ALL THE WORLD IS A STAGE 2
Article republished in its entirely with the express permission of Rezinate~
The Peltierites and AIM to a degree like to cite various portions of Steve Hendricks book The Unquiet Grave, other portions they’d just as soon forget-so in the spirit of fair play I’ve decided to cite and blog about some of the portions they favor omitting.
The previous blog was about Ray Robinson-this one will deal with Annie Mae Aquash and events at Crow Dog’s so called “paradise” that unquestionably played a role in her abduction and murder. What follows is an excerpt from Hendricks book, pages 213 and 214:
“Aquash kept a low profile through July. In early August she went to Crow Dog’s Paradise on the Rosebud Reservation for the annual sun dance, the weeklong rite of regeneration through sacrifice that in Indian Country was akin to Easter in purpose and Christmas in importance.
At gatherings of AIMers’ even spiritual ones, the groups leaders tended to go through Pabst and pot like old Cadillacs through oil.
Aquash was an exception, having given up alcohol the year before on the belief that leadership in AIM demanded rectitude. Usually she kept her disapproval of her colleagues’ carousing to herself.But after the incident at Oglala,when every law enforcer in West River was looking for a reason to raid an AIM camp, and when one drunk driver or one drug tip could give them all they excuse they needed, Aquash told a besotted Russell Means that his carrying on was practically suicidal.
She told a wobbly Leonard Crow Dog that he had all the dignity of a pickled pope. Neither man took the criticism constructfully. Crow Dog called her an informer and ordered her off his land. The epithet informer had become common in AIM, often said in heat but seldom literally meant, a bit like motherfucker or cocksucker.
But Aquash’s recent interrogation by Peltier gave Crow Dog’s insult unusual gravity,and the whispers about her grew louder. She left Crow Dog’s for a camp just down the road, on the property of Diane and Al Running, Crow Dog’s sister and brother-in-law.For the next several weeks she seems to have alternated between the Running’s place and her trailer at Oglala.”
Two central characters in this incident worth noting are Russell Means and Leonard Crow Dog-both in their great spirituality drunk and undoubtedly strutting about with a bloated sense of self importance.
If, and that’s a big IF, Crow Dog were ever qualified to conduct any kind of ceremony this clearly illustrates his is not now or then.
And Russell Means the loudmouthed, grifter, egotist? His actions have always spoken for themselves-and they say a singular word-Fraud.
The reader should note that the confrontation with these two drugstore Indians took place in August, and by December Annie was dead.
They should note as well that Means claimed he knew nothing of Annie’s murder until 1999 when he just happened to overhear some women talking about it, and coincidentally Aquash cousin Bob Branscombe had been doing some rooting around and was about to go public with what he learned.
Knew nothing despite the fact the call to murder Annie was taken at brother Bill’s house.
This is another one of those dumb and dumber things-something anyone with an IQ of ten would recognize for exactly it is.
Something else that should be seared into the conciousness of people is that Crow Dog held an “honoring” ceremony for Theda Nelson Clarke, and John Graham-two of the three principals involved in the physical abduction and murder of Annie.
And once again where has AIM and the government been in pursuing a complete justice?
AIM merely wants to forget the whole thing, but since that hasn’t been possible they’ve elected to wave Annie’s picture as a banner, talk about how much they loved their sister, and hope it resonates.
The government on the one hand convicted Arlo Looking Cloud in a slam dunk following his own confession, and after dragging it’s feet for decades before charging and finally convicting John “the land warrior” Graham. Granted one could add Thelma Rios onto the conviction list with her plea deal, but on the other hand the question also arises why is her testimony sealed?
Does it speak to others who should be charged and dragged into court as well who haven’t been, and by all indications won’t be?
Like I’ve said before, my belief is that the attrition of time and the passing of others who are complicit is the end game-once they’ve passed on the book is effectively closed-and the “ongoing investigation” can be laid to rest…..but never the unanswered questions.
