New! Peltier talks with AIM Minnesota about Treaty Rights and more

Leonard Peltier video interview by AIM Twin Cities Minnesota

Leonard Peltier Speaks on Unified Action to Protect Treaties

"The American Indian Movement has been one of the most successful organizations, at least in my time, in getting our recognition back, in getting our culture back." -- Leonard Peltier.

Leonard Peltier shares a gift from Bolivia's Evo Morales, a tribute to Bolivia's great Indigenous warrior and rebel leader Túpac Katari, during today's interview with AIM Twin Cities Minnesota. (Video screenshot Censored News)

Video interview by AIM Twin Cities Minnesota

https://www.facebook.com/AIMTwinCities/videos/572922935848584

Censored News, May 25, 2025

TURTLE MOUNTAIN, North Dakota -- Leonard Peltier spoke on the need for protecting the Treaties, standing in unity, and encouraged changing the name of the American Indian Movement to the American Indigenous Movement, in an interview with AIM Twin Cities Minnesota today.

"We're not Indians. We're not from India. What I would like to do, and I've thought about it for a number of years now, laying in my cell, that we should change our name to what we really are, the American Indigenous Movement."

"We'll still AIM, but we're not Indians, so I don't think we should be calling ourselves that, that is actually agreeing with the oppressor that we are something that we are not."

"I think it's time that we start acting like we're not."

"It's time we start expressing to the world, we are not Indians."

"We are Indigenous People of this continent, we are the First People of this continent."

"We should change all that to get rid of our oppressors' identity of us."

"We are Indigenous People with names of our own tribes, our own Nations."

"The American Indian Movement has been one of the most successful organizations, at least in my time -- and I've been involved in many different organizations -- in getting our recognition back, in getting our culture back. I think we should start using who we really are, we are Indigenous People to this continent."

"I'm going to start expressing that, and I'm going to start using that name and eliminate 'Indian' from 'American Indian Movement'."

Peltier said there are still many things to fight for, and people need to prepare themselves, there is the need to get the land back, as much land as possible.

"This is our country, this is our land, we've got to get this back."

"We've got to stop the effort to take away our Treaties."

"This is very, very important."

"If they take our Treaties, that's taking our identity away, that is taking our sovereignty away. That means they have been successful in exterminating us."

"We have to stand up for this."

"We have enemies all over the place, we need to stand and unify."

Speaking on the long history, Peltier remembered fighting for Fort Lawton in 1969, and the ongoing struggles of warriors. 

On climate change, Peltier said the goal is to protect Mother Earth, and it is the same goal of the ancestors. Peltier said the people must advocate to stop the damage to the Earth, to the environment.

"We need you to stand with us."

Peltier thanked all those who supported him, fought for him, and believed in him all these years.

"Without your help, and without your support, I would have never gotten out."

Watch the full interview, 17 minutes

https://www.facebook.com/AIMTwinCities/videos/572922935848584