https://www.lphawkmanii.org/artwork
'After spending 50 years incarcerated, Leonard Peltier has finally returned home. His release marks the end of a long and arduous chapter defined by a controversial legal battle and decades of imprisonment. Throughout his time behind bars, Peltier remained a symbol of resistance and a voice for indigenous rights, garnering global support and drawing attention to issues of justice and human rights. His homecoming is not only a personal milestone but also a moment of reflection on the complex history surrounding his case and the ongoing struggle for Native American sovereignty and fair treatment within the legal system'
Peltier credits Yanktonai Sioux painter, Oscar Howe, for influencing his creative pathway and interest in painting generally.
From the Peltier Justice Organization's website-
"'The Leonard Peltier is locked behind bars, but his paintings still manage to see the light of day every once in a while. The Native American political prisoner has languished in prison for decades, still paying an unjust price, his community says, for a fatal encounter during a standoff with federal authorities 40 years ago at the Pine Ridge Reservation. While his imprisonment has catapulted him toward political martyrdom, his supporters have campaigned unsuccessfully for years to win clemency. At 71, the movement elder is still awaiting release–from prison, or from this world. And In the meantime, he paints. His images are one way his soul manages to reach the outside world, and the closest thing he has to an escape route from his bleak surroundings in federal custody." Article by Michelle Chen