of Dick Wilson. Many have openly claimed that Wilson and his so-called "goon squad" were responsible for these killings, but no investigation was ever conducted by State law enforcement officials or by the FBI; and yet the incident that led to the shooting that left two agents and one Indian dead, centered around an investigation concerning a pair of STOLEN COWBOY BOOTS. You can draw your own conclusions from that.


Although three men were originally charged with the murder of the agents in a separate trial preceding Peltier's illegal extradition from Canada, the first two defendants were determined to be not guilty of all charges'their acts viewed as self defense. After this embarrassment the FBI decided that Peltier would be convicted at all costs and set about the task of 'constructing' a case against him. After a trial marred by official perjury, witness intimidation and clearly manufactured evidence, Leonard Peltier alone was convicted, but then, only after the original judge was inexplicably removed from the case and replaced with one "friendly" to the FBI by a prejudiced jury of his 'white' peers. This film shows the disturbing details surrounding how Peltier was ultimately convicted by this court presided over by an obviously prejudiced judge and jury on what amounts to a mountain of manufactured evidence, witness tampering, and lies.



As the film and the FBI's own evidence shows there is absolutely no proof that has not been exposed as fraud, that links Peltier to the murder weapon or the red van (Peltier drove a pickup truck) that the agents reportedly followed onto the reservation. The FBI goes so far as to argue that 'people in this part of the country call a pickup truck a van and vice versa''to explain just one glaring inconsistency in the government's case. The FBI's own statements are filled with inconsistencies and outright falsehoods, which resulted in the Federal Judge Edward McManus of the first trial harshly rebuking them for their shameful, reckless and unlawful behavior. In the video the FBI spokesman's dishonesty is clearly, if not painfully, apparent. Simply watch this video and decide for yourself. You will be surprised and certainly appalled by what you see.


'Incident at Oglala' is a vitally important document detailing a form of repression and cultural genocide that has continued, although in differing forms, since the arrival of Columbus, against Native Americans. The Dali Lama, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, The European Parliament and Amnesty International have all urged that executive Clemency be granted to Peltier based on the facts of this case and the massive miscarriage of justice that it represents. This important film is a must see for anyone who cares about the ideals of freedom and justice in this country and the shameful realities that, all too often, hide behind those noble-sounding terms. For as long as men like Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abul-Jamal remain imprisoned, none of us are completely safe from the same treatment.
Mitakuye Iyasin!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What we know and what we don't know
Review: Clearly opinions are greatly divided both about this dvd and the events it portrays. On the one hand, what we know is this: Pine Ridge was a powderkeg waiting to blow that day. And, we know that Leonard Peltier and others were involved in a shoot-out with FBI's. It would appear fairly conclusive that Peltier is guilty of shooting at federal officers. What is not clear about the incident is: We do not know who opened fire first. The AIM members may have been defending themselves from officers whose intent was to "kill first, arrest later." Also, we do not know conclusively whether Peltier's shots struck, much less fatally wounded, the FBI agents. Peltier is NOT a Mumia al Jamal...because there is no doubt in the least that Jamal walked up to that officer and put a bullet in his head and that he(Jamal) knew exactly who he was shooting. It remains inconclusive that the FBI agents ever properly identified themselves before the shootout began. Other things we do know now about Leonard Peltier's case: the FBI tampered with witnesses; the FBI has unlawfully interfered with his parole hearings; and even today, Leonard Peltier is being denied proper medical treatment for a number of ailments. He is not even getting the level of treatment that we would accord Prisoners of War. Leonard Peltier is guilty without a doubt of armed assault against federal officers...though some might suggest that if he had not returned fire, he might have died that day. Irrespective of that, he is guilty of shooting at the officers. However, no one who wasn't there that day will ever know who fired the fatal rounds that killed those officers...and perhaps, even those that were there, in the fog and fury of the moment, may not be able to clearly identify the facts of the event either. If we still believe in due process, the right to a fair trial, and all those other legal saws that flag wavers still love to trumpet about: we cannot find Leonard Peltier guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt. Doubt is the essence of the story of that day. And, given the evidence regarding the government's continued interference in both his parole hearings and in the excessive and inhumane circumstances of his imprisonment, much farther beyond the general level of unpleasantness in prison: no decent, morally conscious American can say anything other than: LET HIM GO. FREE LEONARD PELTIER NOW!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An absolute, must-see!
Review: I knew little about Leonard Peltier's situation which is why I wanted to watch this documentary. I can not believe this man is still in jail, over 20 years later. His situation is a perfect example of a government who would do what is necessary to "solve" a murder. Never mind that the case had a million holes in it that were never answered. This is the kind of thing that is not supposed to happen in America (event though it does all the time). This should be required viewing for every person in America (the land of the free!).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: KICK AS$ MOVIE!
Review: i liked this doc. i seen it when i was younger. great,great film. it just captaves you fully, u get really caught up up in it. i love it! so BUY IT NOW!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "A RIVITING DOCUMENTARY!"
Review: I remember seeing the stand-off in the news as a teenager. I remember thinking that the government was using "over-kill" to bring the "civil disobedience" to an end. I have recommended this film to friends who want to learn what really took place. It has a nightmarish effect as you watch events unfold. That this tragedy took place in America crystalizes the judicial systems pathos. What is right and what is legal no longer meet. The "light" at the end of this tunnel is that the spirit of the idea these Indians were visioning has in some degrees held on! Bravo!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: INCIDENT AT OGLALA - THE LEONARD PELTIER STORY
Review: INCIDENT AT OGLALA IS AN EXCELLENT DOCUMENT AND A MUST SEE FOR ANYONE WANTING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LEONARD PELTIER AND THE MISTREATMENT OF AMERICAN INDIANS IN THE UNITED STATES. FBI MISCONDUCT WAS RAMPANT THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT. CURRENTLY, LEONARD CONTINUES TO SET IN A CELL IN LEAVENWORTH WITH NO EVIDENCE TO PROVE THAT HE BELONGS THERE. MOREOVER, MUCH PROOF EXISTS THAT HE DOES NOT BELONG IN PRISON.
WATCH THIS AND GET INVOLVED WITH THE BUSINESS OF BRINGING LEONARD HOME. TWENTY EIGHT YEARS IS TOO LONG FOR JUSTICE TO NOT BE SERVED.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: INCIDENT AT OGLALA - THE LEONARD PELTIER STORY
Review: INCIDENT AT OGLALA IS AN EXCELLENT DOCUMENT AND A MUST SEE FOR ANYONE WANTING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LEONARD PELTIER AND THE MISTREATMENT OF AMERICAN INDIANS IN THE UNITED STATES. FBI MISCONDUCT WAS RAMPANT THROUGHOUT THE DOCUMENT. CURRENTLY, LEONARD CONTINUES TO SET IN A CELL IN LEAVENWORTH WITH NO EVIDENCE TO PROVE THAT HE BELONGS THERE. MOREOVER, MUCH PROOF EXISTS THAT HE DOES NOT BELONG IN PRISON.
WATCH THIS AND GET INVOLVED WITH THE BUSINESS OF BRINGING LEONARD HOME. TWENTY EIGHT YEARS IS TOO LONG FOR JUSTICE TO NOT BE SERVED.


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