FESTIVAL PREMIERE
DOC SHORT | CANADA | 22 MINUTES | English
Kanatenhs - When The Pine Needles Fall
Director: Ellen Gabriel
The 300 year old story of the Kanien’kehá:ka of Kanehsatà:ke fighting to protect their Homelands.
Kanehsatà:ke, a Mohawk community near Montreal,Qc is raided on the morning of July 11th, 1990. The Kanehsatake Mohawks have erected a barricade to stop the expansion of a 9 hole golf course on the last vestige of common land on their Homelands.
The women’s role on that morning was to confront police, and to possibly be arrested but they did not imagine what would happen next. July 11th, 1990 is the first day of a 78 day Siege of Kanehsatake, commonly known as the Mohawk Crisis.
A SWAT team comprised of the Sureté du Quebec, Montreal police and the Canadian Army open fire upon the community sparking a 78 day Siege of Kanehsatà:ke and Kahnawake. Their sister community of Kahnawake near Montreal blocks the Mercier bridge in support of Kanehsatà:ke.
After 3 hours of trying to negotiate with police, the SQ open fire on the Mohawks.
This documentary is about the role of the women on the first day of the 78 days Siege.
CAST & CREDITS
Director
Ellen Gabriel
Producer
Ellen Gabriel
Writer
Ellen Gabriel
Key Cast
Mamie Gabriel, Arlette Van den Hende, Wanda Gabriel, Clifton Nicholas
Directors Bio
Katsi’tsakwas Ellen Gabriel
Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Nation, Turtle Clan
From: Kanehsatà:ke Kanien’kehá:kaTerritory
Documentarian – Visual Artist, Indigenous Human Rights and Environmental Rights Activist
A recent graduate from the New York Film Academy in documentary film making, providing her with new tools in her advocacy. She participated in DOC NYC in November 2021 with her first film: Strong Spirits on the issue of Indian Residential School in Canada.
In 1990 Ms. Gabriel graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from. She believes that education controlled by Indigenous peoples based upon our languages and culture and traditional forms of governance are paramount to the recovery and reconciliation from the genocidal colonial project.
Ms. Gabriel was well-known to the public when she was chosen by the People of the Longhouse and her community of Kanehsatà:ke to be their spokesperson during the 1990 “Oka” Crisis; to protect the Pines from the expansion of a 9 hole golf course in “Oka”/Kanehsatà:ke.
Directors Statement
As a visual artist and creator, I am passionate about telling stories in all artistic mediums and formats.
I have been an activist, human rights and environmental advocate for the past 32 years which has enriched my life beyond the “Mohawk Crisis” of 1990.
I have 3 decades of experience in public speaking to teach the public on Indigenous peoples’ stories, cultures and human rights.
As an Indigenous person, my hope is to reclaim the narrative and elevate the voices of Indigenous peoples’ stories, histories and realities.
I am motivated as well, about the rights of Mother Earth, the environment, all our relations and concerned with this generation’s legacy to future generations in surviving the climate crisis.
