Kanehsatake – 270 Years of Resistance

In this passionate, affecting documentary, Alanis Obomsawin - a member of the Abenaki tribe - describes the 11-week battle fought by the Mohawks of Montreal during 1990 to stop one of their sacred burial grounds being developed into a golf course. It was a war of wills with no winners. The Mohawk 'warriors' (in army dress and with movie names like 'Psycho' and 'Freddy Krueger') and women (with real names and with their children) set up barricades, blocked off the nearby Messier bridge, and made a peace camp. They were prepared to die. Facing them were the regional police - the 'SQ' - and the Canadian Army, who weren't. An army corporal was killed, however, which rocketed the confrontation from local to national news. This fascinating, condemnatory document, including a historical section and interviews with politicians, captures much of the Mohawk (and native Indian) identity and struggle. It also makes clear why Canada is in the process of breaking up.