Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance

Last updated
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
Directed by Alanis Obomsawin
Written byAlanis Obomsawin
Produced by
StarringAlanis Obomsawin
Cinematography
Edited byYurij Luhovy
Music by
  • Francis Grandmont
  • Claude Vendette
Production
company
Release date
  • 28 January 1993 (1993-01-28)(Febio Film Festival)
Running time
119 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance is a 1993 feature-length documentary film by Alanis Obomsawin, highlighting the events of the 1990 Oka Crisis. Obomsawin documents the events of The Siege of Kanehsatake over 78 days, capturing a rare perspective of an important turning point in Canadian history. Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, the film won 18 Canadian and international awards, including the Distinguished Documentary Achievement Award from the International Documentary Association and the CITY TV Award for Best Canadian Feature Film from the Toronto Festival of Festivals. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

Obomsawin's film, Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, documents the boiling point of Indigenous land possession battles of the last 270 years. The conflict arises when the Quebec government announces to expand the golf course it had previously built on Mohawk land. The expansion would destroy the sacred burial ground located in their land of "The Pines". [2] This news led to the Mohawk community creating barricades to protect The Pines and block access to the Mercier Bridge. The siege began in March 1990, and tensions rose during a confrontation between the Mohawk Warriors and the Sûreté du Quebec (SQ); police raided Mohawk territory. Gunshots were fired and Corporal Marcel Lemay from the Quebec Provincial Police was shot dead. [3] The opening of the film displays the central conflict which is the direct result of the shoot-out on July 11, 1990. The film portrays an Indigenous perspective of this historical event; capturing 250 hours of footage in order to give agency to her people that were being misrepresented in common mass media. [4]

The documentary enlightens audiences to the mistreatment and brutal force received by Mohawks from the Canadian Armed Forces:

“She and her crew filmed clashes with the military; the army stopping food from reaching the land defenders; some locals hanging and burning an effigy of a warrior; a mob of Châteauguay residents stoning cars belonging to Kanien’kehá:ka, containing mostly women and children, with rocks the size of fists, windows shattering, glass shards lodged in skin, an elderly man hit in the chest, shirtless men cheering. She interviewed the Kanien’kehá:ka women on the front lines of the standoff with the federal and provincial governments. She documented the protests held in solidarity with the Kanehsata’kehró:non. And she filmed the army’s tanks pushing into Kanien’kehá:ka territory.” [4]

Production

In a video interview for the 'NFB Pause series' celebrating the 25th anniversary of the film, Alanis Obomsawin recounts,

“I was working on another film, I was driving my car I was on my way to the film board, and I hear on CBC news: a shoot out in Kanehsatake. You could hear the sound of the guns, so I went straight there instead of going to the film board. By the time I got there in Oka, you weren’t allowed to go into the village and the police had a barricade there, and that was it. So I went back to the film board and I said: I’m changing my production I got to go and document this. (00:00:32- 00:01:39)” [5]

Two SQ officers during Kanehsatake Siege. Crise d'Oka - SQ et forces canadiennes.jpg
Two SQ officers during Kanehsatake Siege.

It took several days before Alanis was able to cross the barricade to be with the Mohawk community and the Warriors. Not knowing how the conflict would develop, Obomsawin captured the rest of the siege. The Siege of Kanehsatake was the largest amount of troops deployed in an Indigenous rights issue. [4]

The production conditions that Obomsawin and her film crew were subjected to were less than favourable. The filmmaker herself admitted to feeling afraid for her life. Obomsawin and the Mohawk community faced many sleepless nights as well as fleeing from attacks from the army. After a cameraman left the scene in fear of his safety, Obomsawin took charge and adjusted to using the equipment herself. Obomsawin also recalls an account of verbal harassment while shooting, being referred to as "squaw" by the soldiers, a derogatory slur implying a woman that can be assaulted and beat. [4] She continuously reminded herself the reason why she was there: for her people. She needed to keep documenting the situation, to keep composure and therefore, never turned any insults back when speaking to authority figures. [6]

Film techniques

The film's subjective style is contrary to early Indigenous documentary works where they were the subjects being observed and preserved with a Western ethnographic gaze. [7] “Obomsawin’s subjective style is what makes her films so important simply because they are about her, and her people, supplying her own images and commentary”. [8] Alanis Obomsawin is the narrator in Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance. She is the one who tells the story and long history of land appropriation by colonizers in North America, inviting the audience to re-read history [9] She uses her voice and archival footage to properly demonstrate how history has continued to repeat itself, considering the events of Oka recall the failures of old treaties in Canada. [10]

Release

Rejected by Mark Starowicz of CBC Television, the film premiered in England, instead, on Channel Four. Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance made its North American premiere at the Toronto Festival of Festivals. [11]

In his book, Alanis Obomsawin: The Vision of a Native Filmmaker, film scholar Randolph Lewis writes:

When the film was released in 1993, the CBC continued its long-standing neglect of Obomsawin's work, in this case arguing that she needed to slice thirty minutes from the two-hour film to make room for commercial breaks. [..] Colin Neale, the executive producer who worked with Obomsawin on the film, rebuffed the network's demand. [...] Eventually, public interest in Kahnesatake overpowered the CBC's bureaucratic reluctance, and the network aired it on January 31, 1994. [12]

Brian McIlroy, in his chapter on Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance for the book The Cinema of Canada, states that:

It is clear that without Obomsawin's 1993 film, the history of Oka circa 1990 would be dominated by [Prime Minister Brian] Mulroney's assertion, reproduced in the documentary, that the armed Mohawks were criminals and illegally wielding weapons. [13]

In 2021 the film was selected for inclusion in Celebrating Alanis, a retrospective program of Obomsawin's films at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival. [14]

Critical response

Community

The film's production ultimately had an effect on the Mohawk community of Oka as well as Indigenous communities across North America. News stories contained a biased Western perspective. The documentary is evidence of the Mohawk experience. It provided an outlet for a perspective that was commonly misrepresented and distorted. [6] Obomsawin discussed the impact of the film and the incidents in Oka 25 years later with the National Film Board of Canada:

“…At the time the racism became so big here, […] you couldn’t go just anywhere without being pushed or insulted. So, it was even more important to make sure that it’s documented by some of us. This film became a turning point because of the content. Because of what happened. Every reservation in this country or almost every one of them, have lost land by always the municipality. And when the resistance was done in Kanehsatake, this is when it became a turning point. It gave courage to all the reserves and not to allow that to happen anymore. (00:01:30-00:02:13) [5]

Obomsawin's choice to stay with the community throughout the siege and document the brutalities also seemed to de-escalate the situation: "some believe Obomsawin’s continued presence with a camera likely tempered the army—that things would have been worse if she weren’t there filming.” [4] Jesse Wente, founding director of the Indigenous Screen Office and chair of the board of the Canada Council for the Arts stated that:

“The film marked a watershed moment in the history of Indigenous cinema, [...] Without Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, “it’s hard to imagine the understanding Canadians would have of what happened there, [...] In most other coverage at the time, “we did not hear from the people behind the line.” [4]

The film helped to develop a universal sentiment, Karen Froman an Indigenous scholar, explains: “the processes of colonization and rapid urbanization in the postwar period has ripped Indigenous peoples from their homelands, yet in many ways we remain connected to the land no matter where we may reside. I know where I come from even though I may not physically reside there.” [15]

National Film Board of Canada

During the 1940s and 1950s, the National Film Board of Canada's regarding Indigenous communities portrayed them under an ethnographic lens; as a vanishing culture. [15] Obomsawin's NFB produced film is significant as it contradicts this ideology constructed by the film board. She opposes the objectivity of NFB documentary journalistic filmmaking by abandoning the classic "voice of god" narration style and making her point of view very apparent. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Oka Crisis, also known as the Kanehsatà:ke Resistance ,, or Mohawk Crisis, was a land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada, over plans to build a golf course on land known as "The Pines" which included an indigenous burial ground. The crisis began on July 11, 1990, and lasted 78 days until September 26, with two fatalities. The dispute was the first well-publicized violent conflict between First Nations and provincial governments in the late 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kahnawake</span> First Nations reserve in Quebec, Canada

The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory is a First Nations reserve of the Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, across from Montreal. Established by French Canadians in 1719 as a Jesuit mission, it has also been known as Seigneury Sault du St-Louis, and Caughnawaga. There are 17 European spelling variations of the Mohawk Kahnawake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanesatake</span> Mohawk Territory in Quebec, Canada

Kanesatake is a Mohawk settlement on the shore of the Lake of Two Mountains in southwestern Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Ottawa and Saint Lawrence rivers and about 48 kilometres (30 mi) west of Montreal. People who reside in Kanehsatà:ke are referred to as Mohawks of Kanesatake. As of 2022, the total registered population was 2,751, with a total of about 1,364 persons living on the territory. Both they and the Mohawk of Kahnawake, Quebec, a reserve located south of the river from Montreal, also control and have hunting and fishing rights to Doncaster 17 Indian Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation</span> Indian reserve in Quebec, Canada

The Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation is a Mi'gmaq First Nations band government with a registered population (2022) of 4,248 members, most of whom are of Mi'kmaq ancestry. The name Listuguj, is the origin for the name of the Restigouche River, as well as other nearby places also carrying the name Restigouche. Listuguj is also used as a name for one of the Míkmaq orthographies. Its southern border is adjacent to Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alanis Obomsawin</span> American-Canadian Abenaki artist and filmmaker

Alanis Obomsawin, is an Abenaki American-Canadian filmmaker, singer, artist, and activist primarily known for her documentary films. Born in New Hampshire, United States and raised primarily in Quebec, Canada, she has written and directed many National Film Board of Canada documentaries on First Nations issues. Obomsawin is a member of Film Fatales independent women filmmakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie Dunn</span> Canadian politician, writer, filmmaker, and musician

William Lawrence Dunn was a Canadian singer-songwriter, film director and politician. Born in Montreal, he was of mixed Mi'kmaq and Scottish/Irish background. Dunn often highlighted indigenous issues in his work.

Tracey Penelope Tekahentakwa Deer is a First Nations (Mohawk) screenwriter, film director and newspaper publisher based in Kahnawake, Quebec. She has written and directed several award-winning documentaries for Rezolution Pictures, an Aboriginal-run film and television production company. In 2008, she was the first Mohawk woman to win a Gemini Award, for her documentary Club Native. Her TV series Mohawk Girls had five seasons from 2014 to 2017. She also founded her own production company for independent short work.

Incident at Restigouche is a 1984 documentary film by Alanis Obomsawin, chronicling a series of two raids on the Listuguj Mi'gmaq First Nation (Restigouche) by the Sûreté du Québec in 1981, as part of the efforts of the Quebec government to impose new restrictions on Native salmon fishermen.

Wolf Koenig was a Canadian film director, producer, animator, cinematographer, and a pioneer in Direct Cinema at the National Film Board of Canada.

Joseph Tehwehron David (1957–2004) was a Mohawk artist who became known for his role as a warrior during the Oka Crisis in 1990.

The People of the Kattawapiskak River is a 2012 documentary film by Alanis Obomsawin exploring conditions inside the Attawapiskat First Nation, which in October 2011 declared a state of emergency due to health and safety concerns over a lack of housing and infrastructure, and remained in the public spotlight during the Idle No More protests.

Hi-Ho Mistahey! is a 2013 National Film Board of Canada feature documentary film by Alanis Obomsawin that profiles Shannen's Dream, an activist campaign first launched by Shannen Koostachin, a Cree teenager from Attawapiskat, to lobby for improved educational opportunities for First Nations youth.

Ellen Gabriel, also known as Katsi'tsakwas, is a Mohawk activist and artist from Kanehsatà:ke Nation – Turtle Clan, known for her involvement as the official spokesperson, chosen by the People of the Longhouse, during the Oka Crisis.

<i>Trick or Treaty?</i> 2014 Canadian film

Trick or Treaty? is a 2014 Canadian documentary feature film by Alanis Obomsawin about Treaty 9, a 1905 agreement in which First Nations peoples in northern Ontario surrendered their sovereign rights. The film is the first by an indigenous filmmaker to be selected to the Masters program at the Toronto International Film Festival, and is the 43rd film by Obomsawin for the National Film Board of Canada.

Roxann (Karonhiarokwas) Whitebean is an independent film director and media artist from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake (Canada).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peace Village (Winnipeg, Manitoba)</span>

The Peace Village in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was a peace camp set up by Indigenous activists in front of the provincial Legislative Building in 1990. Established on 1 September 1990, the temporary encampment was to remain indefinitely in anticipation of a peaceful resolution to the Oka Crisis.

We Can't Make the Same Mistake Twice is a 2016 Canadian documentary film by Alanis Obomsawin about the First Nations activist Cindy Blackstock and her court case against the federal government of Canada for underfunding social services to children living on First Nations reserves.

Rocks at Whiskey Trench is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Alanis Obomsawin and released in 2000. The film centres on the Honoré Mercier Bridge blockade of 1990 during the Oka Crisis, focusing in particular on the incident when a group of Mohawk women and children from Kahnawake, in the process of being evacuated from the community due to fears of a Canadian Forces occupation, were violently pelted with rocks as they crossed into Montreal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marion Konwanénhon Delaronde</span> Kahnawakeronon director

Marion Konwanénhon Delaronde is a Kahnawakeronon artist, animator, director and puppeteer. Delaronde is known for her children's series Tóta tánon Ohkwá:ri, a show produced at The Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center (KORLCC) in Kahnawake. She is also the director of the Eastern Connections Film Festival, an Indigenous community run film festival which began in 2013. She is an advocate for the revitalization of the Kanien'kéha language and uses her creative projects to help her community further develop and promote learning the language. Marion is also a scholar and holds degrees from Concordia University. Over the years she have developed a portfolio that includes animated films, books, masterclasses and workshops.

Sara Roque was a Métis/Ojibwe filmmaker, advocate and community activist. She was a mixed-heritage Anishinaabekwe woman from the community of Shebahonaning and lived in Toronto. She co-founded O'Kaadenigan Weengashk, an indigenous women's art collective, in 2004.

References

  1. ↑ Awards list, NFB Web page
  2. ↑ Meng, Melinda (2020). "Bloody Blockades: The Legacy of the Oka Crisis". Harvard International Review. 41 (3): 38–41. – via ProQuest.
  3. ↑ Morris, Martin J. (1995). "Overcoming the Barricades: The Crisis at Oka as a Case Study in Political Communication". Journal of Canadian Studies/Revue d'études canadiennes. 30 (2): 74–90 – via Project Muse.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "At Ninety-One, Alanis Obomsawin Is Not Ready to Put Down Her Camera". The Walrus. 2023-09-05. Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  5. 1 2 Canada, National Film Board of, NFB Pause | 25 Years After Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance , retrieved 2023-10-27
  6. 1 2 Greer, Sandy (1994). "Mohawks and the Media: Alanis Obomsawin's Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance". Take One: Film in Canada: 19–21.
  7. ↑ Wilson, Pamela (2016). "Indigenous Documentary Media". Contemporary Documentary. Routledge. pp. 87–91. ISBN   978-1-138-84952-5.
  8. ↑ Williams, Paul (2000-06-07). "Obomsawin, Alanis – Senses of Cinema" . Retrieved 2023-10-27.
  9. ↑ Third, Alanis Obomsawin’s. "Eyeing Resistance." Editor’s Note (2009): 51. https://doi.org/10.14288/cinephile.v5i1.197935
  10. ↑ Martins, Maria Lúcia Milléo (2009). "Dionne Brand and Alanis Obomsawin: Polyphony in the Poetics of Resistance". Ilha do Desterro: A Journal of English Language, Literatures in English and Cultural Studies. 56: 151–164 – via redalyc.
  11. ↑ Mazurkewich, Karen (1993-09-13). "Kanehsatake 270 Years of Resistance". Playback. Brunico Communications. Retrieved 2009-01-26.
  12. ↑ Lewis, Randolph (2006). Alanis Obomsawin: The Vision of a Native Filmmaker. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. p. 109.
  13. ↑ McIlroy, Brian (2006). "Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance". The Cinema of Canada. London: Wallflower. p. 180.
  14. ↑ "Toronto Film Fest Unveils Platform Program Slate; Riz Ahmed To Head Jury". Shoot Online, August 11, 2021.
  15. 1 2 Froman, Karen (2021-08-26). "The white man's camera: the national film board of Canada and representations of Indigenous peoples in post-war Canada".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.