Is the Crown at war with us?
It was the summer of 2000 and the country watched with disbelief as federal fishery officers appeared to wage war on the Mi'gmaq fishermen of Esgenoopetitj, or Burnt Church, New Brunswick. Why would officials of the Canadian government attack citizens for exercising rights that had been affirmed by the highest court in the land? What happened at Burnt Church?
Alanis Obomsawin casts her cinematic and intellectual nets into history to provide a context for the events on Miramichi Bay. Delineating the complex roots of the conflict with passion and clarity, she builds a persuasive defence of the Mi'gmaq position.
Obomsawin's numerous credits include Incident at Restigouche (1984) and Kanehsatake 270 Years of Resistance (1993). With Is the Crown at war with us?, she once again offers compelling insight into the complex relationship between Canada and its First Nations.
2002, 96 min 31 s
Also available in French
Award for Best Documentary Feature
Annual American Indian Film Festival
November 6 to 13 2003, San Francisco - USA
Honorable Mention - Category: Social Issues
International Film and Video Festival
November 1 2003, Columbus - USA
Award of Distinction - Category: Documentary Feature
Indian Summer Deltavision Film & Video Image Awards
September 10 to 12 2003, West Allis - USA
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