Family wants apology for Bellegarde’s Leonard Peltier advocacy

In a press release from the Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association March 9, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde is being called out for insensitivity to the issue of murdered and missing Indigenous women.

The family of activist “and one of Canada’s most prominent Murdered Aboriginal women, Annie Mae Pictou Aquash” is seeking an apology and retraction from Bellegarde for calling for the freedom of Leonard Peltier.

Peltier is imprisoned in the United States for the killings of two FBI agents in 1975 during a standoff at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. There is controversy around the fairness of the trials of the American Indian Movement member. 

It was during an interview March 7 on CBC’s Power and Politics, the release states, that Bellegarde made the plea to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to advocate for President Barack Obama to free Leonard Peltier.

“Family of MMIW Annie Mae Pictou Aquash have fought one of the longest campaigns to seek justice in the murder of their mother.  Annie Mae is from the Sipeknekatik band in N.S. Family and community were shocked and dismayed to hear of the AFN endorsement.”

The release further states, “Annie Mae Pictou Aquash was kidnapped, interrogated, beaten and executed by members of the American Indian Movement” and alleges that Peltier interrogated her “and conspired to hide the truth for over two decades.”

The family says the national chief didn’t engaged them, other First Nations leaders or the First Nations community prior to his endorsement of Peltier.

“Our family and community are heartsick about this. It was our hope that a MMIW Inquiry would mean healing and continued justice for our MMIW families. This conflict and contradiction has thrown salt back into the wounds,” said Denise Maloney Pictou.

The Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association and the family of the late Annie Mae Pictou Aquash are demanding an immediate retraction and apology to the family of Annie Mae and the Mikmaq community of Sipeknekatik where Annie Mae’s remains now lay.

They provide the following link for information on the life of Annie Mae and for trial transcripts and documents
http://www.indiancountrynews.com/index.php/investigations