The Life and Death of Anna Mae Aquash

by Johanna Brand, Warren Allmand (Foreword)

In February 1976, the body of a woman was found on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The official autopsy attributed her death to exposure. Both hands were severed and sent to Washington for fingerprinting, and the body was hastily buried without legal documents.

When the FBI identified the woman as Anna Mae Aquash, a Canadian Mi'kmaq active in the American Indian Movement, her family and friends demanded a second autopsy. It revealed that Anna Mae had been killed by a bullet fired execution-style into the back of her head.

Anna Mae Aquash worked alongside Leonard Peltier and other leading members of the American Indian Movement. Like Peltier, whose case is now a cause celebre, Aquash was targeted by the FBI. No serious investigation has ever been undertaken to determine the identities of her murderers, but evidence points to the involvement of American law enforcement officials.

In this second edition of this book, former federal Member of Parliament Warren Allmand contributed a foreword, explaining the links between Peltier and Aquash's cases.

Though some of the information in this book has become outdated as more information became available in 2001 and later about the complex facts surrounding Aquash's death, this book stands as the only publication that tells the story of her life and the puzzling circumstances of her murder.

Genres: Nonfiction, Native American, True Crime, History, Biography, Indigenous

172 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a lot of online reading prior to this book therefore had background knowledge. I didn't even know there was a book written due to the lack of literature provided; this is the ONLY book written on Anna Mae, which is odd. This to me is a major tragedy and just as important as the Wounded Knee Occupy and shoot out at Jumping Bull ranch where we introduced the world to Leonard Peltier.

Anna Mae was a strong woman trying to make a change. I find her bravery admirable as she committed herself to AIM where it was male dominate howwever she felt no intimadtion to speak and act FOR them.

Sadly this needs to be turned into a movie, to spread the importance of the purity in one's heart to create change. A great diversity educational tool which is becoming more difficult to keep up with when it comes to the factual life of the Native American culture and history.

*If you enjoy this book read "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse"

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was described as being about Anna Mae Aquash herself, and her murder, but most of the book was about the events surrounding the shooting war between the FBI and the American Indian Movement shortly before Aquash's murder. Those events were inextricable from her death but as in real life, I felt Anna Mae was pretty much lost in the sauce.

[Jojo Crowchild · Rating 4 out of 5]

May 5th is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two Spirit day. I put out a feast plate for Anna Mae Aquash, Jancita Eagle Deer, and the many others who we have lost due to violence and hate.

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If youre looking for book to understand what was going on during these important years around civil rights within the states.

You gain a little bit of a picture of Anna, it is only a few chapters out of the entire book.

I do wish I got to know her more and there was more information on her case.

But I think the author wanted to show that the entire case was B.S.
Colonial systems like the FBI & RCMP consistently to this day, do not support Indigenouse people and often treat us like sh*t. This case is just another example of that.

Please PLEASE write to your local, provincial/state, and federal government leaders to better protect our Indigenous, Black, and People of Colour women, girls, and Two-Spirit.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those of us who study peoples' movements have heard the name Anna Mae Aquash, usually as it pertains to the Peltier case and the American Indian Movement. Usually, all we know is that she is dead. This book changes that. It gives her a face, a background, strengths and faults. It paints a picture of a hardworking organizer killed long before her time.

The book has a chapter about the FBI, Hoover, repression, and COINTELPRO, which provides no new information to those of us who have read other books about those programs (feel free to skip).

It was kind of nice to have a Canadian perspective on AIM and US-Canada relations.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not much is known about Anna Mae. The author did a great job of gathering as much as she could about this important woman of AIM. It's too bad this is the only book about her. I highly recommend reading about her life and what happened to her. It goes into great detail about the lengths the FBI and BIA went to infiltrate and stop AIM. But there are chapters also dedicated to Anna Mae.

[Sarah Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers the complex and volatile political/social background to the murder of Mi'kmaq activist Anna Mae Aquash who worked within the AIM in the 1970s. The language in the book is dated and it was released before the case was closed, but the thorough research into Anna Mae's life and the background detailing the crimes of the FBI and failings of the judicial system are well worth the read.

Honestly embarrassed I had never heard of this before.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is what it says - a study of the Mic Maq activist who was found murdered during the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM) in the late 70's. It is fairly devastating, but an fascinating part of history that is too easily forgotten or swept under the rug.

[Benedetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merita di essere letto per il semplice motivo di rendere giusta ad una donna che ha scelto di rivendicare i diritti del proprio popolo e ,in virtù di ciò, è stata uccisa. La sua morte rappresenta un mistero,ma sul suo cadavere aleggiano varie organizzazioni fra cui FBI e AMI. Ricca di spunti storici che aiutano a comprendere quali siano le condizioni in cui sono costretti a vivere gli indiani d'america e ,a quali leggi ingiuste, devono sottostare. In alcuni tratti,però, ci si può perdere per via dei numerosi nomi che compaiono sebbene ,ognuno di quel nome, abbia una colpa e questa è esplicitata nel corso del capitolo che si legge. Intrigante e suggestivo: adatto a chi desidera conoscere il mondo sotto ogni sua sfaccettatura.