In the Spirit of Crazy Horse (book)

In the Spirit of Crazy Horse is a book by Peter Matthiessen which chronicles "The story of Leonard Peltier and the FBI's war on the American Indian Movement". It was first published in 1983. Leonard Peltier was convicted of murder in 1977 and sentenced to life in prison for the 1975 killing of two FBI agents, after a trial which the author alleges was based on widespread fraud and government misconduct. The book portrays the violent turmoil on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation during that time, including the 1973 'Wounded Knee Incident' and the following "reign of terror", and describes the 1975 'Pine Ridge Shoot–out' or 'Oglala Firefight' and the subsequent trials and their aftermath. Distribution of the book was interrupted for almost a decade while legal challenges against it were resolved.

Whatever the nature and degree of his participation at Oglala, the ruthless persecution of Leonard Peltier had less to do with his own actions than with underlying issues of history, racism, and economics, in particular, Indian sovereignty claims and growing opposition to massive energy development on treaty lands and dwindling reservations.

The book was well received critically. Most scholars praised Matthiessen's veracity and accuracy, and the author's support for Leonard Peltier, AIM, and the Lakota people was acknowledged and appreciated by those parties.

The book was finally published in paperback in 1992 after lawsuits alleging libel were dismissed by the various courts and their decisions affirmed upon appeal. The lawsuits and their attendant rulings have become important and oft-cited cases in the areas of 'media law' and 'freedom of speech'. After publicity generated by the lawsuits, the book became a bestseller.

After publication of the book, two plaintiffs filed libel suits against Viking Press. Bill Janklow, the former Republican governor of South Dakota, filed a $24 million lawsuit in South Dakota. He also sued three booksellers in South Dakota who had sold hardcover copies of the book. This case was watched because of its repressive aspects related to bookselling.

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