Anna Mae Pictou Aquash

"I'm Indian all the way, and always will be. I'm not going to stop fighting until I die, and I hope I'm a good example of a human being and of my tribe."
- Anna Mae Aquash

Annie Mae Aquash was a Mi'kmaq activist from Nova Scotia, Canada, who became a member of the American Indian Movement, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, United States during the mid-1970s

Born: March 27, 1945, Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, Canada
Died: December 1975, South Dakota Highway 73

In the past few years, the memory of Anna Mae Aquash has been minimalized to that of a helpless woman who was murdered because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In reality, her murder is a part of a bigger picture, a ruthless campaign waged by the US who had uranium development and profits to gain. This resulted in the murder of at least 76 Indians in the districts of Pine Ridge, in the early 1970’s.

Anna Mae is remembered by her comrades for her kindness, her sweetness, and her fearlessness. Despite her small size, she was physically capable of taking on any man in a fight. She was also knew her guns, was an expert at handling them. Like all the AIM’sters who were active in Pine Ridge, she knew the consequences of taking a stand, and she continued to do so, refusing to bow down and be a good little Indian. She made no compromises, and lived her life fully experiencing what few of us are brave enough to attain. True freedom.

In September 1975, FBI agent David Price attempted to force her to sign an affidavit implicating Leonard Peltier for the murder of the 2 FBI agents. After she refused to cooperate, Price promised her she would not live to see the new year. In order to protect herself, Anna Mae went underground, and she told many that the FBI had offered her money and immunity to turn against Leonard, but that she’d rather take her kind of freedom, then whatever they offered her. Up until her death, it is a proven fact that she turned to AIM for protection, and had put her fears of the FBI in writing. When her body was discovered in February of 1976, law officials and FBI agents including David Price investigated the cause of her death. They cut off her hands for "fingerprint analysis", and despite the visible bullet hole in the back of her head, they determined her cause of death to be from frostbite. They quickly arranged for her to be buried as a Jane Doe. A second autopsy was ordered by the Wounded Knee Legal Offense Defense Committee, and Anna Mae's family, when her identity was revealed by the FBI. Her body was re-dug up, and an independent pathologist discovered a gaping bullet wound in the back of her head. It was easy for him to locate and remove the .32 caliber bullet lodged her head.

FBI agents threatened Myrtle Poor-bear. They told her they'd cut off her hands like Anna Mae's if she didn't sign an affidavit implicating Leonard Peltier for murder of 2 FBI agents.