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The Spirit of Annie Mae

2002 1 h 13 min
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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 …

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The Spirit of Annie Mae

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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.
  • director
    Catherine Anne Martin
  • producer
    Kent Martin
  • cinematography
    Kent Nason
  • editor
    Angela Baker
  • production supervisor
    Patricia Coughran
  • sound
    Arthur Mackay
  • narration - writer
    Angela Baker
  • narrator
    Catherine Anne Martin
  • music
    Lee Cremo
    Joel Denny
    Morning Star
    Sandy Morris
  • camera assistant
    Kyle Cameron
    Joel Denny
  • production assistant
    Marilyn Francis
    April Maloney
  • assistant editor
    Kendall Nowe
    Jason MacLeod
  • additional sound
    Frank Kavanagh
  • reading
    Deborah Pictou Maloney
  • research
    Catherine Anne Martin
    Ernest Dick
    April Maloney
    Kent Martin
    Elizabeth Klinck
    Karen A. Wyatt
    Frank Clifford
    Patricia Coughran
  • consultant
    Barry Cowling
  • rights clearances
    Elizabeth Klinck
  • technical coordinator
    Claude Cardinal
    Patricia Coughran
  • sound editor
    Alex Salter
  • music editor
    Alex Salter
  • online editor
    Sylvain Desbiens
  • re-recording
    Jean Paul Vialard
  • titles
    Gaspard Gaudreau
  • studio clerk
    Stephanie Coolen
    Vanessa Larsen
  • program administrator
    John William Lutz
  • executive producer
    Sally Bochner

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Education

Ages 16 to 18
School subjects

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?

The Spirit of Annie Mae
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