Plot Synopsis

Directed by Yvonne Russo, VOW OF SILENCE: THE ASSASSINATION OF ANNIE MAE is a four-part documentary that examines the murder of Annie Mae Aquash -- a Mi'kmaq woman from Nova Scotia, Canada; a mother of two daughters; a teacher; and a revolutionary -- who fought for Indigenous rights in the 1970s and whose death went unsolved for almost 30 years. Set between the sweeping landscape of American politics in the volatile '70s and the present-day investigation by Annie Mae's daughter to uncover secrets from the past, this is a fascinating story of murder, intrigue, love, and betrayal that contextualizes Annie Mae's story within the larger story of the struggle of Native and First Nations women in their own communities that continues even today. All four episodes of VOW OF SILENCE: THE ASSASSINATION OF ANNIE MAE dropped on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 on Hulu:

"Americanize You": In 1972 Mi'kmaq Annie Mae Pictou Aquash answers a call by the American Indian Movement (AIM) to travel to Washington to force the government to honor its treaty obligations with Indigenous people. Tensions escalate, and the activists make a disturbing discovery.

"Wounded Knee 1973": Annie Mae risks her life to join a dangerous occupation in South Dakota and becomes a prominent female leader in the Movement. The government secretly infiltrates AIM at the highest levels. The Movement is embraced by Hollywood, but informants create paranoia, and Annie Mae makes a dangerous decision in her personal life.

"Exposure": A clash between the FBI and AIM proves deadly. Annie Mae makes a secret pact with a close friend before going on the run with a group of fugitives, and then disappears. A body is discovered a short while later in the Badlands.

"A Cry for Justice": After a strange incident, the first Indigenous U.S. Marshall decides to investigate Annie Mae's fate. Evidence leads to Denver and three surprising names. Investigators struggle to find enough evidence to go to trial, but they get a surprising break when someone comes forward and agrees to wear a wire.