What is injustice?

Today, the term is used loosely, and rarely does any given situation warrant such a strong word. A blown call at a football game, for example, would be declared an 'injustice' by angry fans. If someone at work would get a higher salary for doing substantially less work than you, the term might pop into your head. However, if you've ever been accused of something you didn't do, you're a little closer to the true definition of injustice.

On June 26, 1975, Leonard Peltier got a taste of injustice, and his life hasn't returned to normal yet. On that day, Peltier (a high-level member of AIM, or the American Indian Movement) was arrested at Jumping Bull Ranch in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. The charge: murdering two FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, who entered the private property while looking for a young Native American man. The young man, Jimmy Eagle, had allegedly stolen a pair of cowboy boots after a drunken skirmish with two white ranch hands.

The way Coler and Williams were killed was easily determined: they were shot during a gunfight that broke out following their arrival (NOTE: Native American Joe Stuntz was killed as well, though his death was never investigated). However, finding out who killed the agents was a completely different story; eventually, all fingers pointed to Peltier, most likely for his high-ranking status in the AIM. Despite an overwhelmingly thin case, Peltier was convicted for the two murders, and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison.

In fact, he's still there today.

In all honesty, I can't tell you why, since there are plenty of facts that support Peltier's innocence. Outside of the large amount of evidence withheld during the trial (including several thousand FBI documents), there has never been a single testimony to confirm Peltier's role as the murderer. In fact, the only confirmed fact that links Peltier with the death of the agents is his presence in the crowd of 30 men, women and children on that day. A crowd, I might add, that was surrounded by more than 150 FBI agents, SWAT team members, police officers, and several members of a local posse.

It's been approximately 27 years since Peltier's conviction, and much of his life has already passed him by. Although his situation may never change, his supporters have devoted an enormous amount of time and energy to spreading the word about his story. Petitions have been signed, letters have been written, and documentaries have been filmed.

The documentary in question, Incident at Oglala (referring to the Sioux land where this took place), provides a clear-cut look at these events. Additionally, there's a modest amount of footage devoted to events leading up to the incident, as well as events that have occurred since. This 1988 documentary was directed by Michael Apted (Gorillas in the Mist), and also features narration by Robert Redford (who interviewed Peltier in prison).

It's very straightforward in execution---almost too straightforward---despite the astounding events that unfold before the viewer's eyes. Interviews with witnesses include graphic descrptions of the violence that took place, enough so to make me question the film's 'PG' rating. Overall, I found this unfortunate incident to be a captivating subject, but the documentary format didn't add much to the basic story. In all honesty, Incident at Oglala can be considered a mildly-recommended alternative to learning about this story the old-fashioned way: reading about it. In other words, it's almost more practical to just look up the facts about this case on the Internet. However, there's a modest amount of footage shot at the Pine Ridge Reservation, as well as interviews with Peltier and key witnesses, that keeps Incident at Oglala slightly above water.

Ironically, this new DVD release from Artisan is also a victim of injustice. Essentially, Incident at Oglala is a movie-only disc, with a technical presentation that is equal parts good and bad. Overall, this is a poor effort by Artisan, who really dropped the ball in almost every department. Perhaps the sensitive political nature of the film was to blame, but this mishandled case has now become a mishandled DVD release. Regardless, let's see how this one stacks up:

Although I admired Incident at Oglala from a basic standpoint, I can't say it's one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Even so, the core story of Leonard Peltier is very engaging and provocative, and this film does a decent job of presenting the basic facts objectively. Unfortunately, this release from Artisan offers little more than a decent audio presentation, and the lack of extras really kills it. Those familiar with Peltier's story won't really get much out of this DVD, and might be better off skipping this one. However, other interested parties might want to give this one a look, as the saga of Leonard Peltier rises above all the shortcomings of this release. Rent It.