Amelia 'Amy' Trice
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| April 26, 1936 ~ July
21, 2011 |
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July 24, 2011 |
 Amelia
“Amy" Cutsack Trice, 75, passed away on
Thursday, July 21, 2011, at Deaconess Medical
Center.
Amy was born on April 26, 1936, in Bonners Ferry
to Helen and Baptiste Cutsack. Although
childhood tuberculosis brought Amy sporadically
to a sanitarium for treatment, she managed to
obtain her education. She went to the Kootenai
Tribal School, Chemewa Indian School, and
Bonners Ferry Public School.
In 1954 Amy married Xavier Aitken with whom she
had six children. Although things did not work
out with Xavier, Amy found love again with David
Trice whom she married in 1969.
When Amy was just 20 years old, she began
serving on the Kootenai Tribal Council, first as
secretary and later as Chairwoman. She treasured
her fellow Kootenais and was a tireless advocate
for their well-being. In 1974, Amy led the
Kootenai people into a war against the United
States to obtain the resources necessary for the
tribe's survival. Her courageous story was told
in the documentary "Idaho's Forgotten War".
Amy was involved in many organizations that
promoted women and Indian people's concerns. She
was a founding member of Upper Columbia United
Tribes (UCUT), received the Women of Color
Alliance Breaking Barriers for Women of Color in
Idaho Award and the Chairman's Award from the
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
Amy was a member of St. Ann's Catholic Church,
and belonged to the Alter Society. She took part
in cultural exchanges with other women in the
church by helping to teach beadwork and learning
their sewing techniques.
Amy was known by friends and family for her
generosity, always welcoming people into her
home. She had a playful spirit and enjoyed a
good laugh, especially at what she considered
her own silliness. She loved being on the
pow¬wow trail where she spent long happy nights
playing stick game with friends. In her 60s, she
discovered water aerobics and a new community of
women whom she befriended.
She was preceded in death by her parents and
siblings Agatha I, Phillip, Sara, Terry,
Dominic, Andrew, Maurice and Agatha II.
She is survived by her beloved husband David
Trice, children Rex Aitken, Mildred
Aitken-Rodriguez, Lawrence Aitken, Gary Aitken,
Sr, Bernadine Boy Chief, and Robert Aitken, 16
grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
A wake was held on Sunday, July 24, in the
Kootenai Tribal Hall, with a rosary on Monday
evening. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on
Tuesday, July 26, at St. Ann's Catholic Church
in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. She was buried at St.
Michael's Mission Cemetery.
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