Kanehsatake 270 Years Of Resistance Sparknotes

The 1993 documentary “Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance” captures the 1990 standoff between the Mohawk (Kanien'kehá:ka) people and the Quebec police, and later the Canadian army, known as The Siege of Kanehsatake. The film highlights multiple aspects of the struggle. It emphasizes the resistance and determination from the Mohawks defending their land in spite of overwhelming odds. It documents the way the Quebec government framed the affair in contrast to reality. It also shows the conflict not only as a single, isolated event, but as a flashpoint that is the result of centuries of neglect from colonial powers. As a whole, it emphasizes the long-standing fight of Indigenous peoples for sovereignty and recognition. The film frames the conflict
The Quebec government’s response to the crisis, shown in the film, emphasizes the settler colonialism that still continues today. The government is manipulating the media coverage to shape public perception. In interviews with reporters, officials claim that there is free circulation of food on both sides, but the documentary challenges it, showing trucks being turned away, and sabotage by soldiers. The army controls what is being published in the newspaper by arresting journalists that try to leave the treatment centre, and confiscating their film. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney stated that some of the warriors are not citizens and are committing illegal acts. All of this is done to portray the Mohawks in a negative light as insurgents. This influence of the media worked, as people leaving the reserve were attacked by an angry mob for no good reason. At the same time, the army surrounded and completely blockaded the town, even going so far as to place barbed wire on the shore to prevent anyone from trying to leave by boat. The presence of heavily armed soldiers was intended to intimidate the Mohawks and demoralize