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My Name Is Kahentiiosta

1995 29 min
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This short documentary by Alanis Obomsawin tells the story of Kahentiiosta, a young Kahnawake Mohawk woman arrested after the Oka Crisis' 78-day armed standoff in 1990. She was detained 4 days longer than the other women. Her crime? The prosecutor representing the Quebec government did not accept her Indigenous name.

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My Name Is Kahentiiosta

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This short documentary by Alanis Obomsawin tells the story of Kahentiiosta, a young Kahnawake Mohawk woman arrested after the Oka Crisis' 78-day armed standoff in 1990. She was detained 4 days longer than the other women. Her crime? The prosecutor representing the Quebec government did not accept her Indigenous name.

  • director
    Alanis Obomsawin
  • producer
    Alanis Obomsawin
  • script
    Alanis Obomsawin
  • executive producer
    Don Haig
  • camera
    Jean-Claude Labrecque
    André-Luc Dupont
    Susan Trow
    Roger Rochat
    Zoe Dirse
    Sylvain Julienne
    Alanis Obomsawin
  • animation camera
    Raymond Dumas
    Pierre Landry
    Jacques Avoine
    Lynda Pelley
  • sound
    Raymond Marcoux
    Ismaël Cordeiro
    Hans Oomes
    Alanis Obomsawin
  • editing
    Ruby-Marie Dennis
  • sound editing
    Don Ayer
  • re-recording
    Jean-Pierre Joutel
  • music
    Claude Vendette
    Francis Grandmont

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Education

Ages 15 to 17
School subjects
A woman prefers her Mohawk name to her “Canadian” name. Children give names to their dolls and stuffed toys; people name their cats and dogs… “What’s in a name?” Juliet asked Romeo. Starting with “My name is…,” sing the praises of your first name: who chose it and why? Do a Web search to enrich your presentation (origin, celebrities with the same name, songs that mention it, etc.). Convince your classmates that your name is the nicest, because it’s yours.
My Name Is Kahentiiosta
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