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KWIA (Coordination of Working groups on
Indigenous Affairs)
A support group for indigenous peoples
St. Niklaas,
Belgium
December 28, 2003
KWIA, a support group for indigenous peoples, wishes to drawn your attention
to the arrest of John Graham.
In the middle of the Wounded Knee maelstrom was Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash, a
striking mother with a fiery devotion to American Indian Rights. Anna Mae
was one of a very few women prominent within AIM, and her dedication to the
cause made her a larger-than-life figure. But ultimately Anna Mae, like many
others, found that life on the Pine Ridge Reservation could be frighteningly
cheap.
In December 1975, she was killed with a gunshot to the back of the head.
In this case, John Graham is charged with the murder of Anna Mae
Pictou-Aquash - John Graham a friend and colleague in the American Indian
Movement. John Graham has repeatedly stated that he is not guilty of this
crime.
John Graham was arrested in Vancouver, BC, on Monday, December 1. The U.S.
is expected to seek his extradition to stand trial for the murder of Anna
Mae
Pictou-Aquash. The U.S. government has sixty days from the arrest on
December 1, to make their case for extradition.
Leonard Peltier recently stated, "I fear that John Graham
will not receive a fair trial in the U.S. anymore than I did. I must
remind you, it is court record that the FBI lied to extradite me back to the
U.S.".
KWIA encourages you to examine the facts around the history of how the FBI
extradited John Graham's fellow activist, Leonard Peltier, and to encourage
Canada's Justice Minister Irwin Cotler to direct his officials to thoroughly
scrutinize the evidence presented by the U.S.
Justice is long overdue in the December 1975 killing of Mi'qmak activist
Anna Mae Pictou-Aquash. Not only must those responsible be identified and
brought to trial, but there must also be scrupulous respect for due process
and fair trial proceedings.
KWIA opposes the extradition of John Graham to the U.S.
Sincerely,
Martina Roels
KWIA
Gorinchemstraat 52
B-9100 St.Niklaas
Belgium
E-mail:
martinaroels@skynet.be