New documentary highlights Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier's passion for art

There's a new way to learn about the story of an Indigenous rights activist who spent 50 years in federal prison.

Leonard Peltier was convicted of killing two FBI agents in the 1970s. Former President Joe Biden commuted Peltier's sentence before he left office. The former FBI director advised against the release, calling it an "affront to justice." Peltier has maintained his innocence.

Celebration erupted when Peltier was released from prison in 2025, and Leonard spoke to a crowd, saying, "I am 80 years old now, I got in when I was 32."  

That gave Peltier a lot of time to think and paint.

"I mean, you know, just sitting there looking at a wall was very boring and stressful. I had to fight to be able to get a pencil and paper. So I was hungry for, for something to keep my mind active," he said.

Peltier recounted his life from Turtle Lake Reservation in North Dakota, where he is serving out his life sentence. He told WCCO what he wants people to understand from his story.

"I've been very proud since I was a little kid, a little child, to be Native. I am still very extremely proud of it. I just loved being a Native," he said. "I used to — a lot of the other kids were doing other things — I'd be there listening to the elders and trying to figure out what they were talking about."

Those are stories he retells through his art; that was a story in itself to some Minnesota documentarians.

"We love to create projects such as this film, 'The Making of America,' because it helps everyday citizens really understand the bedrock foundation, historical aspects of their democracy," Kevin Lindsey, CEO of Minnesota Humanities Center, said.

Their Juneteenth film series' latest movie features Peltier's passion for art.

"People can have strong feelings as it relates to Leonard, but they shouldn't deny his art and what he is trying to say with his art," Lindsey said. "And I'm hoping that people at least allow that part of himself to be seen and appreciated."

In honor of the film, they gathered art, which will be displayed at a screening of "The Making of America" at Mystic Lake on Friday.

Monique Linder is a documentary filmmaker who produced the "Juneteenth Reckoning with Slavery" series, including "The Making of America." 

"The art that's created today is recording the history that's going on around us today, and so that will continue. And so I think what people will see is a great documentary, of course, history that they probably have never known," Linder said.

Peltier tells WCCO his hope for his people: "I want total freedom for our nations."