The term ‘archival material’ covers a dizzying spectrum of possibilities, everything from radio interviews to family snapshots, and it can provide the lifeblood to a historical documentary. The abrogation of civil and human rights is captured by the filmmaker, Alanis Obomsawin, who was present throughout the 78 days of protest.

All of these realities intersect along certain lines. There was an entire historical legacy to this problem, and that is why the Natives were engaged in activism and resistance. The film certainly deserves its accolades. It is important to understand that to shape an identity also means to assign a certain social meaning. We see, in genuine terms, the legacy of the genocide perpetrated against the Indians.

It allows Indian men and women to speak for themselves. That is why these articles and the documentary try to get viewers to understand that certain marginalized groups exist and also have their own reality.It is only by eradicating the process of identity construction, therefore, that will enable certain groups to free themselves, since their experiences are linked in that they are oppressed by the social order. Directed by Alanis Obomsawin. According to Lewis, new coverage at the time "often relied on government press releases and other one-sided sources." On Jan. 15, as the first part of its Indigeneity & Solidarity Event Series, SSMU Indigenous Affairs screened the final product of Obomsawin’s work covering the Crisis: The 1993 feature-length documentary and winner of 18 Canadian and international awards, Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance. Review of Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance On our plane ride into Heathrow, Katie sat next to a small, unassuming lady in her late seventies. Interesting? 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. Forgot password This was, after all, part of the Mohawk Nation's land. As they did a little talking, it turned out that she was Alanis Obomsawin, a well-regarded aboriginal American filmmaker from Canada (neither of us had heard of her, but I probably should have) on … It is in this context that Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance is worth noting in the history of documentary. Outsiders such as anthropologists, ethnographers, and others who often emerge from the very people and social viewpoint that have benefitted from the oppression of indigenous peoples. With Jack Burning, Herbie Barnes, Alanis Obomsawin, Ethel Blondin. In her article, “Surpassing the Word: Aileen Wuornos,” she deals with the case of a prostitute that is on death row for killing seven men who tried to rape and kill her. One could also ask: Why is it that the only news coverage allowed was the “official” reporting, which relied on hostile community and government spokespersons to “explain” the crisis?Despite these attempts to prevent the Mohawk from telling their side of the story, the filmmakers were able to record the events as they happened, in addition to chronicling the many broken promises and treaty violations that led up to the standoff.

Kanehsatake 270 Years of Resistance is arguably Alanis Obomsawin's most important film, documenting the military 1990 siege of a Mohawk reserve near Oka, Quebec, and its causes. As history itself is a narrative, the viewpoint of the narrator can have a profound effect on history and its meanings. Celebrate the International Year of Indigenous Languages by watching this rich list of Indigenous-made films, all presented in their original languages. [..] Colin Neale, the executive producer who worked with Obomsawin on the film, rebuffed the network's demand. Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance. It is for this reason, the taking of historical self-license for the benefit of the indigenous peoples of Canada, that the works of Obomsawin and particularly Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance is worth remembering in the history of documentary film.

They simply had no choice but to resist their oppressors.As the documentary shows us what is going on behind the barricades, we are able to go behind the scenes and enter the psychology of the resistors. The films discussed in these blogs can help viewers rethink Canada’s relationship to First Nations peoples, who struggle to defend the rights they’ve won through the courts and/or treaties. Log in / Sign up There is always some underlying bias, agenda, or philosophy guiding the perception of the narrator. This is why the Mohawk people engage in resistance, because they must use their communal spirit to stand firm against their oppressors. Canadians can learn that Oka was not just a little fight over plans to build a golf course on land the Mohawks held sacred.