"Anna Mae took it upon herself to help people any way she could - especially when she felt injustices were apparent. I firmly believe that there are people out there who know who killed Anna Mae and, more importantly, why.

     "The question in my mind is why have we let something like this happen. Wasn't the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890 bad enough? Our people were vistimized then just as they are victinized today. The only difference is that the 'calvary' is more technologically advanced. The scare tactics used against the rebellious, yet righteous Indian have become more and more harsh to keep up with the times.

     "I don't think that in today's day and age the oppressors could buy land the size of Manhattan Island for the approimate cost of twenty-four dollars. As Native Americans have progressed in such fields as education and have grown more aware of the value of our naturla resources, we have something that our oppressors are scared of: smart, cautious Indians. As our dealings with the government have insreased, we have become more and more reluctant to 'sign our lives away.' Native Americans have also become a hindrance to larger bodies of power who have always been partial to keeping the benefits for themselves.

     "I believe that the knowledge Anna Mae acumulated did in fact lead to her execution-style killing. The excuses offered for other deaths - such as exposure and suicide - lead us to believe that cover-ups and simply 'keeping your mouth shut' have become the norm in the events that occurred on the Pine Ridge Reservation during the 1970s.

     "The courage and spirit that my sister, Anna, showed should be brought out in each of us. Combined with the old motto 'united we shand, divided we fall,' they will be our one step forward to an inevitable prosperity."