Family of Annie Mae Pictou Aquash: Open Letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

An Open Letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
The family of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman Annie Mae Pictou Aquash, who was kidnapped, interrogated, and executed in South Dakota in 1975, have grave concerns that the Prime Minister is currently in Washington DC speaking with President Obama about the notion of clemency for Leonard Peltier.

Annie Mae Pictou Aquash is one of Canada’s oldest Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s cases.  Recently the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Perry Bellegarde, publically requested, on the eve of Canada’s State visit to the United States,that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have discussions with President Obama supporting a bid for Clemency for Leonard Peltier. Leonard Peltier is currently serving two consecutive life sentences for killing two FBI agents in 1975 in the United States.

In 2004 and 2010, four trials for Annie Mae Pictou Aquash that resulted in two convictions, a guilty plea, and an acquittal revealed documented court testimony that confirmed that Annie Mae Pictou Aquash was kidnapped, interrogated, and executed by American Indian Movement members, including Leonard Peltier for his interrogation of Annie Mae and his confession to Annie Mae of shooting one of the FBI agents while he begged for his life. For four decades the American Indian Movement and Leonard Peltier have publically stated it was the FBI who shot Annie Mae. Currently AIM and Leonard Peltier publically support Annie Mae’s killer, John Graham, who is currently serving a life sentence in the United States for the felony murder of Annie Mae. The case of Annie Mae Pictou Aquash currently remains open in the United States.

It is our understanding that the Assembly of First Nations along with the Canadian Government has put their full support into facilitating and addressing an Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada.

Our family finds this endorsement made by the National Chief Bellegarde, to be contradictory and hypocritical to AFNs support of families of MMIW in bringing their loved ones Justice.

It is our hope that the Prime Minister investigates documented evidence in the case of Annie Mae Pictou Aquash and contacts authorities and officials before speaking with President Obama on this matter so he can make an informed decision to have this discussion or not.

In the Spirit of our mother,
The family of MMIW Annie Mae Pictou Aquash