Route of historic trauma

Sandy Lake Tragedy GLIFWIC stands for the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission. Formed in 1984, GLIFWC represents eleven Ojibwe tribes in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan who reserved hunting, fishing and gathering rights in the 1837, 1842, and 1854 Treaties with the United States government. In the film, Winona LaDuke says “The route that they (Enbridge) wants to take is very significant to our people.” Historic trauma is real and GLIFWIC brings tribes from all over the treaty territory to remember their ancestors who died following deceit by the US Government that left over 400 Annishiinabe dead in bad weather with no provisions.

The Ojibwe come together to canoe part of the route  follows the same route taken in 1850. I didn’t know about this part of our history until creating the film. I was very lucky the year that I filmed as the weather was very windy and many in canoes had to turn back… must have been like that back in 1850 except with snow.