Prison Writings by Leonard Peltier

Sam DePalma

Dr. Foster Tribble

September 16, 2013

Prison Writings

        Right when I began reading Prison Writings by Leonard Peltier I noticed that everything around me become silent. I felt like I was there; in his cell with him listening to him speak.  I thought he did a great job of showing people what he experiences every day and every night. He talks a lot about how cold it is in his prison and all the different techniques he uses to stay warm. He also talks about how every little sound sends chills throughout his body and how he always has to stay on guard for he never knows what’s coming next. I thought about how difficult that must be. Always having your guard up is draining, it’s hard to always have your guard up and be happy. Then I realized that he isn’t happy, I think he’s more at peace with himself and his situation.

        The Sun Dance is the one thing he has to get him through the days and that’s all he needs. Sun Dance connects him to all of his people, its what drives him through the days and months and years. It lets him know that he’s not suffering for nothing. I thought it was really great that he has that because he is now serving his time for something more than just himself. I think that he is looking at a bigger picture then just his life. He now wants to help others with some of the struggles he’s gone through.

        Peltier also talks about how everyone needs to help each other and how everyone could benefit from a helping hand. I totally agree with that I think everyone should help everyone. It’s a lot easier to get through things and get things done when you have people helping you.  He then goes on talking about how much he has done from inside prison walls like organize toy and food drives, establish scholarships for native law students, and become a foster parent for kids in Guatemala. It makes me think about the stuff I have done in my life, which doesn’t even compare to all the good things he has done for his community and other people around the world. It gives me a drive to help others and do my best to better my community for the sake of everyone in it.

        One of the last things that really stuck me when I was reading Peltier’s book was when he was talking about the junk cars out in the yards on the Indian reservations. It struck me because I thought about how they need to find seven or eight cars just to find enough parts to get one of those junkers running. I thought about how spoiled I must be to never have to experience that even now to this day. Also, how they we salvage every last thing that they have to better there lives when I’m and many people I know are so quickly to throw things away when they seem broken to us.