“Incident at Oglala” provides for a deep documentation of the “murder” of two FBI special agents execution style on June 26, 1975 namely Jack R. Coler and Ronald A. Williams. Aside from the two agents killed during the gun battle, was Joe Stuntz, a Native American and a member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in Jumping Bull Compound, Oglala, South Dakota. The death of the Stuntz prompted no legal action while the death of the two FBI agents made the government looked for four Native Indians to be held responsible for the case namely James Eagle, Darrelle Butler, Bob Robideau and Leonard Peltier, all AIM members residing in the Indian Reservation in Jumping Bull compound at that time.
The FBI claimed that the reasons the agents were there at that time was to look for a certain Billy Eagle who is held responsible for the theft of a pair of cowboy boots having reported to have seen a red pickup with Eagle in it entering the compound. The theft of the cowboy boots took their lives because they were unable to come back alive.
The members of the AIM members, who were held responsible for the killings, claimed that first heard gunfires before coming out and inquire but were forced to return fire for self-defense. Robideau recalls that after the incident, they went to investigate on the FBI car only to find out that the two agents were killed at close range in execution style.
Of the four AIM members, only Peltier was found guilty due based on the strength of sworn affidavits produced by government procecutors, which later on the procecutors themselves admitted to have been fabricated. Insufficient evidence freed Eagle while Butler and Robideau were a jury in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Although, they were acquitted by the jury, it was not without difficulties aimed to the AIM members. During their trial, they were campaigns to the public aiming at picturing that there would be violence around the court area while the trial is ongoing which never happened.
Leonard Peltier’s trial was another story. It is clear based on the documentary that his trial is a one-sided government trial where all have been planned ahead of time, and where everything has been fabricated to convict Peltier. Robert Redford, the movie’s producer and Michael Apted, its director, successfully showed the extent of what the government prosecutors and FBI agents are capable of doing just to be able to pin down the people. Based on these, one can conclude that Leonard Peltier is an innocent victim after watching the documentary.
It is obvious that the producers want the white people to open their eyes and look at things on an equal point of view. Aside from the film depicting that seeking justice is manipulation of things, racial discrimination on the Native Americans is very obvious.
There were many incidents showing the manipulation of Peltier’s case. There were the times when witnesses were force to stand at the witness stand even though they don’t personally know Peltier or even if they have no idea about the case, because some government enforcer is terrifying them or is using some of their family members. As a result of this, some family members of the government “witnesses” are mysteriously killed if they speak the truth.
It is good to note how far the government could do to gain justice for two “white people” while they can’t do anything to seek justice for the AIM member Stuntz, who was also killed during the gunfire. Peltier recognized the governments prejudice to the American Indians.
Racial discrimination has been very obvious in this case. This has been yet again, a story where the United States government together with each people fails to look at the truth just because Native Americans are involved. There had been a long standing cry of the Native Americans on the inability of the American Government to see and treat fairly when they are involved. Peltier claims that since it has been a “tradition” that justice would never be given to them, he and the whole Native American community have known beforehand what the result of the case would be.
It is said to note that, although it is the truth, is unable to protect its people and see things in a fair way. The mistreatment of the government to the Native Americans has started centuries ago, which involved several killings of their people by the American Soldiers. However, although the government had passed several laws that “protects” them, the truth is still there. They are still treated as “others”. The white people should wake-up from this belief of supremacy. It is high-time that the true meaning of equality would be implemented and start treating the American Indians as an equal and not a sub-specie.
