If you pick up a copy of In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, you aren’t just reading a book about a shoot-out. You’re holding a document that was basically banned for eight years because people were terrified of what it said. It’s thick. It’s dense. It’s angry. Peter Matthiessen didn't just write a history; he wrote a 600-page indictment of the American legal system that ended up sparking one of the most famous libel lawsuits in publishing history.
Why does it matter now? Because Leonard Peltier is still in prison. Because the "Reign of Terror" on the Pine Ridge Reservation in the 1970s still feels like a raw wound for plenty of people in the Lakota community. You can’t understand the modern Land Back movement or the protests at Standing Rock without looking back at what happened at the Jumping Bull ranch in 1975. Matthiessen’s work is the definitive, if controversial, roadmap of that era.
The Day Everything Changed at Oglala
June 26, 1975. It was hot. Two FBI agents, Jack Coler and Ronald Williams, drove onto the Jumping Bull property in unbranded cars. They were looking for a young man named Jimmy Eagle over a pair of stolen boots. That’s it. Boots. But the tension on the reservation was already at a breaking point. The American Indian Movement (AIM) had set up camp there to protect traditional locals from the "GOON" squads—Guardians of the Oglala Nation—who were basically a private militia for the tribal chairman, Dick Wilson.
When those agents drove in, a gunfight exploded.
Matthiessen details this with agonizing precision. He doesn't just say "there was a fight." He describes the confusion, the way the agents were pinned down in an open field, and the sheer volume of lead flying through the air. By the time it was over, both agents were dead, executed at close range. One AIM member, Joe Stuntz, was also killed by a sniper.
The aftermath was the largest manhunt in FBI history.
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Why In the Spirit of Crazy Horse Became a Legal Nightmare
When the book finally hit shelves in 1983, the FBI and South Dakota officials didn't just ignore it. They sued. Governor William Janklow and FBI agent David Price filed massive libel suits, claiming Matthiessen had lied about their roles in the events surrounding the Pine Ridge conflict.
This essentially pulled the book from shelves for years. You literally couldn't buy it. Viking Press had to spend millions defending the text. Eventually, the courts threw the suits out, ruling that Matthiessen had the right to publish his findings and that the figures involved were public officials. But the damage, or perhaps the legend, was done. The suppression of the book only made people want to read it more. It became an underground manual for activists.
The Problem with the Case Against Leonard Peltier
Matthiessen’s core argument in In the Spirit of Crazy Horse is that Leonard Peltier did not get a fair trial. Honestly, even if you think Peltier pulled the trigger, the legal irregularities Matthiessen uncovers are staggering.
For starters, look at the extradition from Canada. The FBI used affidavits from a woman named Myrtle Poor Bear, who claimed she was Peltier’s girlfriend and saw him kill the agents. The catch? She wasn't his girlfriend, she wasn't there, and she later confessed the FBI had pressured her into lying. The government didn't even use her at the trial because they knew she was unreliable, but they used her to get him back to the States.
Then there’s the ballistics.
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The prosecution argued that a casing found near the agents' bodies matched Peltier’s AR-15. Years later, FOIA requests revealed a teletype from an FBI ballistics expert stating that the gun in question had a different firing pin than the one used in the killings. This was withheld from the defense. Matthiessen lays this out not as a conspiracy theory, but as a cold, hard failure of the justice system.
The Ghost of Crazy Horse
The title isn’t just a catchy phrase. Matthiessen was trying to connect the 1970s struggle to the original resistance of the 19th century. Crazy Horse—the Oglala leader who never signed a treaty and never let his picture be taken—represented a specific kind of refusal to assimilate.
Matthiessen argues that the FBI wasn't just chasing a murderer; they were trying to crush a resurgence of that same spirit. To the government, AIM was a domestic terrorist organization. To Matthiessen and many others, AIM was the only thing standing between traditional Lakota people and a corrupt tribal government backed by federal power.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Book
People often think Matthiessen is saying Peltier is 100% innocent of being at the scene. He isn't. He acknowledges Peltier was a leader and was present. What he’s really doing is deconstructing the "official" narrative.
One of the most controversial parts of the book is the mention of "Mr. X." In the later editions, Matthiessen discusses a mysterious figure who supposedly drove onto the property and killed the agents. Many critics, and even some supporters, find the Mr. X story thin. It felt like a Hail Mary to provide an alternative suspect. But Matthiessen’s point remains: if the evidence against the man in prison is corrupted, should he be there?
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The Lasting Legacy of the "Reign of Terror"
Between 1973 and 1976, the Pine Ridge Reservation had the highest murder rate in the United States. It wasn't even close. Most of the victims were AIM supporters. Most of the killers were never prosecuted.
When you read In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, you start to see the Oglala shoot-out not as an isolated incident, but as the climax of a low-grade civil war. Matthiessen interviewed dozens of people who were terrified to speak on the record. He describes the "chilling effect" of having armored personnel carriers rolling through small reservation towns. It was a war zone.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Reader
If you're looking to understand this history or get involved in the discourse, don't just stop at the book. The story is still being written.
- Review the FOIA Documents: The Mary Werner Schooler collection and various FOIA archives online contain the actual teletypes Matthiessen references. Seeing the "non-match" ballistics report for yourself changes how you view the legal arguments.
- Contextualize with "Incident at Oglala": If the 600+ pages of the book are too much to start with, watch the documentary Incident at Oglala. It was produced by Robert Redford and covers much of the same ground Matthiessen did, including interviews with the key players.
- Follow the Clemency Campaign: Leonard Peltier is in his 80s now. He’s in failing health. His legal team regularly files for clemency or compassionate release. Following the International Leonard Peltier Defense Committee (ILPDC) provides the most current updates on his status and the ongoing legal efforts to secure his release.
- Read the Counter-Arguments: To be truly informed, you should look at the FBI’s "No Parole for Peltier" stance. They maintain a detailed rebuttal of Matthiessen’s claims. Understanding their perspective on the evidence is crucial for a nuanced view of why the case has remained stagnant for fifty years.
- Support Tribal Sovereignty: The root of Matthiessen’s book is the fight for land and the right of Indigenous people to govern themselves. Supporting organizations like the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) helps address the systemic legal issues that In the Spirit of Crazy Horse first brought to public attention.
The book is more than a true crime story. It’s a study of power—who has it, who wants it, and what the state will do to keep it. Whether you walk away believing Peltier is a political prisoner or a convicted killer, you can't deny that Matthiessen exposed a terrifying breakdown of the American promise of "equal justice under law."
The spirit of Crazy Horse, as Matthiessen defined it, wasn't about winning a fight. It was about refusing to be forgotten. Through his writing, he ensured that the events at Oglala—and the people who lived through them—stayed exactly where the government didn't want them: in the public consciousness.