1969 Directed by Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell
The territory of Akwesasne straddles the Canada-U.S. border. When Canadian authorities prohibited the duty-free cross-border passage of personal purchases - a right established by the Jay Treaty of 1794 - Kanien'kéhaka protesters blocked the international bridge between Ontario and New York State.
amazing footage and documentation of bullshit indigenous people have to go through. also available on NFB if anyone wants to watch .
This short doc was crazy to watch since it depicts a highway blockade between Canada and the US in the 1960s. But instead of the backwater moron anti-vaxxers that were allowed to block this border for several days just recently, this film depicts a group of irate indigenous folk protesting the duties on native people using their own land. That time, unsurprisingly, the arrests were swift and decisive.
This was on the same disc as Clearcut, and it pairs wonderfully with that film. In fact, I wish I would have watched this doc first.
All The Haunts Be Ours Disc Nine
Powerful documentary demonstrating the limitations of civil disobedience and passive resistance. The game is rigged, gentle strangers. Rise. Roar. Revolt.
In December of 1968, a group of Kanienʼkehá꞉ka protesters blocked the bridge over Cornwall Island connecting New York State and Ontario, Canada due to a taxation violation by the Canadian government. The Jay Treaty of 1794 established the tribe's international status, but their duty-free status was revoked and the tribe's autonomy was threatened.
Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell's You Are on Indian Land is a short documentary covering the events in question, and is included as a bonus feature alongside Clearcut in Severin's All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium Of Folk Horror boxset. It's an interesting look into an important (and relatively unknown) event in indigenous American history.
I live in what was once Haudenosaunee land (the events in question took…
Fascinating documentary about a tribal group standing up to the Canadian government to gain sovereignty over their land.
The 60’s equivalent to people live streaming the same sort of protest as still happens. It is an interesting look at Akewasasne and it’s genesis as the centre of indigenous sovereignty. At least for Akwesasne things are a bit different today.
Good for the Kanien’kéhaka people, we don't recognize our own land borders, especially since we never made them
Indigenous Peoples' Month #5
A simple, but well executed and effective documentary that bears witness to injustices done unto indigenous protestors by the police. It fits snugly into the progressive documentary tradition that was ongoing at the National Film Board of Canada in the 1950s and 1960s.
brutal but extremely important. so so relevant to today’s disputes between Indigenous peoples and the rcmp/ canada, but so sad knowing not much or anything has changed in 50 years.
All The Haunts Be Ours #25
"It's said that white people joined us that day, but the only white people we saw were the police officers."
This is an effective one-two punch after the Willie Dunn video, showing how the fight for native land continues in the modern age, and how treaties continue to be violated and eroded by force.
A group of Mohawk Indians stage a protest against the Canadian government's aggressive annexation of their land and illegal construction of a customs office on the border. The Canadian police are called and allow the Indians to protest peacefully... nah, just kidding - they harass them, smash their property, and arrest them in depressingly predictable fashion.
It's wild to see the US-Canada border blocked by a protest, when that's happening right now in 2022. Although, I'd argue that the Indians were more justified in their protest than a bunch of Russian-funded, antivax nutcases.
A documentary about the Akwesane Mohawk Nation protesting getting custom fees when bringing food to their nation. This violates the treaty between Canada and the nations under this treaty and violates international law. So the nation blockades the road and points out that trespassing on their reserve is against the law (which Canada's Dept of Indigenous affairs wrote). Police obviously ignore this law in order to break up the protest. Then the nation is ignored at the table they were promised. This film emphasizes that Canada will always choose their interests before honouring their promises and agreements, and are ok with stealing land and forcing Indigenous peoples to assimilate. This is still going on btw
Police plein de pisse
Excellent documentaire, je n'avais jamais entendu parler de ce conflit. C'est intéressant, mais décourageant à la fois de voir que les choses n'évoluent pas.
