By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
Last week I featured an article describing how the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries engaged in promoting and displaying the artwork of imprisoned capital murderer Leonard Peltier at its headquarters. The article and enquiries I made to various law enforcement officials and the former FBI Agent’s Association generated a considerable backlash against the agency for its actions.
On Friday I met with KING-5 News reporter Drew Mikkelson and Former FBI Agent Ray Lauer representing the Seattle Chapter of the Retired FBI Agent’s Association at the behest of its national headquarters, for interviews on this controversy. The story was featured on the medium’s 6:30 broadcast.
Leonard Peltier was convicted of two counts of murder in the deaths of FBI Agents Jack Coler and Ron Williams, both twenty-eight years old at the time. On the fortieth anniversary year of the deaths, Labor and Industries hosted the artwork of Leonard Peltier which sparked outrage among former FBI agents, the law enforcement community, and family members of the deceased agents.
In an interview, L&I’s spokesman Tim Church explained that his agency did not intend to further Peltier’s cause by displaying his art, yet his agency did just that by its promotion. The Washington agency further claimed that his paintings were part of the Native American contribution to the art during a Native American Heritage Month celebration. The agency was displaying a selection of other works, however displayed Mr. Peltier’s art more prominently in the main rotunda of the headquarters next to the main entrance. Moreover the government provided flyers and cards attached to the paintings directing the viewer on how to contact the gallery. Though I saw and photographed these promotional materials during my first visit to the headquarters, the department removed these prior to our arrival for the interviews.
Labor and Industries proffers that as a result of public sentiment expressed to it via a “few individuals” who voiced their objection to the art, it reportedly was going to “rotate out” Mr. Peltier’s paintings next week. At first the agency claimed that they would normally have been rotated out after a two week display, however the promotional flyer and agency’s website indicated they would be displayed from the second of this month until the thirtieth. At any rate the agency stated it would remove the paintings next week.
Mr. Lauer in his interview expressed his organization’s outrage that the State of Washington hosted the artwork of the murderer using taxpayer funds and facilities, to provide a free gallery for an imprisoned cop killer.
Here is a link to the KING-5 News Broadcast. Click on the below image to watch.
By Darren Smith
Video Source: KING-5 News
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
Peltier, a French name, may indicate that he was Metis. The Metis evolved from generations over hundreds of years of intermarriage between French adventurers and First Nations women. They were ostracized by the British who sported the racist approach to colonialism. They were sometimes allied with First Nations’ tribes. However, there was little if any desire on the part of the First Nations to fight the Whites coming West, as there was a substantial degree of law and order established by the North West Mounted Police. Canada was not ruled at the time through a policy of genocide as was the US.
The Metis attempted to establish their own country in and around Southern Manitoba and SouthEast Saskatchewan but were put down by the North West Mounted Police. Louis Riel, a Metis gave his life and name to these events, now know as the Riel Rebellion. This was and remains a clear example of history being interpreted by the victors. The Metis revolted but lost; thus they are bad. Had they won and joined with the US or remained an independent country, they would have been good.
Interesting how stuff gets interpreted.
I see the connection between the American Indians (not from India recently) and the Frog Canucks. Artwork is not all that labor intensive. So the Department of Labor could perhaps show used cars or something labor intensive. Not women in labor but Labor Day kind of stuff. If they want to show people who got “framed” then that is another matter and is neither art nor labor intensive.
BarkinDog,
Lenny is a Pine Ridge Sioux Indian, SD. Fascinating to see infighting on the rez. Former Rosebud Lakota Sioux tribal president in SD, got impeached 2014.
They mocked him as “whitey boy”. Now tribe gives tribute to him for defeat of KXL oil pipeline.
Barkin, There was a lotta intermarriage between Indians and French Canucks back in the day.
I guess if we “waxed him” this would all have been moot. However, Peltier was convicted during a time when capital punishment for murder was not part of the Federal sentencing guidelines. So “waxing him” was not an option. As I have stated many times, I oppose capital punishment on moral and Constitutional grounds.
More info here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Peltier
Leonard does not sound like a native American Indian tribe name. Neither does the last name. So, if he is a member of some tribe and has a white anglo saxon name or German name then why did they not confer on him an Indian name? Peltier sounds Frog.
I got a crazy idea. Set Lenny free. Send him to the Amazon in another tribe’s territory.
Indians down here give warning signs of crossed lances or sticks to keep out. Drop off Lenny at sun rise but by sunset, Lenny’s life be iffy.
No police, cell phones, 911, wifi, or hospitals down here.
Somehow, all this gets muddied in the freedom of speech thing, or the freedom of speech thing gets muddied.
Jack R Coler FBI agent age 28 was murdered by sociopath killer, Leonard Peltier.
Ronald A Williams FBI agent age 27 was murdered by sociopath killer, Leonard Peltier
This is a nation of laws, not men. Peltier had a trial, was convicted, and those convictions have been confirmed in the appeal process. HE KILLED TWO COPS! This is a nation of laws, not men and women.
Darren, Superb work! It was tough to tell in the short clip if that bureaucrat was being forthcoming in saying he didn’t realize the ramifications of displaying a sociopath killer’s art. So, I’ll take him @ his word. This is obviously a campaign to get Obama to pardon this sociopath cop killer as he leaves office. I HOPE it doesn’t work.
Bruce, Peltier didn’t kill anyone. He has no victims’ families.
Nothing like a doubling down on ignorance. Shameful, Darren.
The correct decision
The Science Geek
http://www.thesciencegeek.org
Makes one wonder how his victims family is doing?
Isn’t it wonderful to have all the time in the world to paint, not having to worry about a thing.
Amnesty International still questions his prosecution and conviction.
Thank You Darren
When killers and their ilk write memoiors or get movies doesn’t the proceed usually go to restitution? But here it was free….nothing is free. Ppl don’t dothings for free. Why his art? Da mn skipy they ought to bepist. Tax payers there ought to bepist