For Anna Mae Pictou Aquash, Whose Spirit Is Present Here and in the Dappled Stars (for we remember the story and must tell it again so we may all live) by Joy Harjo
"For Anna Mae Pictou Aquash, Whose Spirit Is Present Here and in the Dappled Stars (for we remember the story and must tell it again so we may all live)" by Joy Harjo is a poignant exploration of the life and untimely death of Anna Mae Aquash, a Native American activist whose murder in 1976 sparked ongoing questions about justice and truth within Indigenous communities. The poem intertwines natural imagery with urban settings to illustrate the enduring spirit of Anna Mae, emphasizing her resilience and the importance of remembering her story. Through this work, Harjo honors Aquash's legacy and the broader struggles faced by Native peoples, particularly highlighting the role of women in preserving cultural narratives and confronting historical injustices.
The poem begins with a reflection on the beauty of nature’s renewal, paralleling the emergence of hope and voice amidst adversity. Harjo likens Aquash to an "elegant weed," symbolizing her unyielding spirit despite being silenced. The text also acknowledges the cultural significance of Anna's second burial conducted in Lakota, a moment that resonates deeply within Native communities. The overarching theme emphasizes the need to remember and articulate the pain and anger surrounding Aquash's death, suggesting that her spirit continues to inspire those who seek truth, even in seemingly desolate places. Through this narrative, Harjo invites readers to engage with the lasting impact of Aquash's life and the collective memory of Indigenous struggles.
For Anna Mae Pictou Aquash, Whose Spirit Is Present Here and in the Dappled Stars (for we remember the story and must tell it again so we may all live) by Joy Harjo
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1990 (collected in In Mad Love and War, 1990)
Type of work: Poem
The Work
“For Anna Mae Pictou Aquash, Whose Spirit Is Present Here and in the Dappled Stars (for we remember the story and must tell it again so we may all live)” is a narrative describing the poet’s reaction to the story of a woman whose message and dreams were silenced by an early, violent death. Harjo juxtaposes Native American images of nature with modern urban images to re-create the true story of Anna Mae Aquash in the hope that the story will remain forever as inspiration.
Harjo appends a note to the text to explain the poem’s context. In February, 1976, the body of a young woman was found on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. An autopsy attributed the death to exposure, and the unnamed body was buried. Later, after friends and relatives discovered that Anna Mae Aquash, a young woman who had been active in the American Indian Movement, was missing, they demanded another autopsy. This time, evidence revealed that the woman’s death had been caused by a bullet fired into the back of her head at close range. For many years, it was unclear who was responsible for her death. It was not until 2003 that Arlo Looking Cloud and John Graham, two former AIM members, were charged with her murder.
Harjo begins the poem by describing her amazement at finding beauty when nature arises at the end of winter. She compares a small crocus emerging from the ground with the way she herself feels each morning when she awakes. She comments that it is natural to understand this scheme of things, in which, despite destruction, nature continues and “everything and nothing changes.”
Next the poet directly addresses Anna, “the shimmering young woman/ who found her voice” after she was threatened with harm if she continued to speak. She did continue, like an “elegant weed,” a persistent plant that cannot be tamed. Although she was cut down like a weed, her spirit continues, “present in the dappled stars.” This spirit, prancing with the energy of an untamed horse, remains with people who pursue truth. The spirit persists even in cold, unlikely places, such as “steely cities,” thriving where nothing seems to grow, “nuzzling the frozen bodies of tattered drunks/ on the corner.”
In the midst of big-city traffic, the poet remembers Anna’s second burial, which was conducted in the Lakota Indian dialect, “a language that could/ free you.” Heard by Native Americans everywhere, her message lives on, especially among the women, who, because of their intimacy with birth and death, understand well the changing of the seasons. They know that they are poised to understand centuries of buried anger.
Recalling the death of Anna brings all of these feelings to the surface to be articulated: “we have just begun to perceive the amazed world the ghost dancers entered/ crazily, beautifully.” The poem ends with new understanding of the meaning of Anna’s death. Like other poems in the collection, it reflects Harjo’s Creek heritage and her close identification with those whose lives and dreams have been thwarted in the pursuit of truth.
Bibliography
Adamson, Joni. “And the Ground Spoke: Joy Harjo and the Struggle for a Land-Based Language.” In American Indian Literature, Environmental Justice, and Ecocriticism: The Middle Place. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2001.
Bryson, J. Scott. “Finding the Way Back: Place and Space in the Ecological Poetry of Joy Harjo.” MELUS 27 (Fall, 2002): 169-196.
Keyes, Claire. “Between Ruin and Celebration: Joy Harjo’s In Mad Love and War.” Borderlines: Studies in American Culture 3, no. 4 (1996): 389-395.
Lobo, Susan, and Kurt Peters, eds. American Indians and the Urban Experience. Walnut Creek, Calif.: Altamira Press, 2001.
Riley, Jeannette, Kathleen Torrens, and Susan Krumholz. “Contemporary Feminist Writers: Envisioning a Just World.” Contemporary Justice Review 8 (March, 2005): 91-106.
Scarry, John. “Representing Real Worlds: The Evolving Poetry of Joy Harjo.” World Literature Today 66 (Spring, 1992): 286-291.