Rocks at Whiskey Trench
Stories of resistance, strength and perseverance are laid bare in this examination of a dark day in Canadian history. At the height of tensions at Oka, Quebec, in 1990, Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) women, children and Elders fled their community of Kahnawake out of fear for their safety. Once past the Canadian Army that surrounded their home, they were assaulted by angry non-Indigenous protesters who pelted their convoy with rocks. This visceral display of hatred and violence – rarely seen so publicly in Canada – shocked the nation and revealed the severity of the dangers that faced the Kanien’kehá:ka in their struggle …
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Stories of resistance, strength and perseverance are laid bare in this examination of a dark day in Canadian history. At the height of tensions at Oka, Quebec, in 1990, Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) women, children and Elders fled their community of Kahnawake out of fear for their safety. Once past the Canadian Army that surrounded their home, they were assaulted by angry non-Indigenous protesters who pelted their convoy with rocks. This visceral display of hatred and violence – rarely seen so publicly in Canada – shocked the nation and revealed the severity of the dangers that faced the Kanien’kehá:ka in their struggle to defend a sacred site.
This film is the fourth in Alanis Obomsawin’s landmark series on the Mohawk resistance at Oka that would become a pivot point in contemporary relationships between Indigenous nations and Canada.
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writerAlanis Obomsawin
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directorAlanis Obomsawin
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narratorAlanis Obomsawin
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editorYurij Luhovy
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original music composerClaude VendetteFrancis Grandmont
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cameraRoger RochatRené Sioui LabellePhilippe Amiguet
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location soundRaymond MarcouxIsmaël CordeiroYves St-Jean
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musicianClaude VendetteFrancis GrandmontNormand GuilbeaultPierre Tanguay
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songMargaret Beauvais Jocks
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assistant cameraMichel BissonnetteYoan CartFrançois Paille
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gafferÉloi Deraspe
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sound editorDon AyerTony Reed
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assistant editorSharon King
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photo animationMeilan Lam
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production assistantWillma Lahache
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sound technicianBiagio Pagano
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voice recordingGeoffrey Mitchell
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voiceGuy Nadon
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drawingsRobert VerrallSusan PhillipsConway Jocks
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researchDenise Beaugrand-ChampagneAlanis Obomsawin
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animation cameraPierre LandryThea Pratt
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post-production coordinationClaude CardinalLinda Payette
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music recordingGeoffrey Mitchell
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music recording - assistanceSylvain Cajelais
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re-recording mixerJean Paul Vialard
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titlesGaspard Gaudreau
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production administration assistantAndrée Lachapelle
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administrative assistantTheodora Kolovos
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program administratorMarie Tonto-DonatiNickie Merulla
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producerAlanis Obomsawin
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executive producerSally Bochner
Warnings: M (Violence, hate speech, racially charged language). This film exposes the context, events and impacts of the 1990 Kanehsatà:ke’s resistance and can be used to prompt deeper learning and understanding through research, essays, projects, discussions and debates. Describe the shift in Kanehsatà:ke’s territory over time and consider how this relates to their inhuman and unethical treatment. Should the injustices of the past be repaired? What actions can citizens take today to reconcile with injustice and with the hateful and inhumane treatment of Indigenous Peoples? What does the resistance say about settler-colonialism? Does racism and discrimination against Indigenous Peoples continue today, and are there other Canadian examples comparable to the Kanehsatà:ke’s resistance? Research how law enforcement systems and institutions contribute to hatred and violence directed against Indigenous people who try to enforce their treaty rights. How did the Kanehsatà:ke resistance change the narrative of Canada? Why does it continue to be a struggle to have treaties respected and recognized by the government and citizens? Describe the ethical values of the perpetrators who fought against the Kanehsatà:ke, who were seeking to maintain their land and honour their dead.
