The statue of

Leonard Peltier Leonard Peltier (born September 12, 1944) is a Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) who was convicted of murdering two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in a June 26, 1975, shooting on the Pine Rid ...

American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is an Native Americans in the United States, American Indian grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues ...

activist and long-term prisoner, was created by political artist

Rigo 23 Rigo 23 (born Ricardo Gouveia, 1966) is a Portuguese-born visual artist. He is known in the San Francisco community for having painted a number of large, graphic "sign" murals including: ''One Tree'' next to the U.S. Route 101 on-ramp at 10th and ...

. The piece is based on a self-portrait of Peltier and was created to raise awareness of Peltier's Native American activism, artistry, and his 41 years in prison. The statue stands nine feet tall and is made of

redwood Sequoioideae, commonly referred to as redwoods, is a subfamily of Pinophyta, coniferous trees within the family (biology), family Cupressaceae, that range in the Northern Hemisphere, northern hemisphere. It includes the List of superlative tree ...

and some steel. It includes a base measuring six feet by nine feet, modeled to match the dimensions of a standard prison cell. Approved for placement on the grounds of the

American University The American University (AU or American) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Its main campus spans 90-acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, in the Spri ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, in 2016, the statue was brought across the country for placement. On the way, it made stops in various locations such as Standing Rock, Pine Ridge, and Alcatraz Island. During its journey, over five hundred people stood on its feet to show their solidarity for Peltier. On December 9, 2016, the statue was placed in front of the American University's

Katzen Arts Center The Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen Arts Center is home to all of the visual and performing arts programs at American University and the American University Museum. It is located at Ward Circle, the intersection of Nebraska Avenue and Massachusetts Aven ...

. Soon after the president of the FBI Agents Association requested its removal. In January 2017, the statue was disassembled and removed from the campus by its administration who issued the statement: The university has agreed to work alongside the artist to find another home for the statue. https://www.ktvu.com/news/stolen-oakland-u-haul-contained-prized-leonard-peltier-statue

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