The Spirit of Annie Mae
In 1975, Annie Mae Pictou Aquash, a 30-year-old Nova Scotia born-Mi'kmaq, was shot dead, execution style, on a desolate road in South Dakota. Nearly three decades later the crime remains a mystery. Aquash was highly placed in the American Indian Movement (AIM), a radical First Nations organization that took up arms in the 1970s to fight for the rights of their people. The Spirit of Annie Mae is the story of Aquash's remarkable life and her brutal murder. It is a moving tribute from the women who were closest to her: the two daughters who fled with their mother when …
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In 1975, Annie Mae Pictou Aquash, a 30-year-old Nova Scotia born-Mi'kmaq, was shot dead, execution style, on a desolate road in South Dakota. Nearly three decades later the crime remains a mystery.
Aquash was highly placed in the American Indian Movement (AIM), a radical First Nations organization that took up arms in the 1970s to fight for the rights of their people.
The Spirit of Annie Mae is the story of Aquash's remarkable life and her brutal murder. It is a moving tribute from the women who were closest to her: the two daughters who fled with their mother when she hid from the FBI; the young women she inspired to embrace Native culture; and the other activists, including Buffy Sainte-Marie and investigative journalist Minnie Two Shoes, who stood in solidarity with her.
All are still trying to understand why she met such a violent death. Follow them on their journey as they celebrate the life of a woman who inspired a generation of Indigenous people.
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directorCatherine Anne Martin
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producerKent Martin
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cinematographyKent Nason
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editorAngela Baker
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production supervisorPatricia Coughran
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soundArthur Mackay
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narration - writerAngela Baker
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narratorCatherine Anne Martin
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musicLee CremoJoel DennyMorning StarSandy Morris
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camera assistantKyle CameronJoel Denny
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production assistantMarilyn FrancisApril Maloney
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assistant editorKendall NoweJason MacLeod
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additional soundFrank Kavanagh
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readingDeborah Pictou Maloney
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researchCatherine Anne MartinErnest DickApril MaloneyKent MartinElizabeth KlinckKaren A. WyattFrank CliffordPatricia Coughran
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consultantBarry Cowling
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rights clearancesElizabeth Klinck
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technical coordinatorClaude CardinalPatricia Coughran
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sound editorAlex Salter
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music editorAlex Salter
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online editorSylvain Desbiens
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re-recordingJean Paul Vialard
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titlesGaspard Gaudreau
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studio clerkStephanie CoolenVanessa Larsen
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program administratorJohn William Lutz
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executive producerSally Bochner
AIM, the American Indian Movement, arose during a time of much civil rights activism in the United States. Compare and contrast its goals with those of other civil rights groups. Why was the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation historically significant to U.S.–Native American relations? How did the Pine Ridge Incident raise awareness of how the settlement of the U.S. affected Native Americans? What questions does this film raise about Annie Mae’s contribution to AIM and about her eventual murder?
